Chicago Blackhawks vs. Philadelphia Flyers results: Travis Konecny goals lead Philly to victory in Prague

Rudi Schuller

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Chicago Blackhawks vs. Philadelphia Flyers results: Travis Konecny goals lead Philly to victory in Prague image

It may have taken place in Prague, but the Philadelphia Flyers seemed very much at home in defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Friday.

The Flyers were technically the home team in the NHL Global Series contest, and at times it felt like the game was being played at the Wells Fargo Center. With an ocean between them and their home venue, the Flyers appeared as comfortable as possible in the season-opening victory with new coach Alain Vigneault behind the bench, outshooting the Blackhawks 38-31 and generally finding their top gear faster than the opposition.

A pair of goals by Travis Konecny — including a highlight-reel marker late in the second period — led Philadelphia to victory, with Oskar Lindblom and Michael Raffl chipping in goals of their own. The Blackhawks didn't roll over, however, and a one-goal, two-assist game by Patrick Kane showed that the Chicago talisman is still very much the creative threat he's been his entire career.

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Both teams will head back across the Atlantic to resume their respective campaigns. Philadelphia is back in action Oct. 9 at home vs. the New Jersey Devils, while the Blackhawks will host the San Jose Sharks Oct. 10 in Chicago.

Sporting News tracked all the action from Friday's match-up. Check out how it all went down:

Philadelphia Flyers 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3: Updates, highlights

Third period

0:00 - GAME OVER! The Flyers take Game 1 of the Alain Vigneault era. Flyers 4, Blackhawks 3.

1:18 - Crawford slowly heads back to the bench after the Flyers do well to pin the play in Chicago's zone.

2:07 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 Kane gets a goal to go with his two assists as he takes advantage of traffic in front of the net to pot one from the point. Flyers 4, Blackhawks 3.

2:51 - Empty net alert!

3:52 - Now it's Lindblom with a breakaway opportunity, and the Chicago goalie needs to come up big again. The Blackhawks are pressing, leaving huge gaps that are being exploited by the Flyers.

5:05 - Konecny receives a stretch pass at the red line and races in on goal, unleashing a rocket that Crawford does well to stop. No hat trick just yet.

10:12 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 The Flyers regain the two-lead lead after a great wraparound by Michael Raffl. Will that be enough to hold off the surging Hawks? Flyers 4, Blackhawks 2.

13:00 - Kevin Hayes is sprung for a breakaway by Giroux, and he tries to juke around Crawford but the goalie isn't falling for it. The Blackhawks immediately counter through David Kampf but Hart stands tall. Great end-to-end stuff.

15:20 - This period has begun at a breakneck pace. Both teams have had good chances so far, but nothing is getting past the two netminders just yet.

20:00 - Here we go. The final 20 minutes.

Second period

0:00 - What a period of hockey. The teams score three times between them, all in very different ways, and we're headed for a great finish. Flyers 3, Blackhawks 2.

0:12.2 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 Alex DeBrincat slams home a one-timer after receiving a cross-ice feed from Kane. Chicago pulls to within one. Flyers 3, Blackhawks 2.

0:30 - Blackhawks now go on a brief PP after Shaw exits the box.

1:57 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 WOW! Konecny shows off some SERIOUS dangles to get around Duncan Keith before roofing a back-handed effort over Crawford. That was pretty. Flyers 3, Blackhawks 1.

2:11 - So much for that PP. Claude Giroux is called for slashing and the teams will play 4-on-4.

2:30 - Chicago's back to the penalty box. Andrew Shaw gets nailed for crosschecking and his team will again need to kill off a power play.

3:48 - A beautiful cross-ice pass sets up Ivan Provorov for an uncontested wrist shot from the Blackhawks' left faceoff dot, but Crawford gets across his goalmouth to block the shot. The net then gets knocked off the moorings and the play is called dead.

6:13 - The Flyers have had the better of the play in this period, as they've got a 9-3 shot advantage so far in the frame.

8:46 - Chicago successfully kills this one off. Back to 5-on-5.

10:46 - Blackhawks will have to try to kill another penalty after Brent Seabrook flips the puck over the glass for a delay of game.

13:32 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 The Flyers take the lead after an own-goal by Slater Koekkoek. Oskar Lindblom gets the credit for the goal after his shot hit the crossbar and caromed off Koekkoek's face(?) into the open net. Flyers 2, Blackhawks 1.

15:18 - Philadelphia will head to its first PP of the year as Duncan Keith is called for tripping.

20:00 - And we're back for the middle frame.

First period

0:00 - An even first period comes to a close. Shots are 13-11 in favor of the Flyers. Flyers 1, Blackhawks 1.

2:40 - Whoa! It looked like the Flyers scored on a goalmouth scramble, but they somehow couldn't stuff the puck into the open net. Even the Flyers' play-by-play guy thought it was a goal.

6:10 - Still lots of turnovers in this one. The latest falls to Patrick Kane, who gets a free look at Hart's net but the Philly goalie is equal to the task.

7:45 - After a lot of choppy play to start the game, everything's flowing much smoother now. Both teams seem to have found their stride, and it's made for a nice back-and-forth contest.

12:26 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 It's all tied up after Alexander Nylander pounces on a turnover at the red line and skates into the Flyers zone before wiring a low shot into the back of the net. Flyers 1, Blackhawks 1.

13:36 - 🚨 GOAL 🚨 Travis Konecny steals the puck at the blue line and rips a wrister from the left wing past Corey Crawford. Flyers 1, Blackhawks 0.

14:44 - Teams are back to even strength as the Flyers effectively kill off the man advantage. Philadelphia actually had the only shot of that power play.

16:44 - Now we have the first penalty of the game, as Philly's Jakub Voracek is called for hooking.

19:28 - Carter Hart makes the first save of the game. It's a routine stop for the netminder.

20:00 - Puck drop! The Flyers and Blackhawks have officially started their 2019-20 season.

Pre-game

 

Rudi Schuller