WRAPUP: 3-2 OT WIN IN BROOKLYN ENDS ROAD SLIDE
Playing one of their best all-around games in weeks, the Philadelphia Flyers earned a 3-2 overtime road victory over the New York Islanders at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday evening. The win ended the Flyers' nine-game road winless streak.
It is no secret that the Flyers have cratered -- defensively, in goal, and offensively -- since their 10-game winning streak that now seems like ancient history. Sunday's performance was a step in the right direction; not just a much-needed win but a game in which the team outplayed its opponent.
Overall, the Flyers picked up its defensive play (with some hiccups that led to a few New York flurries). Philly was the hungrier team in puck battles. They remained patient as they put 47 shots on net from a variety of angles. The Flyers also received a strong goaltending performance from Steve Mason, who looked locked in and quick in making 36 shots on 38 saves.
It wasn't a perfect effort -- the Flyers once again trailed first as a Jakub Voracek turnover caused by a bad pass by Andrew MacDonald led to four rapid-fire scoring chances and an eventual goal by Nick Leddy. The Flyers fell behind 2-0 in the second period on a fluky pop-up of a play near the net that crawled up Mason's arm as he unsuccessfully tried to knock the puck over the cage and missed, eventually dropping over the goal line for a tally credited to Alan Quine.
To their credit, though, neither Mason nor the Flyers sagged. The Flyers also lost a would-be goal on a scramble around the net during a 5-on-3 power play because the referee lost sight of the puck amid a pile up on the crease and did not see the puck crossing the goal line as he was putting the whistle to his mouth. Eventually, though, the Flyers made enough of their own good fortune to solve Thomas Greiss (44 saves on 47 shots) just enough times to win.
At 14:10 of the second period, Travis Konecny (who did not receive a point on the play) got to a bouncing puck high in the zone, knocked it down and sent it to Radko Gudas. The puck was then rotated to Brayden Schenn, who made a nice quick pass from the left hash marks to an open Wayne Simmonds in the right slot. Simmonds then beat Greiss high to the blocker side for his 19th goal of the season.
In the third period, rookie defenseman Ivan Provorov capped off a strong overall performance with the game-tying goal at the 1:47 mark. Schenn had a touch along the boards and sent the puck out toward center point where an oncoming Provorov claimed it. The Russian defensemen then maneuvered to the bottom of the left circle. With Simmonds in front and Konecny going to the net, Provorov wristed the puck toward the goal. The puck bounced into the net off defenseman Adam Pelach, who was covering Konecny. Schenn and Simmonds received the assists on Provorov's fourth goal of the season.
The Flyers gritted their way -- and narrowly survived -- back-to-back penalties on Provorov (hooking Anders Lee on a dangerous-looking New York rush) and Sean Couturier (delay of game for accidentally flipping the puck over the glass from his defensive zone) midway through the third period.
Philly, which went 0-for-3 on its own power plays, was unable to make the Islanders pay for a Cal Clutterbuck trip of Nick Cousins with 2:53 remaining in regulation. The game went to OT.
In overtime, Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol rotated numerous 3-on-3 combinations. Mason, who authored numerous key saves throughout the games, made his biggest stop of the game as he denied the red-hot John Tavares (10 shots on goal in this game) on a breakaway with a critical glove save.
The Flyers, who never led in regulation despite having the better of most of the play, ended the game in grand fashion at 3:20 of the extra frame. Voracek forced a Tavares turnover in the New York end at the end of a long shift for the New York star. With a spent Tavares unable to recover to offer much help defensively, Voracek pushed the attack. He fed over to an open Shayne Gostisbehere, who was denied by Greiss but got the puck right back and swung behind the net. Greiss scrambled over to prevent a wraparound goal for Gostisbehere but there was nothing he could do when Gostisbehere passed to Giroux on the doorstep. From point-blank range Giroux finally buried his elusive 11th goal of the season to end the game.
Michael Del Zotto, who had a poor game in Saturday's loss to the New Jersey Devils, was a healthy scratch on Sunday, along with Dale Weise and seldom-used Nick Schultz. Brandon Manning returned to the lineup. The Flyers also put Voracek back on Giroux's line for the duration of the game.
The Flyers are off on Monday and Tuesday nights. On Wednesday, they face a nationally televised road game against the New York Rangers. The next night, the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Wells Fargo Center in Philly's final game before the All-Star break; a four-night gap in the game schedule one week after the Flyers' five-night "bye week."
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PHANTOMS WIN TWO OF THREE OVER WEEKEND
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms had a roller coaster weekend in a three-in-three set but bookend a horrific 9-1 home humiliation at the hands of the Providence Bruins on Saturday with a 5-3 home win over the Atlantic Division (and league) leading Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday and a 5-1 road win over the Hershey Bears on Sunday.
In Sunday's victory, the Phantoms got goals from Greg Carey (22nd, power play), team captain Colin McDonald (16th), Chris Conner (11th), Jordan Weal (13th, power play) and Scott Laughton (eighth). Andy Miele and defenseman T.J. Brennan racked up three assists apiece.
Alex Lyon stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the win and flirted with a shutout for 52-plus minutes before a Hershey power play goal broke up his bid.
Anthony Stolarz, nursing a reportedly minor injury, was unavailable both on Saturday and Sunday. Reading callup Mark Dekanich backed up Lyon on Sunday after seeing some action in Saturday's debacle against Providence.
The Phantoms host the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday, visit Binghamton on Friday and then remain on the road on Saturday to take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
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LORREN'S STORY
Recently, the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association received a message from a man named Dennis Dreyer on behalf of a close friend of his, Lorren Barret. Lorren, a 40-year-old devoted lifelong Flyers, was bedridden at Jefferson hospital with stage 3 brain cancer than had spread to his liver and lungs.
Lorren, who had beaten leukemia at age seven and, around his 30th birthday, had to have a large tumor removed from his head along with a portion of his skull. He battled on and once again beat cancer, doing well for many years until approximately eight months ago when doctors discovered another tumor in his head.
Dennis asked if a message could be passed along to the guys on the Flyers Alumni and the Flyers to see if they could send personalized well wishes to his friend. When Flyers Alumni Association president Brad Marsh learned of Lorren's situation, he went to visit him in the hospital during the holiday season.
Although this simple act of caring and compassion was not done for publicity, Dennis asked if his friend's story, and Brad Marsh's gesture of caring, could be relayed to the public. Lorren passed away on January 20.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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