After a sour note to end a successful four-game road trip in Arizona, the Philadelphia Flyers needed two points on Monday night. Back at home and playing against a bad team, this was a golden opportunity to keep pace in the tight wild-card race with eight games left in the season.
Just win, baby. And they did, 3-2 in overtime over the Winnipeg Jets, thanks to the Calder candidate and the captain:
For whatever reason, the Orange and Black didn’t play at their recent high level. They had a particularly sloppy last half of the second period, and the Jets looked like the classic team with nothing to lose who could play free and easy. There were plenty of giveaways and high quality chances that went each way.
And with just 13 seconds left in overtime, the Flyers looked like they were headed to the dreaded shootout again. Claude Giroux scored on what might have been their last chance.
Steve Mason was sharp, stopping 26 of 28 Winnipeg shots.
With the win, the Flyers momentarily move two points ahead of Detroit (who is winning 2-0 over Buffalo in the third period). The Orange and Black still have one game in hand over the Red Wings.
The goals
1-0 Flyers, Mark Streit (0:41 2P). Sean Couturier and the second line didn’t look like themselves in the first period. Out of the locker room, that changed pretty quickly. What a pass:
2-0 Flyers, Wayne Simmonds (5:10 2P). Somehow, Brayden Schenn couldn’t score from point-blank range. Simmonds picked up his linemate (even giving him an assist) with the twisted wrister that bounced off Dustin Byfuglien:
2-1 Flyers, Mark Scheifele (6:28 2P). Not a good turnover by Jake Voracek, and Couturier got caught flat-footed. Give Scheifele credit for the finish, though:
2-2, Blake Wheeler (2:35 3P). Nick Schultz turned the puck over in the offensive zone, but the Flyers forwards didn’t do a job in transition as Wheeler skated in all alone:
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