Flyers-Bruins preseason observations: Strong all-around effort in 5-1 win

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Did Nolan Patrick receive his NHL initiation Thursday night? 

The No. 2 overall pick in the NHL draft dropped the gloves for the first time in his brief NHL career as he engaged in a brawl with Bruins center David Krejci, who hadn’t fought since 2011, during a scrum that involved several players exchanging barbs.

As Patrick returned to the bench after serving his five-minute major, the Wells Fargo Center gave him a round of applause.

Every phase of the Flyers’ offense came to life Thursday night as the team scored on the power play, shorthanded and at even strength in a 5-1 blowout of the Boston Bruins.

• Claude Giroux registered a pair of assists as the top line continues to create quality scoring chances with the captain at left wing (see story). Giroux now has four assists in his last two preseason games. 

• The Flyers jumped on the board first as the power play snapped an 0-for-21 drought when it successfully connected on a set play. Sean Couturier lasered a pass in front of the crease to Travis Konecny. The Flyers were 1 for 4 with the man advantage in the first period.

• Brandon Manning increased the Flyers’ lead to 3-0 when he worked his way down low, took a pass from Jakub Voracek and wristed a shot over the shoulder of Tuukka Rask. 

• Wayne Simmonds picked up a shorthanded tally on a perfect cross-ice feed from rookie defenseman Sam Morin that extended the Flyers’ lead to 4-0 after two periods.

• There were three first-period goals disallowed. Simmonds was called for deflecting the puck with a high stick. The Bruins had a pair of first-period goals wiped away. Head coach Dave Hakstol challenged a goal-scoring play that saw Krejci clip Alex Lyon’s skate as he was going across the crease. Earlier in the opening period, the Bruins were denied a goal on a hand pass.  

• The Bruins swapped out goaltenders prior to the third period. Rask was replaced by Malcolm Subban, the younger brother of Predators defenseman P.K. Subban.

• Konecny leads the Flyers in scoring this preseason with six points (three goals, three assists) in six games.

• Lyon wasn’t on the ice for Thursday’s morning skate as he was still back in Allentown, Pennsylvania. However, by mid-afternoon he was the Flyers’ starter in net against the Bruins. Michal Neuvirth was scheduled to start but came down with an illness and served as Lyon’s backup. Lyon saved 31 of 32 shots.   

• Lyon was recalled Thursday from Lehigh Valley with goaltender Brian Elliott traveling to Wisconsin to be inducted into University of Wisconsin's Athletics Hall of Fame Friday night. Elliott was the Badgers’ starting goaltender on the 2006 NCAA championship team, earning first-team All-America honors. Elliott was also a finalist for the 2006 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s best player. He also set school records for career GAA (1.78) and save percentage (.931).

Lines, pairings and scratches

Forwards
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek
Jordan Weal-Nolan Patrick-Wayne Simmonds
Dale Weise-Valtteri Filppula-Travis Konecny
Jori Lehtera-Scott Laughton-Matt Read

Defensemen
Ivan Provorov-Travis Sanheim
Sam Morin-Shayne Gostisbehere
Brandon Manning-Radko Gudas

Goalies
Alex Lyon
Michal Neuvirth

Scratches: Taylor Leier, Oskar Lindblom, Michael Raffl, Robert Hagg, Andrew MacDonald, Brian Elliott.

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