Flyers roar back, beat Sabres in shootout

The Flyers, dead in the water for most of the game, were thrown a life jacket by rookie left winger Travis Konecny on Tuesday night at the reverberating Wells Fargo Center.

Claude Giroux scored the game-winner as the Flyers shocked the Buffalo Sabres, 4-3, in a shootout.

Giroux and Jake Voracek netted goals in the shootout, and Steve Mason, who entered the game in the second period, stopped both Buffalo shots.

The Flyers erupted for three power-play goals in the third period, started by Konency's first tally of his career, and overcame a 3-0 deficit. They tied it on late goals by Brayden Schenn with 2 minutes, 52 seconds left and by Mark Streit with 1:51 to go.

"We played some bad hockey tonight, but our work ethic got us back into it," said Giroux, whose team was 3 for 4 on the power play.

"We just wanted to play hard for each other in the third period," coach Dave Hakstol said when asked if he sensed a comeback was in the works after 40 minutes. "You get that first one, anything can happen."

Wayne Simmonds fired a shot off the post with 1:20 left in regulation.

With 1:23 remaining in a Flyers-dominated overtime, Giroux (two assists) weaved through the Sabres defense, but Anders Nilsson made a great glove save from in close. A sprawling Nilsson then robbed Voracek, who was ahead of the pack, with 3.3 seconds to go.

Konecny tipped in a power-play blast by fellow 19-year-old rookie Ivan Provorov with 15 minutes, 30 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 3-1. A joy-struck Konecny leaped into the glass. The Flyers, looking listless most of the night after playing Monday in Montreal, became energized.

"It got the crowd going a bit and it got us going," Schenn said of Konecny's goal.

They outshot Buffalo, 19-5, in the third period.

"I felt excited. I think everyone was excited that we got a goal," Konecny said. "But honestly I think what got us motivated was the hit on Jakey. It's not what you want to see - one of your best players go down like that."

He was referring to Dmitry Kuliokov's charging penalty as he leveled Voracek, sending him off the ice for a few minutes as he received medical attention.

The hit, which could draw a suspension, set up Schenn's power-play goal, a one-timer from the right circle that brought the Flyers to within 3-2.

Streit (three points) tied it on a wild scramble in front, sending the game into overtime.

"We backed off in the third period and let them back into the game," Nilsson said.

The Sabres were missing two of their best offensive players, injured forwards Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, along with starting goalie Robin Lehner, who was ill and didn't make the trip.

No matter. They built a 3-0 lead and appeared to be coasting. Matt Moulson scored a pair of power-play goals, and Nilsson, a backup goalie with a 3.09 career goals-against average and .900 save percentage, made 38 saves in his Sabres debut.

The Flyers (3-3-1), playing their third game in four nights, allowed the first goal for the sixth straight game and fell into a 2-0 hole early in the second period.

Michal Neuvirth allowed three goals on 17 shots and was pulled for the second time in his last two starts.

Moulson made it 3-0 with 4:17 left in the second, scoring from the left circle on another power play. Neuvirth was slow to react and was replaced by Mason.

In 29:17 of relief work, Mason was forced to make just eight saves.

"The guys did a great job of not giving up a lot of chances," Mason said.

Buffalo was playing for the first time in five nights, and the Sabres had much more energy than the turnover-plagued Flyers in the first 40 minutes. The Flyers were playing on back-to-back nights for the second of 18 times this season.

Boos echoed around the Wells Fargo Center as the Flyers left the ice at the end of the second period.

Early in the third period, Konecny's power-play goal earned a standing ovation and got the Flyers to within 3-1.

They weren't done.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull