Giroux Scores OT Winner as Flyers Top Bruins

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The Flyers were in danger of giving points away at the hands of the Bruins once more. In the closing seconds of the third period, the Flyers had a 3-2 lead and were one clear away from putting the finishing touches on a big home-ice win.

Three failed clears allowed the Bruins to keep possession and score with just 3.8 seconds remaining to tie the game and force overtime.

The Flyers captain ensured the Flyers didn't go home without the second point. Claude Giroux scored on a breakaway in overtime for his second goal of the game and 29th of the season, setting a new career high in goals and points, to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.

The game started off slow with both teams playing a tight-checking period with limited chances. Nine minutes into the game, both teams had tremendous chances. One team got a big stop and turned it into a goal.

The Bruins got a scoring chance at the side of the net with David Pastrnak staring at a wide open net. Petr Mrazek sprawled out and got it with the glove to make an incredible save.

Just seven seconds later, the Flyers emerged on a rush led by Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny. Konecny got a pass across to Giroux for a one-timer and he scored to make it a 1-0 Flyers lead.

The goal was Giroux's 28th of the season, tying a career high, and his 94th point of the season, setting a new career high.

The Bruins led in shots, 12-7, after 20 minutes.

The Flyers opened the second period with another highlight-reel play. Konecny got control of the puck in the offensive zone and chipped it to himself around Adam McQuaid, then made a fantastic move on Patrice Bergeron to get to the slot before beating Anton Khudobin for his 24th goal of the season just 25 seconds into the period.

The Flyers held that lead through most of the middle frame as the Bruins started to push back. Boston had two power play chances in the period and outshot the Flyers, 17-8, in the period. One of the 17 shots did finally manage to beat Mrazek.

A quick passing play paid off for the Bruins, as Noel Acciari fired a one-timer from the slot over Mrazek to cut the Flyers lead to one.

Early in the third, the Flyers started to push back and it helped them restore the two-goal lead.

A nice rush started by Jake Voracek was finished with a filthy saucer pass by Oskar Lindblom to a cutting Nolan Patrick, who went upstairs for his 11th goal of the season to make it a 3-1 game.

Lindblom was whistled for a penalty seconds later, and the Bruins struck on the power play. Pastrnak got his goal after all, taking a shot from a sharp angle that hit Andrew MacDonald's skate and beat Mrazek to cut the lead to one.

Into the final minutes, the Bruins struggled to get chances as time ticked away. Into the final minute, the Bruins had pulled the goalie and were starting to press for the tying goal. The Flyers iced the puck with 26 seconds remaining to force a defensive zone face-off.

The Bruins held control off the draw, but couldn't get a shot on net as the Flyers gained possession in the final 10 seconds of the period. They failed to clear as the puck bounced off sticks and bodies and stayed in the zone, coming to Patrice Bergeron for a shot from the slot that beat Mrazek with 3.8 seconds remaining to tie the game and force overtime.

Overtime was a possession battle as both teams opted to slow up play to maintain control. Things opened up in the final two minutes of the extra session and that's when the Flyers took advantage of an odd-man situation.

Voracek threw a pass ahead to Giroux behind the defense. Giroux cut in, faked going between his legs and went backhand over Khudobin for the game-winning goal at 3:39 of the overtime.

Mrazek made 36 saves in the win. Khudobin made 20 saves in the loss.

Giroux, Voracek, Konecny and Provorov each had two-point games. Giroux reached a career high in goals with the game-winner, reaching 29, and points at 95. Giroux wasn't the only Flyer to reach a career mark. Voracek's pair of assists gave him 82 points on the season, also a career high.

The Flyers win brings their magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to three with three games left on the season.

The Flyers are back in action on Tuesday night for their final road game of the regular season, taking on the New York Islanders. Game time is 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Claude Giroux (28) (Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov) 9:38

2nd Period

• PHI Konecny (24) (Provorov) 0:25
• BOS Noel Acciari (9) (David Backes, Danton Heinen) 14:25

3rd Period

• PHI Nolan Patrick (11) (Oskar Lindblom, Jake Voracek) 5:31
• BOS David Pastrnak (33) PP (Unassisted) 6:54
• BOS Patrice Bergeron (30) (Backes) 19:56

Overtime

• PHI Giroux (29) (Voracek) 3:39

Game Statistics