Flyers Postgame Report: Flyers Remarkably Rally Back, Fall in Shootout

With the way the first period went on Friday night, it appeared the Flyers had started their holiday break a night early. A 5-1 deficit felt like game over for a team that has been primarily competitive all season long.

But this season’s Flyers always seem to be in the game, even when one of the margin appears insurmountable. The Flyers not only rallied back from the deficit, but even had the lead with five minutes remaining in regulation. A wild game required overtime and a shootout, before the Detroit Red Wings claimed a 7-6 decision.

The first period was a disaster for the Flyers, as the Red Wings came out with better jump and maintained the attack for the duration of the period.

It started at 4:30 for Detroit, as Dylan Larkin fired a shot off the post and the rebound came out perfectly to Patrick Kane, who scored to make it 1-0.

Kane scored again at 8:16 to make it 2-0, but the Flyers answered just 44 seconds later off the rush with a goal by Bobby Brink.

The Red Wings got the two-goal lead back on the power play at 15:05 as Daniel Sprong redirected a pass from Moritz Seider to make it 3-1. J.T. Compher made it 4-1 as the Flyers broke down defensively just 33 seconds later.

In the final minute of the first, Shayne Gostisbehere scored off a bounce off the endboards to make it 5-1.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 13-11 Detroit.

Early in the second, Nick Seeler was given 27 penalty minutes after a scrap with Christian Fischer. After an animated Seeler left the ice, the Flyers got right back into the game with two goals separated by 24 seconds.

First, Sean Couturier deflected a Travis Sanheim shot for his ninth goal of the season. Then, in similar fashion, Morgan Frost scored his fifth of the season by deflecting a Sanheim shot.

Through two periods, shots were 25-22 Flyers.

At 5:51 of the third, another deflection made it a one-goal game. Garnet Hathaway tipped Scott Laughton‘s shot to make it 5-4.

With time starting to wind down, Laughton did get on the board to tie the game with a rebound goal for his third of the season at 13:30.

Remarkably, just 1:23 later, the Flyers had the lead, as Owen Tippett put home a loose puck in the crease to make it 6-5. Just 37 seconds later, Larkin tied the game back up with a shot from an angle that beat a leaky Carter Hart to make it 6-6.

That forced overtime, where Hart bounced back by making several key saves to get the game to a shootout. But in the shootout, the Red Wings got goals from Lucas Raymond and Kane to seal the victory for Detroit.

Hart finished with 31 saves on 37 shots in the loss. James Reimer made 37 saves on 43 shots in the win.

Laughton, Sanheim, Joel Farabee, and Egor Zamula each finished with two points. Kane had two goals and an assist, Alex DeBrincat had three assist, and Larkin, Raymond, and Seider each had two points.

The Flyers now head to the holiday break. They return next Thursday for the start of a West coast trip against the Vancouver Canucks at 10 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• DET Patrick Kane (3) (Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat) 4:30
• DET Kane (4) (DeBrincat, Justin Holl) 8:16
• PHI Bobby Brink (6) (Joel Farabee, Egor Zamula) 9:00
• DET Daniel Sprong (8) PP (Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond) 15:05
• DET J.T. Compher (7) (Joe Veleno, Raymond) 15:38
• DET Shayne Gostisbehere (6) (Kane, DeBrincat) 19:42

2nd Period

• PHI Sean Couturier (9) (Travis Sanheim, Zamula) 3:37
• PHI Morgan Frost (5) (Sanheim, Cam Atkinson) 4:01

3rd Period

• PHI Garnet Hathaway (3) (Scott Laughton, Cam York) 5:51
• PHI Laughton (3) (Tyson Foerster, Farabee) 13:30
• PHI Owen Tippett (12) (Travis Konecny, Rasmus Ristolainen) 14:53
• DET Larkin (12) (Jeff Petry, Seider) 15:30

Overtime

• No Scoring

Shootout

• DET Alex DeBrincat – Miss
• PHI Sean Couturier – Miss
• DET Lucas Raymond – Goal
• PHI Bobby Brink – Save
• DET Patrick Kane – Goal

Game Statistics