Flyers at Bruins

Hockey Fights Cancer is celebrated tonight at TD Garden, as cancer survivor Logan Durego rang the ceremonial bell signifying his completion of successful treatment and dropped the opening faceoff with captains Brad Marchand and Sean Couturier.

The rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers are slumping out of the 2024-25 gate, and the recovering Boston Bruins face yet another early-season game of significance. Win and it’s one more step toward righting their own rough start. Losing would constitute a setback that would cancel the good work of the last week.

Gary Dornhoeffer, a warrior of a right winger with the 1970s Broad Street Bullies, was one of several former Boston Bruins to help the Flyers win the Stanley Cup in 1974 and ’75.

FIRST PERIOD

The pesky Flyers took advantage of Charlie Coyle’s tumble in puck battle and rattled off four shots on Joonas Korpisalo, two of them point-blank beauties that the journeyman turned away.

The Bruins came back with their first offensive pressure, and this game seems porous, as in a matter of time before some goals are on the board.

Flyers starter Samuel Ersson took Hampus Lindholm’s shot from the left point off the facemask (Boston’s third shot). It’s been all Bruins since that flurry that Korpisalo denied.

Scott Laughton to the penalty box for crosschecking at 5:16. Bruins to the powerplay … not sure if Joe Mazzulla should be watching this …

David Pastrnak forces a second infraction, sending Travis Sanheim to the box so that the Bruins have a two-man advantage for the next 1:37.

Laughton out of the box, McAvoy in hot pursuit, pass to Garnet Hathaway, Korpisalo snags it. The Bruins already own their backup two goals.

The game gains structure and a lot of unsuccessful transition plays until the Bruins gain the zone, relay the puck beautifully until Ersson perfectly reads the finishing whack by Elias Lindholm. This one still scoreless with 2:31 left in the first, despite a lot of close calls earlier in the period.

Andrew Peake’s flick from the point deflects off the left post.

Matt Poitras, who’s had a pretty sparky period, got laid out by Joel Farabee at center ice away from the puck – no call. Poitras to the bench gingerly and sitting facing the training staff.

Justin Brazeau grabbed by two Flyers in the crease, no penalties.

Lengthy puck battle in the RW corner of the Philadelphia zone ends the period.

Shots unofficially 11-8 Bruins.

SECOND PERIOD

All Flyers until …

Pastrnak blast from the point hits Philly defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who struggles to his feet after failed attempts. Play goes on, Ersson ties up a weak shot. Flyers escape trouble.

Tyson Foerster made a wonderful tip of a hard pass, slowing it on the relay for his teammate, who gave it back to him for a shot that Korpisalo turned away. Foerster got another shot from the slot and drilled it between Korpisalo’s legs to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead.

Brandon Carlo to the box for slashing as the Flyers get rewarded for outworking the Bruins, which they’ve been doing through the opening six minutes of the second period. Korpisalo made a great save on the play. This game could easily be 2-0.

Brad Marchand intercepts the puck on the penalty kill and generates his own scoring chance. He’s hampered just enough to compromise his effort on the backhand, but the Bruins get the kill.

The Flyers clearly have been bearing down on all puck plays, playing faster and cleaner, harder on the puck and making better decisions to hang onto possessions. The Bruins have been outworked in the second period and now trail 1-0 with 11:28 to push back before second intermission.

Morgan Frost off for high-sticking Morgan Geekie, who had just (legally) knocked down a Flyer in puck pursuit down the left-wing boards. Bruins with a powerplay with 7:04 remaining in the second period. This is the second straight effective shift for Geekie (0-1-1) and linemate Trent Frederic (1-2-3), two forwards who have struggled mightily since the start of the season.

The Bruins press for the tying goal but fail to get changes on the ice before Poitras (who had made some excellent plays prior to) turned the puck over – no legs, the Flyer interceptor aborted and dumped the puck.

McAvoy, who has had a hard time finding the handle, made a crafty entry to stay onside, avert too many men and avert a turnover to extend a prior possession in the attacking zone.

Marchand got caught on a partial breakaway, clean steal, nice defensive play, not sure who it was.

Period ends 1-0 Philly. Shots are 21-13 Boston.

THIRD PERIOD

Faceoffs entering the third period are .629-.343 in favor of Philadelphia.

Hampus Lindholm off for interfering with Hathaway on his pursuit of the Flyers’ dump. Philly to the powerplay at 3:33 …

Marchand with a steal and a push into Ersson’s skates as he backs into position, the puck wiggles under him and the net comes off the moorings, but the puck did not cross the goal line. Close call, Marchand almost had a shorty there. 1:09 left on Hampus Lindholm’s penalty.

Bruins get the kill, thanks in part to a diving effort by Coyle to get the puck out at the blue line. Officials confer during the TV timeout, Flyers too many men. Bruins get another powerplay with 13:18 left in the game …

Bruins can’t get a shot on Ersson, as the Flyers defend the shooting lanes for coach John Tortorella. Bruins, for the second straight powerplay (Marchand, then Poitras), backhand the puck from behind the Philly net to the weak side expecting a Bruin who’s nowhere to be found. Bruins ice the puck to seal the fate of the powerplay.

Poitras and Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae rough it up. Poitras held off, thinking he might get a call – really should have – and instead gave the stripes wanted the waited for, enough retaliation to set off a scrum resulting in matching minors with 9:49 remaining in regulation.

The Bruins sustain pressure and zone time but cannot get clean shots at Ersson. They “enjoy” a 23-16 shots advantage for the game with 3:23 left, but not many have been clean chances.

Korpisalo stays in net for now.

Zadorov blocks a shot, leaves.

Timeout Boston with 1:54, down 1-0. O-zone draw, Korpisalo probably comes out right here.

Farabee picks off a pass and backhands home the empty-netter. Flyers will win for the third time this season, and the Bruins will fall to 4-5-1 with a tough match coming up Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh.

Drive safely.