The Flyers sure enjoyed their time in California.<\/p>\n
They capped off a perfect road trip with a 4-1 win Saturday over the Sharks at SAP Center.<\/p>\n
Owen Tippett, Christian Dvorak, Travis Sanheim and Noah Cates found the back of the net for the Flyers.<\/p>\n
Dvorak’s marker was the game-winner in the third period and it stemmed the tide for the team’s beleaguered power play. Sanheim and Cates iced things with empty-netters.<\/p>\n
The Flyers (34-23-12) swept their California trip with three wins in four days. They took the first two games after regulation \u2014 a 3-2 decision over the Ducks in overtime<\/a> and a 4-3 shootout finish over the Kings<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rick Tocchet’s club is on a six-game point streak (5-0-1) and has gone 9-2-1 over its last 12 games. The Flyers have 80 points with 13 games to go after finishing with 76 last season (33-39-10)<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Flyers won both meetings with the Sharks (32-30-6) this season. They beat San Jose in December, 4-1<\/a>, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.<\/p>\n \u2022 With 24 saves on 25 shots, Dan Vladar gave up two or fewer goals for the 28th time in 42 starts this season.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old converted 12 of his stops in the third period. In the second period, he made a sharp pad save on young star Macklin Celebrini to maintain the Flyers’ 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n But a little over three minutes later, the Sharks struck on the power play after Emil Andrae hit the puck over the glass. Dmitry Orlov’s goal, though, was Vladar’s only blemish.<\/p>\n San Jose netminder Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 24 of 26 shots.<\/p>\n Tippett gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead early in the second period with his 24th of the season. He has looked awfully dynamic of late and is pushing for his first 30-goal season.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTravis Sanheim, Owen Tippett and Garnet Hathaway spoke in the Flyers’ locker room on their win over the Sharks and sweeping their West Coast trip.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u2022 The Flyers have not gone away in a deep Eastern Conference playoff race.<\/p>\n They could be four points back of the second wild-card spot by the end of the night. It’ll depend on what happens with the Bruins, Red Wings and Islanders.<\/p>\n Boston is facing Detroit; both teams entered the day atop the wild-card standings. The Flyers still have three head-to-head matchups with the Red Wings.<\/p>\n When it comes to the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers are five points back of the third-place Blue Jackets.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2022 Garnet Hathaway delivered a clean, difference-making check on Celebrini in the third period, a big hit that ended up putting the Flyers on the power play for Dvorak’s goal.<\/p>\n Hathaway drew the penalty because Mario Ferraro was whistled for roughing as he jumped on the Flyers’ winger in defense of Celebrini.<\/p>\n The Flyers’ league-worst power play hadn’t produced a goal in the last five games, so this was a timely breakthrough. Matvei Michkov extended his point streak to three games with an assist on the goal.<\/p>\n For Dvorak, every point now is adding to a new career high. He has 41 points on 14 goals and 27 assists.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAshlyn Sullivan, Scott Hartnell and Al Morganti discuss the Flyers’ win over the Sharks and sweep of their West Coast road trip.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u2022 With Sean Couturier (upper body), Denver Barkey (upper body) and Luke Glendening (lower body) all missing a second straight game, the Flyers deployed 11 forwards and seven defensemen again.<\/p>\n Andrae was utilized mostly as a forward. Garrett Wilson, playing just his second NHL game in almost seven years, dropped the gloves with longtime heavyweight Ryan Reaves<\/a> during the first period.<\/p>\n