Photo Courtesy of Kate Frese
PHILADELPHIA — Thanks to a two-goal effort from Brayden Schenn and three goals on a recently-anemic power play, the Flyers were able to flatten the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday by a 7-2 margin.
The Orange and Black reached the seven-goal margin for the third time this season, and the first time since Jan. 12's 7-3 win over Tampa Bay.
Schenn recorded a three-point game for the first time all season — assisting on Wayne Simmonds' goal to open the scoring, scoring on the power play at the 13:39 mark of the second period and scoring just 11 seconds into the third period. He was initially credited with the Flyers' first goal, which was retroactively credited to Simmonds — but not until after fans tossed hats on the ice, under the pretense that he recorded his first-career hat trick.
The Orange and Black were also able to strike on three of our power-play opportunities — snapping a 1-for-17 man-advantage streak that they carried into the game. Simmonds, Schenn and Matt Read all scored, while Schenn and Simmonds finished with multiple power play points.
The Flyers also enjoyed some even-strength secondary scoring, as Nicklas Grossmann and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored their fifth goals of the season. Zac Rinaldo also scored his first of the season, at the 17:18 mark of the third stanza. Rinaldo's goal was his first since April 6 of last year, and with an assist on Bellemare's goal, he finished with a multi-point game for the first time since March 7, 2013.
Justin Abdelkader and Erik Cole each scored for the Red Wings, with Cole's tally coming on a third-period power play — giving the Wings their only man-advantage strike on three chances.
In his 10th-consecutive appearance between the Flyers' pipes, Steve Mason turned in yet another steady effort, saving 30 of 33 shots. Jimmy Howard was on the hook for all seven Flyers goals — the most he's allowed all season — and made 29 saves.
One of the Flyers' better single-period efforts all season came in the first period, as they headed into intermission with a 2-0 lead and a whopping 15-4 advantage in shots. The Red Wings, however, were able to counter with an 18-6 shots margin in the second period, and took a slim 22-21 lead into the third period. Of course, the Flyers blew the game open in the third period, with four goals on 15 shots.
The Orange and Black face a quick turnaround, as they head to Ottawa for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Senators tomorrow night. Prior to the game, they also learned they would be without the services of R.J. Umberger for the remainder of the game, as he will undergo season-ending surgery.
The win is also the 10th-consecutive home win over the Red Wings for the Flyers. Detroit hasn't won a regular season game in Philadelphia since the CoreStates Center Era — Jan. 25, 1997, to be exact.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
