Flames Stun Flyers with Late-Game Comeback

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The Flyers killed off four penalties in the third period. They even got a shorthanded goal on one. With under two minutes to go, the Calgary Flames were in desperation mode, trailing by two with the goalie pulled.

With 1:08 left, they got one back. With seven seconds remaining, they tied the game. And 35 seconds into overtime, they handed the Flyers another gut-wrenching loss.

Johnny Gaudreau got the game-winning goal in a wild 6-5 defeat in Calgary on Wednesday night.

The Flames opened the scoring at 9:13 of the first as Sam Bennett put home a rebound. That was the only goal of an otherwise uneventful first period.

The second opened as a scoring barrage. Travis Sanheim got the Flyers on the board with a nice backhand move to tie the game just 52 seconds into the period.

With the Flyers on a power play, Mark Giordano started a three-on-one the other way and finished on the odd-man rush to put Calgary back in front.

The Flyers responded with three goals in 1:48. First, James van Riemsdyk picked up a rebound on the power play to tie the game at two. Just 32 seconds later, Sean Couturier finished with a tip-in of a Jake Voracek pass. Dale Weise capped off the three-goal swing with a fortunate goal as Mike Smith misplayed the shot and it found the net. The Flyers suddenly had a two-goal lead.

That lasted for just 2:30, as Sean Monahan picked up a power-play goal with a one-timer from the slot.

The Flyers carried a one-goal lead into the third, despite getting outshot, 22-14. 

The Flyers were incredibly undisciplined in the third, taking four penalties. They killed off all four, even getting a shorthanded goal on a breakaway for Couturier for his second goal of the game with 8:50 remaining.

The game entered the final two minutes with the Flyers still holding a two-goal lead. With 1:08 left, a point shot by Rasmus Andersson found the net to cut the lead to one. With the Flyers nearly through regulation surviving a wild push by Calgary, the Flames got the equalizer. Monahan was in front to put home a rebound with seven seconds remaining.

In overtime, it took just 35 seconds for the Flames to end it. Ivan Provorov got a break to start the overtime and was stopped by David Rittich, who entered after the second period for Smith. Back the other way, the Flames got three quick shots on goal. Anthony Stolarz stopped two, but Gaudreau was there to put home the third chance to complete a deflating comeback.

Stolarz stopped 35 of 41 shots in the defeat. Rittich stopped four of five shots faced. Smith stopped 10 of 14 shots.

Monahan had a pair of goals and an assist on the game-winner to finish with three points. Gaudreau had a pair of assists in addition to the game-winning goal. Matthew Tkachuk had four assists. Giordano also had a goal and two assists for three points.

For the Flyers, Couturier had three points with a pair of goals and an assist. Claude Giroux also had two assists.

The Flyers are back on the ice on Friday night to face the Edmonton Oilers. Game time is 9 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• CGY Sam Bennett (5) (Matthew Tkachuk, Alan Quine) 9:13

2nd Period

• PHI Travis Sanheim (3) (Claude Giroux) 0:52
• CGY Mark Giordano (4) SH (Travis Hamonic, Derek Ryan) 5:32
• PHI James van Riemsdyk (3) PP (Sean Couturier, Giroux) 5:55
• PHI Couturier (11) (Jake Voracek) 6:27
• PHI Dale Weise (4) (Radko Gudas, Robert Hagg) 7:43
• CGY Sean Monahan (19) PP (Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau) 10:13

3rd Period

• PHI Couturier (12) SH (Unassisted) 11:10
• CGY Rasmus Andersson (1) (Gaudreau, Tkachuk) 18:52
• CGY Monahan (20) (Tkachuk, Giordano) 19:53

Overtime

• CGY Gaudreau (13) (Giordano, Monahan) 0:35

Game Statistics