Seven shots. That was all the Flyers had to show for 40 minutes of play against the Carolina Hurricanes. No one would blame you if you had already chalked this up as the ninth loss in 10 games for the Flyers, with more on the way.
But the Flyers still had a chance, down one entering the final period thanks to a distant shot from along the boards by Luke Schenn that found its way into the net, cutting a 2-0 Hurricanes lead to 2-1.
The Flyers turned in the best period of hockey they have played in the last two weeks, bar none. 11 shots taken on Cam Ward, three taken by Carolina. Only one shot went in, Shayne Gostisbehere's shot from the point that hit off of Wayne Simmonds and into the net. It set up overtime, where the Flyers didn't let the crucial second point get away.
"It was kind of a back-and-forth first period. It wasn't a bad period, but we didn't generate much," head coach Dave Hakstol said. "I liked our second and our third. I'm not counting the shot clock. We built a little bit of momentum. In the third, we generated more because we got to more pucks. We kept more pucks alive in the offensive zone and I think that allowed us to get more pucks to the net."
"We had good puck movement and good forecheck," Jake Voracek said. "We were on pucks much more in the offensive zone and that's why we scored the second goal. It's was a hard battle and that's a huge two points for us."
Voracek finally has a huge weight off his shoulders. His first goal of the season, coming in the team's 17th game, couldn't have come at a bigger time.
Michael Del Zotto put a slap pass right off the stick of Voracek and into the net in the first minute of 3-on-3 overtime.
"We made eye contact, so I knew it was coming," Voracek said. "It hit my stick and thank God it went in. I almost forgot how that feels."
Voracek's heroics would not have been possible if not for a crucial shift and goal in the final four minutes of the third by the line of Sean Couturier, Matt Read and Simmonds with Brandon Manning and Gostisbehere on the points.
Gostisbehere took a point-to-point pass from Manning and after gaining control, made a nifty move around Chris Terry before throwing a shot on goal that hit Simmonds and went in.
Hakstol called that an all-around effort on the part of the entire line, but Gostisbehere stole the show.
"You're comfortable doing it," Gostisbehere said of the move and shot. "Coaches told me, 'it's your time to do what you do.' I took my chance there and I'm glad it worked out.
"It was a great play by Simmer. We're just trying to get pucks to the net, and that's how he makes his living. I banked it off him and it went in, so it's a great goal."
Gostisbehere was joined by Taylor Leier in making their first appearance of the season. For Leier, it was his NHL debut and he looked comfortable to say the least. Hakstol praised both players after the game.
"I thought they did a good job. I thought they played pretty settled in the first part of the hockey game," Hakstol said. "Taylor Leier made a couple things happen in the third period. He drew a penalty, he was moving and making things happen. Obviously, Ghost played a solid game and then had an impact at a critical time."
"I think I was a little bit nervous in warmups, but after the first 20 seconds of my first shift, I settled in and it felt like another game," Leier said. "I just noticed the little things. These guys are at the next level for a reason. The size, too. You look at the Staal brothers, they're huge. Those are the two things I noticed."
"We had to put the pedal to the metal offensively at the end," Gostisbehere said. "That's my comfort zone. Just try to make plays and not get caught too much."
For the Flyers, 12 shots in the final 21 minutes of play is certainly something different. In the previous five periods — three against Washington and the first two in Carolina — the Flyers had not taken more than eight shots on goal in a single period.
It is a period for the Flyers to build on. If the momentum of a 3-0 win in Winnipeg the previous Saturday couldn't spark them, perhaps an emotional comeback win in Carolina, essentially stealing two points, will do the trick.
With Gostisbehere and Leier among the likely additions to the lineup for the next few games, maybe the energy level the Flyers brought in third.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
