Flyers grab much-needed win, as Sam Ersson shuts out the Bruins, 2-0

BOSTON ― Don’t ever mess with a mama bear — or 15 of them.

Needing a jump-start with just two wins over the first nine games, the Flyers were hooked up to a battery packed with mom energy on Tuesday night with the moms’ trip in full swing.

As forward Scott Laughton said before the game, “Yeah, we’ve got to put on a show for them tonight.”

Mission accomplished with a 2-0 win against the offensively gifted Boston Bruins.

It wasn’t always pretty, as the Flyers posted just 19 shots on goal and were pinned in their own end at times. The team worked on quick transitions, puck support, breakouts, and just getting touches at morning skate and it carried over to the game on the offensive side of the ice.

» READ MORE: Sean Couturier’s hat trick on Saturday provides hope he can get back to being a productive center for the Flyers

Tyson Foerster gave the Orange and Black its fourth 1-0 lead of the season at the 5-minute, 32-second mark of the second period. Emil Andrae, playing in his second game of the season, sent a stretch pass from the Flyers’ end up to the forwards stacking the line. Foerster was on the receiving end and tipped it to Morgan Frost, who tapped it back to him for a laser that just missed. But Andrae got to the left boards and fed Foerster in the high slot for a turn-and-shoot through the wickets. Andrae’s assist was his first career NHL point.

Winger Joel Farabee sealed the deal with an empty-netter — and a punch into the glass — in the closing seconds after a hustling Noah Cates negated an icing.

On the defensive end, the Flyers shut down talented Bruins forwards David Pastrňák, Brad Marchand, and Elias Lindholm despite giving them plenty of chances with four power plays — including an 84-second two-man advantage in the first period.

Sam Ersson, who has been a bright spot overall this season despite his poor numbers, was stellar in net. The Bruins pressed and crashed the net throughout the night but he never wavered despite frequent madness in the crease. Among his 23 saves was a sliding post-to-post stop on an open Elias Lindholm in the first period when the game was scoreless.

Ersson earned the game’s first star and his sixth career shutout, while his teammates found their bread and butter, blocking 28 shots in front of the Swedish netminder.

Forward Bobby Brink played in place of Nick Deslauriers. Defenseman Egor Zamula remained a healthy scratch. … Matvei Michkov tried “The Michigan” lacrosse-style shot and just missed in the third period.

The Flyers face the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night (7 p.m., NBCSP).

For more in-depth analysis from each game check out our takeaways the following morning at https://www.inquirer.com/flyers/.