The Philadelphia Flyers improved their season record to 11-6-3 after a well-balanced 6-3 win vs. the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

Dan Vladar turned in yet another excellent performance in goal. He was backed up by scoring from Noah Cates, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, and Trevor Zegras.

All in all, this could have very well been the Flyers’ most complete win of the season. They had a little bit of everything.

Let’s take a look at some key takeaways.

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Flyers finally find that fast start

It feels like we have been talking about the Flyers’ lack of a fast start almost every night. Yes, they did allow the first goal of the game, having to play from behind. However, it was just momentarily.

After Timo Meier’s goal to open the game, the Flyers found their scoring touch. They had momentum for most of, if not the entire game, after Noah Cates’ goal that evened the score. You could see the momentum, the difference between the two teams. The Flyers looked like a team full of energy, ready to attack. Meanwhile, the Devils looked deflated, if not after the Cates goal, then definitely after Philly scored three goals in 26 seconds.

It has become normal to watch the Flyers dig themselves a hole early, and they have to dig themselves out of it throughout the game. Saturday night was different.

That had to feel good for the Flyers. You have to wonder if this taste of what an early lead can do for a team will help them start faster, more often.

Balanced Scoring

Another theme that has grown normal with this Flyers team has been one line carrying the load. Early in the season, it was Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink.

Lately, in each game, it feels like it is a different line that boosts the Flyers, really carrying the team. Saturday night, it was much more balanced.

The Flyers scored six goals on Saturday. Three of which came from the Cates line. Sean Couturier’s line contributed two goals, one by Matvei Michkov and the other by Bobby Brink. The Dvorak line got on the board late with Trevor Zegras’ insurance tally.

Philadelphia had three lines that contributed to the team’s scoring. Even though they did not score, the fourth line even made an impact. Once again, Rodrigo Abols showed he was the player that gave the front office no other choice but to keep him on the NHL roster. Nick Deslauriers came close on a couple of chances.

In a season where it has felt like one line typically carries the load for an entire game, the Flyers found a balanced scoring attack on Saturday.

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Drysdale and Andrae looked great

In the game preview, I mentioned that I would be keeping a close eye on Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae. It was the duo’s first game together as a defensive pair. After watching them play on Saturday, I can confidently say that they were fantastic.

At first, I was a bit wary of the concept of two smaller, offensive defensemen as a top-four pair. However, between Andrae’s “abrasiveness”, as Rick Tocchet described it, and Drysdale’s much-improved defensive game, they really did look like a great pair.

Flyers’ head coach Rick Tocchet said postgame that Drysdale was the team’s best player. ” [Drysdale] was our best defender by far. I thought the same thing of Andre, too. Andre is not scared of going into the corners. I thought those two guys were really defending hard,” said the Flyers bench boss.

For offensive defensemen, they both defended really well. Drysdale even came up with a big-time blocked shot. If he were not in position, it could have allowed New Jersey to make it a one-goal game, shifting the momentum. Instead, Drysdale made the big-time play.

Both Drysdale and Andrae were on a power play unit together as well. Both players are capable of running a unit. However, with Cam York also deserving of power play time, the two-defensemen look with Andrae and Drysdale worked. They did not score a power play goal, but they did create good chances.

I think it’s safe to say the pair earned another look together,

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