**Flyers Defeat Predators 3-1 in Nashville**
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Travis Konecny led the Philadelphia Flyers with a goal and an assist as they defeated the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Thursday night.
Matvei Michkov and Noah Cates also scored for the Flyers, while goaltender Dan Vladar made 23 saves to improve his record to 5-0-1 against the Predators. Vladar previously beat Nashville 4-1 at home in the opener of the two-game season series last week.
Ryan O’Reilly scored for Nashville, and Juuse Saros stopped 23 shots. The loss snapped the Predators’ three-game point streak.
O’Reilly opened the scoring at 1:44 of the first period. A shot from Filip Forsberg deflected off Philadelphia defenseman Jamie Drysdale and then off O’Reilly’s shoulder before slipping past Vladar. This goal gave O’Reilly 26 points in 28 career games against the Flyers.
Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg also assisted on the goal, extending his point streak to a career-high four games.
Early in the second period, Cam York assisted on a goal by Michkov. York slid a pass from below the Nashville goal line to Michkov in the low slot, who beat Saros with a wrist shot for his second goal of the season. York finished the game with two assists. Michkov was selected seventh overall by the Flyers in the 2023 draft held in Nashville.
Noah Cates made it 2-1 with 2:23 remaining in the second when he tapped in the rebound of Drysdale’s shot, extending his point streak to three games.
Konecny sealed the win with an empty-net goal just over a minute remaining in the third period. He has registered at least one point in six straight games.
Philadelphia held Nashville to just three shots on goal in the final period.
**Up Next:**
Flyers host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Predators host the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
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AP NHL
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/konecny-vladar-lead-flyers-3-041252296.html
