Fedotov, Tippett step up in big way as Flyers rally for shootout win

Fedotov, Tippett step up in big way as Flyers rally for shootout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ivan Fedotov and Owen Tippett answered the bell Thursday night for the Flyers in a 2-1 shootout win over the Lightning at Amalie Arena.

Tippett buried a game-tying goal with 4:16 minutes left in regulation and was one of the Flyers’ two scorers in the skills competition. Travis Konecny scored on the team’s first attempt and Tippett then finished the deal on the second.

Fedotov, who had lost his backup job, played for the first time in 15 days and earned his first career NHL victory.

The Flyers (5-8-1) improved to 1-1-0 on their difficult three-game road trip. They’re 2-0 in the shootout this season.

They found a way to eventually generate enough offense — at least on this night — without Matvei Michkov. The prized rookie was healthy scratched by head coach John Tortorella. More on that here.

The Flyers don’t see the Lightning (7-6-1) again until March when the clubs square off twice more in a five-day span.

• With Samuel Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov both unavailable because of lower-body injuries, Fedotov really delivered for the Flyers in Tampa Bay. And for himself.

The 6-foot-7 netminder had surrendered 14 goals in three starts this season, which made the Flyers summon Kolosov from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Fedotov took advantage of the opportunity Thursday night, stopping 23 of 24 shots and two more in the shootout. He was more controlled and made some timely saves.

His lone blemish was on Nikita Kucherov’s wraparound goal with 45 seconds left in the first period.

The Flyers dictated play more than they had been doing and defended pretty well. Nick Seeler had a gutsy blocked shot in the final seconds of regulation to help force overtime.

Kolosov was scratched from his start and is considered day to day. Ersson missed a second straight game with his injury.

Having no one to back up Fedotov, the Flyers signed Kyle Konin to an amateur tryout. He wore No. 72 on the bench.

The 26-year-old played at Grand Valley State University in 2019-20. He dressed as an emergency backup for the Lightning last season and the Blues in 2021-22.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay’s 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion, made 31 saves on 32 shots.

The Flyers finally cracked him on Tippett’s goal, which came on a slick backhander. The 25-year-old winger has goals in back-to-back games, a very good sign for the Flyers.

• The Flyers went 0 for 2 on the power play without Michkov. The 19-year-old winger leads the club in power play points with seven (three goals, four assists).

But the team’s penalty kill was excellent again, going 2 for 2 and giving the Lightning just one shot. It’s now 12 for 12 over the last five games and operating at 89.4 percent on the season.

• Up front, Joel Farabee didn’t score but played a very noticeable game.

On the back end, Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale were steady in big minutes.

• Cam Atkinson faced the Flyers for the first time since being bought out by the club in June.

The veteran winger was denied by Fedotov on a second-period breakaway.

• The road trip wraps up Saturday when the Flyers visit the defending champion Panthers (6 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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