Just when you think the Flyers luck had run out, they get someone to step up and take control of a final result.
This time, it was Jake Voracek's turn.
Voracek played hero twice, scoring the tying goal with 1:25 left in regulation and then the game-winning goal at 1:26 of overtime to give the Flyers their third straight win and seventh in the last eight games.
Let's jump right in with our Postgame Review.
Postgame Points
- Scor-acek - It really is a different hero every night. In this game, it was Jake Voracek.
Voracek actually didn't have the best game leading up to his heroics. The Flyers had an overall sloppy game with the puck and Voracek was just another forward struggling in that area. Aside from his assist on the power-play goal by Nolan Patrick, there weren't many positives oozing from his game.
And then he hopped off the bench as the Flyers prepared to pull the goalie. Sean Couturier got the puck to him just inside the blue line and his one-timer from a distance changed direction and beat Carey Price. Tie game, one point secured.
In overtime, Voracek essentially had the game on his stick earlier, trying to put a backhander over Price and lifting it up and over the net. He made up for that too, going bar down on Price with the game-winning goal in overtime.
Voracek hasn't been a big goal scorer this season. That's been reserved for Couturier, Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds. For a highly productive player, as Voracek has been, assists have been his game. He passed up a great chance at a goal in the second period and seemed to be more willing to fire the puck from there.
- Lyon King - Voracek doesn't get a chance to play hero without Alex Lyon. Making the start for the Flyers and appearing in his fifth NHL game, Lyon continued to show the confidence he displayed on Sunday, making several difficult saves as the game progressed.
Defensively, the Flyers weren't sharp and structured and Lyon had to bail them out a few times once again.
The Flyers may end up leaning heavily on Petr Mrazek for the rest of the season, but Lyon has proven to be capable in a pinch if the Flyers need to get a start out of him.
- Filling In Fast - With Wayne Simmonds out for the next couple of weeks, it didn't take long for Nolan Patrick to jump up on the power play and make an impact.
Patrick filled in for Simmonds admirably in his first game on the top unit, parking in front of Price on the power play and working to take away the eyes of the goalie. Off the rush, Patrick just kept his stick on the ice and went to the net. Giroux found him and the deflection found the net.
Patrick's confidence and performance have been trending up for weeks now, and the points continue to become regular too. With Simmonds out, as unfortunate as that is, this is an opportunity for Patrick to stand out even more as his rookie season starts to wind down.
- Future Watch - Oskar Lindblom's NHL debut didn't end with any points on the scoresheet, but he certainly has a hunger for the blue paint and going to the net.
It's easy to see why the Flyers gave Lindblom a shot now with Simmonds out. Lindblom plays a very similar game and can fill a very similar role.
In his first NHL action, Lindblom played 15:11 of ice time and saw power play time as well, certainly a good first impression for a player who is here to stay in the absence of Simmonds.
- Metro High - Back at the start of December, the playoffs weren't even in the discussion. With two more points on Tuesday, the Flyers have an eight-point lead on the final playoff spot. So the playoffs are becoming more and more realistic.
But the win coupled with a loss for the Washington Capitals on Tuesday now has the Flyers just three points out of the Metropolitan Division lead. So is the top spot in the division in play now too? The Flyers can certainly set their sights on it now, but even if they don't win the division this season or even reach the top spot at any point during the stretch run, they have certainly established their spot in the playoff picture.
Quotable
"We stuck with it. Honestly I think we were a little bit tired, but we found a way to win, it all worked out." – Flyers forward Jake Voracek
Play of the Game
The play of the game has to be the shot from Jake Voracek to win the game, giving the Flyers yet another win in their stretch of points in nine straight games.
By the Numbers
The Flyers really earned the final result with the way they controlled the final 20-plus minutes of the game. Despite a heavy lead in shot attempts in the third, with a 70.59 CF% and 24-10 edge in shot attempts, the Flyers trailed until the late stages. In the overtime, the Flyers had a 4-1 lead in shot attempts.
