Voracek Scores OT Winner as Flyers Down Blues

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The Flyers had the best team in the West on the ropes, up by two in a building where they had won nine straight games. Then the Blues flipped the switch, brought pressure and slowly picked their way back into the game.

For the second straight game, the Flyers went to overtime against one of the league's best, but they did not need the shootout this time. Jake Voracek scored the game-winning goal with 1:27 remaining in overtime to give the Flyers a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.

The Flyers were heavily dominated by the Blues in the first period, and when the hot St. Louis power play got a chance, they were able to grab the first goal. Justin Faulk was left wide open at the left circle for a one-timer off the feed from Alex Steen to make it 1-0 St. Louis. 

Through most of the second, the Flyers struggled to generate much on goal. But at 12:43, they got the game tied as Tyler Pitlick went for a wraparound and had the puck bounce in off a St. Louis defender.

Just three minutes later, a shot by Robert Hagg left a big rebound and Michael Raffl jumped all over it to give the Flyers the lead.

Early in the third, the Flyers got another goal on the power play. A pass from Claude Giroux to the front of the net was directed across the crease by James van Riemsdyk and right to a waiting Travis Konecny and he buried it for his 15th goal of the season just 26 seconds into the period.

The Flyers held the two-goal lead through a 5-on-3 for St. Louis for 1:41, but the Blues flipped the switch and rallied back, first getting a goal from Ryan O'Reilly, who buried his own rebound with 9:25 remaining in the third.

With 6:21 to go, the Blues got the game tied as a defensive breakdown allowed Steen to get the puck alone in front and go to the backhand over Brian Elliott to make it 3-3.

The game would go to overtime, but not before some anxious moments where the Flyers had to kill off another penalty for too many men on the ice.

In the overtime, neither team got a shot until 3:33, when Voracek took the pass from Ivan Provorov, used a curl and drag move and beat Jordan Binnington high to the blocker side to give the Flyers the win.

Elliott finished the game with 30 saves on 33 shots. Binnington had 21 saves on 25 shots.

The Flyers get right back on the ice on Thursday night when they host the Montreal Canadiens. Game time is 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• STL Justin Faulk (4) PP (Alex Steen, Robert Thomas) 14:24

2nd Period

• PHI Tyler Pitlick (5) (Scott Laughton, Matt Niskanen) 12:43
• PHI Michael Raffl (5) (Robert Hagg, Sean Couturier) 15:43

3rd Period

• PHI Travis Konecny (15) PP (James van Riemsdyk, Claude Giroux) 0:26
• STL Ryan O'Reilly (9) (Brayden Schenn, David Perron) 10:35
• STL Steen (4) (Thomas, Jaden Schwartz) 13:39

Overtime

• PHI Jake Voracek (9) (Ivan Provorov, Couturier) 3:33

Game Statistics