Vladar’s Busy Night Kept the Flyers Within Reach

Dan Vladar made key stops that prevented a wider defeat. Over three appearances this season he has faced 105 shots and recorded 90 saves, leaving him with a 0.86 save percentage and a 5.08 goals-against average. The underlying picture was ugly: Boston generated an expected goals total against him and his goals saved above expected sits at -3.29, signalling he’s faced dangerous chances repeatedly. Translation: the goalie kept it close, but Philadelphia can’t rely on Vladar to bail out messy coverage — the team needs cleaner defensive play.