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Wrapup: Flyers Collect OT Win in Toronto, 5-4 |
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It wasn't artistic and it wasn't easy but the Philadelphia Flyers skated off with a much needed 5-4 overtime road win over the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. In order to earn two points, the Flyers had to overcome two one-goal deficits, a blown 3-1 lead, two disallowed goals, the absence of team captain Claude Giroux, an injury suffered by starting goaltender Steve Mason on Toronto's third goal, and playing much of the third period down to five defensemen after defenseman Evgeny Medvedev left the ice.
Shayne Gostisbehere capped off the win by scoring his 12th goal of the season (fourth in overtime) as he sped down the left wing and took a beautiful backhanded pass by Jakub Voracek to beat Toronto relief goaltender James Reimer at the 29-second mark of OT. Gostisbehere extended his franchise rookie / NHL rookie defenseman record point streak to 15 games.
The Flyers got a goal and an assist apiece from Brayden Schenn (18th goal, 18th assist) and Voracek (10th goal, 37th assist), as well as goals from Sam Gagner (third) and Matt Read (10th). Scott Laughton had a pair of assists, as did Wayne Simmonds.
Mason stopped 11 of 14 shots before he had to leave the game at 3:30 of the third period, very shortly after a tap-in goal by Peter Holland tied the game at 3-3. On the play, Nazem Kadri (two assists) stickhandled around multiple Flyers and then found Holland alone near the right post. Earlier, Nick Spaling deflected a Kadri shot up and over the goal to cut a Toronto deficit to 3-2 midway through regulation.
Toronto briefly led 1-0 early after turnover by Michael Raffl turned into a sniped goal by Shawn Matthias from the left circle moments later at the 1:29 mark of the first period. The Flyers got it back quickly to tie the game at 8:56 and then take the lead 39 seconds later. First Sam Gagner hid out from the D and, from the right slot, took a pass from Schenn and beat Toronto starter Jonathan Bernier. The Flyers forged ahead at 9:35 on a line rush goal as Voracek took a good pass from Laughton, who carried up the right wing and fed over to the Czech forward. Voracek immediately claimed his own rebound after Bernier made the initial save.
The Flyers scored a would be goal shortly thereafter on a left point shot by Andrew MacDonald. However, the goal was immediately -- and correctly disallowed -- for incidental contact by Read in the crease with Bernier.
The Leafs came out flat to start the second period and the Flyers cashed in quickly. After a neutral zone turnover by Toronto and a pass by Gudas to Schenn, the forward -- who was subbing as top line center for the injured Giroux -- broke into the Toronto zone with two Maple Leafs defenders in halfhearted pursuit. Bernier never really got squared for Schenn's right circle shot and the puck leaked right on through into the net at the 57-mark.
That did it for Bernier, who was pulled after giving up three goals on 13 shots in 20:57. In came Reimer. Over the next several minutes, the Flyers had a pair of odd-man rushes but could not finish them off to break the game wide open.
As the second period moved along, the Flyers got a bit sloppy and the Leafs perked up to start applying some sustained pressure. Finally, at the 11:57 mark, Spaling scored his wicked deflection goal to cut the gap to 3-2.
In the third period, Kadri made several Flyers defenders look foolish and then fed a wide-open Holland to knot the game. Mason went to the bench shaking his leg and, at the next stoppage after play resumed, left the game. Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said after the game that he believed -- but was not yet sure -- that Mason was cramping. On the goal, it looked like Mason wanted to push off toward the other post but was more or less rooted to the spot.
Michal Neuvirth entered the game. Shortly thereafter, at the 4:32 mark of the third period, Neuvirth was greeted by a defensive coverage breakdown on a rush and a backhanded goal by Byron Froese. Suddenly Toronto was ahead, 4-3.
As the game got stranger and stranger, the Flyers had a would-be Mark Streit goal from the right circle disallowed after a coach's challenge by Toronto's Mike Babcock. With Reimer out in front of his crease, Schenn slid into the goal after a push off balance by Kadri. Reimer took a seat on top of Schenn at the edge of the crease. The goal was allowed at first but then challenged and overturned. The officials ruled the incidental contact had taken place in the crease -- which did not appear correct, but is what the NHL Rule Book says to call if incidental contact in made with the goalie in the crease, whereas incidental contact outside the crease is a legal goal.
The Flyers' next goal was not disallowable -- a seed by Read from the slot off pass by Raffl. The game was tied at 4-4 at the 5:04 mark.
Continuing the bizarre frame, referee Ian Walsh (a Philadelphia native) was woozy and had to leave the game with a possible concussion after getting into a collision with jostling players behind the net. Meanwhile, Medvedev left the ice.
The game went overtime; the 22nd time this season the Flyers have had to go behind regulation. Twenty-nine seconds and highlight-reel Voracek-to-Gostibehere goal later, and the Flyers had a direly needed victory. Neuvirth earned the win with nine saves on 10 shots. Reimer took a rather hard-loss luck despite 13 saves on 15 shots.
The Flyers will take an off-day on Sunday. They return to game action on Tuesday, wrapping up a five-game road trip in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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