The Flyers were looking at another crushing loss when two quick goals by Toronto had the game in their favor following 40 minutes.
But a tremendous third period helped the Flyers fight their way back into the game and get to overtime, where Sean Couturier finished off the comeback with a goal 18 seconds in to give the Flyers a big win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Let's jump right in with our Postgame Review.
Postgame Points
- A Comeback Win – This is one of those building-block, character wins for the Flyers. And that's no cliche.
The Flyers really found this game slipping away as the second period ended. The momentum wasn't going their way, the scoreboard showed an uphill battle and this was going to be one of those nights when the Flyers let essentially 28 seconds define a game.
But their third-period effort was tremendous and while there were many places where the game could have gone a different way, the Flyers withstood the test and finished the job. For a team that turned in a terrible effort on Tuesday, this was a change of pace and came on a night when the Flyers needed two points to just keep pace in the standings.
- Nolan Patrick – The Flyers star of the game was in goal, but we'll get to him later. Perhaps the real catalyst of the third period comeback was the guy who started it: Nolan Patrick.
It's been no secret that Nolan Patrick has struggled by the numbers. Two goals in your first 30 games or so is not what you expect from a No. 2 pick. That said, Patrick has dealt with the aftermath of a June surgery for a sports hernia and a concussion in his young NHL career. And just like teammates Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere, who had to go through the same recovery from surgery last season, you're starting to see Patrick turn a corner.
This was one of Patrick's strongest games. His skating has improved noticeably, and he used that to his advantage, creating a turnover and a quick turnaround shot that surprised Frederik Andersen and got the Flyers on the board.
It all happened quickly from there. Wayne Simmonds scored shorthanded to tie the game less than two minutes after that. And when the game got to overtime, the Flyers leading scorer who has taken advantage of every opportunity struck again.
But it was fitting that on a night when the Flyers retired the number of a now Hall-of-Famer who entered the league as a 19-year-old top prospect, that the Flyers own 19-year-old started the comeback with a play that would make "Big E" proud.
- Neuvy Says No - What more can you say about Michal Neuvirth? He was sensational in this game.
Nothing against what Brian Elliott has done for the Flyers over the course of the last month or so, which has certainly been impressive in its own right given how many starts he made in that time. But Neuvirth probably delivered the best start from a Flyers goalie this season.
These were not easy saves. In fact, there were very few easy saves in this game for Neuvirth. And while the two goals he allowed both leaked through him, he made a number of difficult saves on the Maple Leafs' top players.
It hasn't been easy for Neuvirth to get work. Elliott has been one of the few consistencies the Flyers have had this season, even if his performances aren't perfect, the team has been winning in his starts for the most part, especially over the last month.
But Neuvirth stole the show in this game.
- Inconsistencies – When you watch the Toronto Maple Leafs and the way this game ended for them, you can see how inconsistent they can be too. For as infuriating as it is to watch the Flyers inconsistencies plague them, here's a team that has more young NHL-ready talent and expectations are higher and yet they struggle to hold a lead and have top players struggle to make an impact at times.
Connor Brown played a tremendous game for the Leafs. Patrick Marleau was robbed of a couple of goals easily. Tyler Bozak had a great scoring chance stopped by Neuvirth.
But Auston Matthews wasn't very noticeable after his first few shifts with the exception of a couple close chances in the third and overtime. Mitch Marner had a terrible game. William Nylander got relegated to the fourth line — which did produce a goal. Bottom line is if you think some of the inconsistencies and stars on the Flyers make it frustrating to watch, imaging having the expectations the Leafs carry and being a very similar team.
- A Memorable Night - What a night, eh? The evening began with another tremendous ceremony by the Flyers. They pulled out all the stops for Eric Lindros' jersey retirement ceremony and it set the stage for the game perfectly.
The game itself was pretty good too, one of the Flyers more exciting games and certainly one of their best wins of the season. To have that come on a night that already had so much fanfare leading up to it was just icing on the cake.
Quotable
"Slumping for a while there. I tried to forget how many games it was in a row without a goal and just playing. I thought I was playing some good hockey lately and I knew it would come. I thought my linemates were both great tonight." – Flyers forward Nolan Patrick
Play of the Game
Sean Couturier may have played hero, but Michal Neuvirth's saves in the third period were the difference. It's hard to pick just one, so we'll go with two, his save on Connor Brown and his remarkable stop on Patrick Marleau late in regulation.
By the Numbers
The Flyers were on the wrong end of the scoreboard after the second period despite a 19-18 advantage in shot attempts at 5-on-5. In the third, they really dominated this area, leading in shot attempts at 5-on-5, 19-13. Toronto went from a 62.07 CF% in the first period to a 40.63 CF% in the third period.
