Giroux's goal lifts Flyers past Isles in OT
NEW YORK - The Flyers' misery ended Sunday night. Claude Giroux scored with 1 minute, 40 seconds left in overtime, giving the Flyers a 3-2 comeback win over the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center.
NEW YORK - The Flyers' misery ended Sunday night.
Claude Giroux scored with 1 minute, 40 seconds left in overtime, giving the Flyers a 3-2 comeback win over the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center.
The win ended a nine-game road losing streak and put the Flyers back in a wild-card spot.
"It allows you to take a breath," coach Dave Hakstol said.
The Flyers hadn't won on the road since Dec. 14, when they extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 4-3 victory in Colorado.
"It was needed. We've been fighting it lately, and I thought that was a good game from start to finish," said Wayne Simmonds, who started the comeback by scoring with 5:50 left in the second period, trimming the Islanders' lead to 2-1 "I think we made bounces go our way tonight instead of hoping and waiting."
Steve Mason made 36 saves and recorded his first win since Dec. 21, a 3-2 shootout triumph over Washington. He made a key stop on John Tavares before Giroux's game-winner.
"Even when we were down 2-0, I think the guys were confident with the way we were playing," Mason said after recording his 93rd win as a Flyer, tying him with Wayne Stephenson for third in franchise history. "For the majority of the game, the guys were working hard and that's exactly the type of effort we need in order to come out on top."
On the game-winner, Jake Voracek took the puck away from Tavares, and Shayne Gostisbehere circled around the net and found Giroux in front for the decider.
Giroux ended a 12-game drought without a goal. His last goal came on the same date as Mason's last win, Dec. 21.
"It's been tough the last couple weeks," Giroux said. "We know we're a better team and tonight I think we played a strong game."
Rookie defenseman Ivan Provorov (seven shots) jumped into the offense, skated into the left circle, and patiently waited before firing a shot that deflected off the skate of Isles defenseman Adam Pelech and past Thomas Greiss, tying the score at 2-2 with 18:13 left in the third.
The Flyers had given teams 23 power plays in their four previous games, but the Islanders didn't have any until midway through the third period. The Flyers killed two penalties in the final 9:50 of regulation, with Mason making four saves (two on Tavares) on the Isles' first power play.
The Flyers also failed to click on a power play late in regulation, making them 0 for 14 in the last three games.
With 5:50 left in the second, Greiss (44 saves) allowed his first goal in the last three games, a span of 154:10. Simmonds took a deft touch pass from Brayden Schenn and scored from the right circle, cutting the Islanders' lead to 2-1.
After Simmonds' 19th goal, "there was a little relief on the bench" Giroux said.
Defenseman Radko Gudas set the goal in motion by keeping the puck in the zone near the blue line.
The Islanders had taken a 2-0 lead when Alan Quine chipped a rebound up and over Mason's glove with 15:13 left in the second. Mason made the initial save on Dennis Seidenberg's shot but couldn't control the rebound.
Quine's goal came about four minutes after the Flyers thought they had tied the score on a power-play goal, scored after a wild scramble in the crease. The puck went into the net. The NHL said the referee was blowing his whistle to stop the play before the puck crossed the goal line, so it was not a reviewable play.
Earlier, the Flyers fell into a 1-0 hole. Again.
After a turnover - Voracek lost the puck in the neutral zone - Tavares went in on a breakaway but was denied by Mason. Mason also made a stop on Anders Lee before Nick Leddy scored on a scramble in front with 6:35 left in the first.
It marked the 10th time in the last 11 games the Flyers had allowed the first goal. But after falling into a 2-0 hole, they overcame a two-goal deficit for the 12th time this season and ended a three-game losing streak.
"A tremendous effort for 60-plus minutes," Hakstol said. "I thought we got that out of everyone tonight."
@BroadStBull