Flyers score 4 in 3rd to down Devils

With 8:27 remaining, the Flyers had a chance to shift the special teams game into their favor. They had survived a flurry of power plays, but also allowed the Devils first even-strength goal in five games to even the score.

The Flyers answered with a power play goal and then an insurance goal just 50 seconds later. And another goal four minutes after that.

That helped the Flyers respond to a lost weekend that all started with an overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils, as they scored four goals in the third period to claim a 6-3 win in Newark on Tuesday night at Prudential Center.

The Flyers spent roughly eight minutes of the first period on the penalty kill, thanks mainly in part to yet another incident involving Radko Gudas. Gudas caught an unsuspecting Bobby Farnham with a high hit that was ruled targeting the head. Gudas was assessed a match penalty and the Flyers were forced to kill a five-minute major.

The Devils nearly scored four times on the major. First Adam Henrique managed to beat Michal Neuvirth by going high with a rebound on the backhand. But, after review, Neuvirth was clipped by Lee Stempniak and the goal was disallowed on incidental contact.

In the seconds that followed, the Devils got two more glorious chances. Henrique had a similar rebound chance and his backhand was deflected up over the net by the glove of Neuvirth. Stempniak got a rebound in the crease that he banked off the post that was so close to being a goal that Stempniak started celebrating and the goal horn at Prudential Center sounded.

Finally, on the third chance, Tyler Kennedy buried a one-timer to give the Devils the lead with 1:09 remaining on the major to Gudas. It was Kennedy's first goal as a member of the Devils.

The Flyers struggled to get the offense going with so much time spent on the penalty kill, but did get the equalizer with 2:36 remaining in the first. Once again, it was the rookie wonder.

Shayne Gostisbehere's long wrist shot from the blue line beat Cory Schneider to even the score. It was Gostisbehere's 11th goal of the season and extended his points streak to 13 games.

Despite four Devils power play attempts, the Flyers were the much stronger team at 5-on-5, allowing for an even 8-8 shot total through 20 minutes.

The penalty parade continued in the second as the Flyers were forced to kill off a 5-on-3 for 1:05 after penalties to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan White. The Flyers killed the first penalty and had much of the second penalty erased by a holding minor on Kyle Palmieri, ending the Devils power play.

After 37 seconds of 4-on-4, the Flyers capitalized on their abbreviated power play. Gostisbehere managed a keep right along the blue line that kept play alive. After getting the puck from Claude Giroux behind the net, Wayne Simmonds placed a perfect pass into the slot for Brayden Schenn, who struck for his 17th goal of the season.

The Flyers managed a key penalty kill midway through the third to keep their lead intact, but would give up the tying goal just seconds after another successful kill.

A rather harmless looking shot by Jordin Tootoo snuck past a screened Neuvirth just inside the far post to even the score at 9:24.

But less than a minute later, the Flyers got a power play and would capitalize. Simmonds finished off a beautiful rush where every Flyer touched the puck with his 21st goal of the season to put the Flyers back on top.

Just 50 seconds later, Nick Cousins was in the right place at the right time as a loose puck made its way to him with a wide open net and he buried it for the insurance goal.

The Flyers added more insurance four minutes later when Jake Voracek finished off a 2-on-1 by beating Schneider with a wrist shot to extend the lead to three.

The Devils would score just 32 seconds later as Palmieri netted his 21st goal of the season, but the Flyers would get the three-goal lead back just seconds later when White scored into an empty net.

Both Giroux and Schenn finished with three points each. Giroux's three assists pulled him to 499 career points, leaving him on the cusp of a major milestone. Simmonds and White each had a goal and assist. R.J. Umberger also picked up two assists for a multi-point game as well.

Neuvirth made 21 saves in earning the win. Schneider stopped 20 shots in the loss.

The Flyers return to the ice on Friday night when they play the third of five games on the current road trip in Montreal. The Flyers and Canadiens face off at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring Summary

• 1st Period
  • NJD Tyler Kennedy (1) PP (John Moore, Reid Boucher) – 12:01
  • PHI Shayne Gostisbehere (11) (Brayden Schenn, Claude Giroux) – 17:23
• 2nd Period
  • PHI Brayden Schenn (17) PP (Wayne Simmonds, Claude Giroux) – 7:55
• 3rd Period
  • NJD Jordin Tootoo (4) (Seth Helgeson) – 9:24
  • PHI Wayne Simmonds (21) PP (Brayden Schenn, Claude Giroux) – 12:22
  • PHI Nick Cousins (2) (R.J. Umberger, Ryan White) – 13:12
  • PHI Jake Voracek (9) (R.J. Umberger) – 17:12
  • NJD Kyle Palmieri (21) (David Schlemko) – 17:44
  • PHI Ryan White (7) EN (Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Chris VandeVelde) – 18:08

Penalty Summary

• 1st Period
  • PHI Nick Schultz – 2:00 interference – 2:18
  • NJD Tyler Kennedy – 2:00 delay of game – 5:37
  • PHI Radko Gudas – 5:00 match penalty – 8:10
  • PHI Radko Gudas – game misconduct – 8:10
  • PHI Andrew MacDonald – 2:00 slashing – 12:25
  • NJD Joseph Blandisi – 2:00 embellishment – 12:25
  • PHI Shayne Gostisbehere – 2:00 slashing – 17:50
• 2nd Period
  • PHI Brayden Schenn – 2:00 roughing – 0:30
  • NJD Adam Larsson – 2:00 roughing – 0:30
  • PHI Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – 2:00 tripping – 4:22
  • PHI Ryan White – 2:00 cross-checking – 5:18
  • NJD Kyle Palmieri – 2:00 holding – 6:42
• 3rd Period
  • PHI Nick Cousins – 2:00 holding – 7:09
  • NJD Travis Zajac – 2:00 interference – 11:33
  • NJD Bobby Farnham – 2:00 instigator - 18:55

Game Statistics

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.