Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov played well when used as the Flyers' top pairing last season, but the young defensemen struggled in the first two weeks this year and were put on different defensive units in Saturday's 5-2 win over New Jersey.
The move worked. The new pairs – Provorov with Robert Hagg, Gostisbehere with Christian Folin — were steady as the Flyers permitted just 21 shots, equaling a season low, and bounced back from a 6-3 loss in Columbus two nights earlier.
The 6-foot-2, 204-pound Hagg is "a little heavier body to play with Provy in some of those situations," said coach Dave Hakstol, whose team entered the game having allowed 31 goals, second-most in the NHL.