Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - For the second-consecutive game, the Buffalo Sabres played in a game where one of the teams scored seven goals.
Unlike Thursday at home, the blue and gold were on the wrong end of this decision against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers got started quickly on this afternoon, with a pair of goals just 29-seconds apart to take an early 2-0 edge in the first.
First, rookie forward Matvei Michkov led a 2-on-1 chance and took a shot that beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's glove.
Shortly after, Flyers forward Owen Tippett dished off a nice pass in front of Luukkonen that found the stick of forward Jakob Pelletier. It was Pelletier's fifth goal of 2024-25.
Just past the halfway point of the opening frame, the Sabres answered back. A nifty stick lift from JJ Peterka on the left boards led to a saucy assist on the ensuing goal by Jack Quinn.
Early in the second period, the inverse result helped the blue and gold tie the score. This time, it was Quinn who fed Peterka, who was parked on the doorstep in wait of the puck.
It was Peterka's 23rd goal of the campaign.
With 8:13 gone in the middle stanza, Buffalo grabbed its first lead of the afternoon. The third unanswered goal came off the stick of Quinn. His second goal of the day came right after a quick pass from Ryan McLeod on a Sabres powerplay.
Two-minutes later, though, Philadelphia put an end to Buffalo's run of goal-scoring. Michkov struck for his second goal of the contest, as he not only match Quinn's total but also knotted the game up at three goals apiece.
With just over six-minutes left in the middle stanza, the Flyers took the lead back after winning a battle in the corner. The puck loosened from the right corner, got gathered up by forward Tyson Foerster, who then set up forward Noah Cates for the go-ahead score.
Philadelphia pulled further ahead six-and-a-half minutes into the third period of play. On a powerplay, forward Owen Tippett ripped a one-time blast past Luukkonen to make it 5-3 Flyers as the game of goal-scoring runs continued.
The hits kept coming four-minutes later. Forward Tyson Foerster stepped into a slapshot off the rush to help Philadelphia double up the blue and gold, 6-3, with time dwindling away for the Sabres.
Buffalo was within two goals for all of 29-seconds before the Flyers snatched hope away. Alex Tuch scored his team-leading fifth short-handed goal, which was quickly thwarted by Ryan Poehling's powerplay marker for Philadelphia.
Those traded goals brought us to the eventual final in the City of Brother Love, 7-4.
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SCORING RECAP
First Period:
BUF: 10:57 - Jack Quinn (12) (JJ Peterka, Ryan McLeod)
PHI: 5:27 - Matvei Michkov (23) (Travis Konecny, Egor Zamula); 5:56 - Jakob Pelletier (5) (Owen Tippett, Ryan Poehling)
Second Period:
BUF: 1:41 - JJ Peterka (23) (Jack Quinn, Peyton Krebs); 8:13 - Jack Quinn (13) PPG (Ryan McLeod, Owen Power)
PHI: 10:36 - Matvei Michkov (24) (Travis Konecny); 14:11 - Noah Cates (15) (Tyson Foerster)
Third Period:
BUF: 15:05 - Alex Tuch (29) SHG (Ryan McLeod)
PHI: 6:39 - Owen Tippett (20) PPG (Olle Lycksell, Jamie Drysdale); 10:13 - Tyson Foerster (18) (Bobby Brink, Noah Cates); 15:34 - Ryan Poehling (9) PPG (Noah Cates)
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Three Stars of the Game:
1. Matvei Michkov - PHI
2. Tyson Foerster - PHI
3. Jack Quinn - BUF
What's Next:
The blue and gold head to the Nation's Capital to visit the Washington Capitals tomorrow afternoon, March 30. Puck drop at Capital One Arena is set for 3 p.m. EST with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the call.