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Wrap: Flyers 4 - Sabres 3 (OT)

March 29, 2021, 11:00 PM ET [639 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
In the first of a two-game set at KeyBank Arena, the Philadelphia Flyers skated to a 4-3 overtime comeback win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday evening. The Flyers overcame a 3-0 deficit entering the third period to rally for four unanswered goals. The Sabres' winless streak extended to 18 games (0-15-3).

If this had been pretty much any team except Buffalo, who are even more fragile than the Flyers and seem incapable of closing games out even when playing well for two periods, the Flyers probably would have suffered a regulation loss. Once the Flyers got back within 3-1 early in the third period, nerves set in for the Sabres.

Buffalo took two third-period penalties that had to be called (including a needless cross-checking penalty on Rasmus Ristolainen). The Flyers didn't score on either, but they pressed the attack and built momentum. The Sabres turned pucks over. Leading 3-2, they took an unnecessary icing with just a little over two minutes left, enabling the Flyers to call time out and then attack 6-on-5. Tage Thompson missed an empty net under pressure from Claude Giroux, which enabled the Flyers to go back the other way and tie the game very shortly thereafter. In overtime, a lost puck by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin ended up as a game-ending 2-on-1 rush for the Flyers.

The first 35 minutes of the game were abysmal for Philadelphia. They picked up a little in the latter portion of the second, scored early in the third, and the successful comeback was underway.

The Flyers were fortunate not to be trailing by multiple goals by the end of the first period. They also couldn't escape unscathed. Henri Jokiharju (2nd goal of the season) tallied a late 1st period goal to open the scoring. In the second period, the hole deepened for the Flyers. An early goal by Cody Eakin (2nd) and a mid-period goal by Brandon Montour (2nd) established a 3-0 edge for Buffalo.

Kevin Hayes (11th) got a goal back early in the third period, giving his team a sniff at a potential comeback. Claude Giroux (9th) cut the gap to one goal midway through the stanza. Sean Couturier (10th) knotted the score at 18:31 to force OT. In 3-on-3 sudden death, Ivan Provorov (5th) scored on a 2-on-1 to win the game.

Head coach Alain Vigneault shortened the bench in the third period. Joel Farabee, Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom rode the pine for the duration of the final stanza and the brief overtime. Vigneault said after the game that he wanted to give his three most effective lines -- and veterans such as Giroux (1g, 1a), Couturier (1g, 1a), Hayes, Voracek and Scott Laughton -- the responsibility of trying to lead a comeback. Vigneault also said that he did not go into the locker room during the second intermission, feeling this was a situation where the veteran leaders needed to be the ones taking charge.

At least on this night, it worked.

Brian Elliott allowed two seemingly stoppable goals after breakdowns around him but also made a host of tough saves to keep the game from getting totally out of hand and then made a big late save to prevent a heartbreaking outcome. Overall, he stopped 29 of 32 shots. Linus Ullmark denied 32 of 36 shots in a losing cause.

For more on the game, including analysis and highlight clips, see the Postgame 5 on the Flyers' official site.
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