Voracek's goal lifts Flyers past Red Wings in OT
For certainties, look no further than death, taxes, and Flyers home wins against the Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers continued their uncanny Wells Fargo Center domination of the Red Wings on Wednesday night.
For certainties, look no further than death, taxes, and Flyers home wins against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Flyers continued their uncanny Wells Fargo Center domination of the Red Wings on Wednesday night.
Dramatically.
Jake Voracek scored on a one-timer from the right circle with 3 minutes, 19 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Flyers to a riveting 4-3 win over the stunned Red Wings.
Claude Giroux set up the goal, giving him points in 10 straight games, a personal best.
"I was able to get a bounce and a two-on-one, and I don't know where Jake was going; he was in the corner at one point," Giroux said with a laugh. "But he's got a good shot."
It was their 12th straight regular-season home win over Detroit since 1997. (The Red Wings did beat the host Flyers in two 1997 Stanley Cup Finals games.)
The Flyers (5-5-1) have a two-game winning streak for the first time this season. Detroit (6-4-1) suffered its third straight loss, a skid that followed a six-game winning streak.
With 62 seconds remaining in regulation and the Flyers goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Mark Streit tied it at 3-3 after a wild scramble in front. Detroit challenged the call, claiming Brayden Schenn interfered with goalie Petr Mrazek. But the goal stood. Schenn was pushed into Mrazek by Detroit's Frans Nielsen.
Veteran center Henrik Zetterberg got behind Giroux, took a slick pass from Tomas Tartar, and scored from the right circle with 11:42 remaining to put Detroit ahead, 3-2.
Defenseman Radko Gudas (seven hits, six blocked shots) lost the puck in the neutral zone to put the play in motion.
About four minutes before Zetterberg's first goal of the season, Flyers rookie winger Roman Lyubimov picked an opportune time to score the first tally of his young NHL career, depositing a rebound with 16:09 left to knot the score at 2-all.
It marked the seventh time in 11 games that the Flyers had erased at least a two-goal deficit.
Chris VandeVelde had cut Detroit's lead to 2-1 with 6:21 left in the second period, taking a right-wing feed from Schenn and making a slick forehand-to-backhand move to score his first goal since Dec. 21 - 55 games ago.
It had been a whirlwind 24 hours for VandeVelde, who got little sleep the previous day because he was at the hospital as his wife delivered their second child, a daughter named Larkin.
"I'm glad I can contribute and score a goal for her," he said.
Schenn's assist was the 200th point of his career. He dropped down from the first to fourth line after the first period, trading places with Dale Weise.
Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou scored 16 seconds apart to give Detroit a 2-0 first-period lead.
Later in the period, Schenn (two assists) appeared to elbow Brendan Smith in the head. He was not assessed a penalty but may have a hearing with the NHL's disciplinary czars.
"I was trying to get out of his way and hit him in the head by accident," Schenn said.
The Flyers have been outscored in the first period, 13-4, in the first 11 games.
"It's getting old," Giroux said of the slow starts. "I don't know what we're waiting for, but when our backs are against the wall, that's when we turn it on. At least we know we can do it. We just have to find a way to do it for 60 minutes."
Detroit hasn't won a regular-season game at the Wells Fargo Center since Jan. 25, 1997, a 4-1 victory. Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Tomas Holmstrom, and Kris Draper were the scorers. NYPD Blue was a popular TV show. Bill Clinton was in the White House, and Monica Lewinsky was not yet known to millions.
Yeah, it's been a while.
@BroadStBull