Devils Throttle Flyers to Snap 10-Game Losing Skid

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

If the New Jersey Devils needed a cure to their losing ways, they got in the Flyers.

The Flyers have struggled mightily against the Devils in two meetings this season, and the third on Thursday was no different. 

The Devils poured it on with two goals in the second and two in the third to take a 5-2 win over the Flyers.

The Flyers actually opened the scoring with three minutes left in the third. A pretty passing play between Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek allowed Michael Del Zotto to come up on the play and had a wide open net as the trailer for his fifth goal of the season.

The Flyers lead lasted just 1:11 as the Devils came right back with a goal off a face-off. Travis Zajac won the draw to Kyle Palmieri, who cut to the slot and fired on an unsuspecting Flyers defense to tie the game with his team-leading 23rd goal of the season.

After one, the Flyers trailed in shots, 9-6.

The Devils came out very strong in the second period, completely dominating the possession game. That led to two goals in the period. The first came off a turnover by Ivan Provorov, allowing Beau Bennett to set up Adam Henrique from the slot to put New Jersey ahead.

Just under four minutes later and on the power play, a double deflection on a Damon Severson shot beat Steve Mason for a goal. The second deflection came from Joe Blandisi for his second goal of the season.

The Flyers did answer back quickly, with Brayden Schenn scoring on a tip-in from the side of the net just 1:14 later.

After two periods, the Flyers trailed by one and had been outshot, 22-15.

It didn't take the Devils long to put the game away in the third. Off a poor pinch by Nick Schultz, the puck was poked out to center ice where Taylor Hall won a race and shoved aside Shayne Gostisbehere to get a breakaway. He put the Peter Forsberg move on Mason and scored at 1:33 to make it a 4-2 game.

As if the result on the board wasn't bad enough, Mason could not get to his feet after the goal, leaving the game with help from the trainers.

Michal Neuvirth wasn't greeted much better. Less than three minutes later, Henrique scored his second on a rebound to make it a three-goal game.

Hall would later add his second of the game into an empty net with 4:39 to play.

The Flyers will return to home ice on Sunday night to face the Carolina Hurricanes. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Michael Del Zotto (5) (Jake Voracek, Claude Giroux) 17:00
• NJ Kyle Palmieri (23) (Travis Zajac) 18:11

2nd Period

• NJ Adam Henrique (17) (Beau Bennett, Dalton Prout) 5:50
• NJ Joe Blandisi (2) PP (Damon Severson, Pavel Zacha) 9:40
• PHI Brayden Schenn (21) (Radko Gudas, Del Zotto) 11:13

3rd Period

• NJ Taylor Hall (16) (Zajac) 1:33
• NJ Henrique (18) (Jon Moore, Palmieri) 4:08
• NJ Hall (17) EN (Unassisted) 15:21

Game Statistics