Morgan Frost, Cal Petersen Inspire Flyers to 4-2 Win vs Kings

Against all odds, the Philadelphia Flyers got revenge on the Los Angeles Kings for their last meeting and defeated the hosts, 4-2.

After starting the California road trip with a loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Flyers closed it out with gutsy wins against the Anaheim Ducks and the Kings.

A rough start to the first period saw the Flyers outshot by the Kings 7-1 through the first 12 minutes, but they found their legs shortly thereafter. A forehand-backhand breakaway goal from Owen Tippett turned the tides, as the Flyers closed the period down only 9-8 in shots. The goal and the shot differential wouldn’t have been possible without Sean Walker, who selflessly blocked a shot before sending No. 74 on his way towards Cam Talbot.

In particular, Philadelphia struggled early with getting to pucks first and completing passes in the neutral and offensive zones. After Tippett’s third goal in two nights, the Flyers found the jump that they needed.

Finishing with one goal and one assist – and as many two-point games in as many nights – Tippett secured his place as the Third Star of the Game.

Sean Walker blocks a shot and finds Owen Tippett for a breakaway tally, putting the Flyers up 1-0!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/6keN0yWHg6

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) November 12, 2023

Frost Warning… For Real This Time

Morgan Frost remained in the lineup for the second consecutive game, and took full advantage of the mulligan he was given. After an uneven game against the Ducks, Frost played a much stronger defensive game, constantly winning puck battles and getting the Flyers possession. No. 48 was rewarded for his attention to detail with a lucky deflection goal midway through the second period. A goal is a goal, and Frost needed one in the worst way.

The 24-year-old added another before the second period ended, tipping a Nick Seeler one-timer past Talbot for a 3-0 Flyers lead. That one was certainly less lucky than his first goal.

And, it put Frost’s hockey IQ on display. While Travis Konecny circled the net with the puck, Frost parked himself in the blue paint and didn’t move a muscle. Seeler’s shot found him, and he did the rest.

For his performance, Frost was named the First Star of the Game.

Morgan Frost again! Second goal of the second period for Frost, 3-0 Flyers!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/GMy3QV3aiH

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) November 12, 2023

Another youngster that had a really strong night was Tyson Foerster. The 21-year-old is known more for his offense than his defense, but despite his scoring drought, his concerted defensive efforts have been noticeable. Late in the third period, Foerster stripped Vladislav Gavrikov of the puck near the Kings’ crease and took a quick shot, which was alertly stopped by Talbot. Sean Couturier eventually recovered the puck and set Cam Atkinson up for a slam dunk at the far post seconds later.

Cal Petersen Saves the Philadelphia Flyers

Carter Hart was supposed to start against Anaheim Ducks, and again against the Kings. Instead, he didn’t play in either game.

Sam Ersson was lights-out against the Ducks on Friday, and Cal Petersen got the spot-start against his former club on Saturday with very short notice.

Petersen’s last start was against the Kings on Nov. 4 – exactly one week prior to this game. The former LA shot-stopper allowed five goals on 30 shots in that one, but showed his class in the Flyers’ win.

Petersen saved 35 of 37 shots – good for a .946 save percentage. The last time had a save percentage that high was Nov. 16, 2022, when he stopped 22 of 23 shots (.957) in a win against the Edmonton Oilers.

The 29-year-old’s performance was nothing short of admirable, and you can only imagine what a win like that means to him. Given how things went against the Kings last time, it just means that much more to Petersen and the Flyers.

With the win, Petersen gets his first NHL victory in 361 days. What a journey.

Walker Leads by Example

For the first time since joining the Philadelphia Flyers, Walker had a multi-point game with two assists. Those two assists came on the Flyers’ first two goals of the game – two tallies that set the tone, and ultimately make up the difference on the scoreboard. Without Walker, the Flyers don’t win that game 4-2, and maybe they don’t win at all.

The 28-year-old’s 22:53 of ice time was second only to Travis Sanheim’s 26:46, amongst all Flyers skaters. The two penalties he took weren’t the greatest, but his teammates were able to pick him up on a night where he dominated the run of play.

Going forward, the Flyers need to keep doing that.

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