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| Thanks to Led Redkoles/TSN of Canada |
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Their backs to the wall, knowing that no additional help on the front or back line would come by the trade deadline earlier in the afternoon, the Philadelphia Flyers turned the season on its ear and rewarded their GM's steady hand with a 5-3 decision over the Northeast Division-leading Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Wayne Simmonds, Erik Gustafsson and Jakub Voracek tallied late in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit, while Sean Couturier scored his first since late January. Ilya Bryzgalov made his 34th start in 36 games, and though it was tenuous, did enough to win thanks to 14 saves.
The Flyers, once thought dead and buried in the East, have won three in a row and vaulted over idle Carolina and Buffalo to take over 10th place, four points out of a playoff spot. They finished a five-game homestand 3-1-1 and head back out on the road tomorrow with the knowledge that Paul Holmgren did not embrace a seller's stance.
"That's nothing we talk about. We can't worry about that stuff. We hear so many rumors about so many guys. It's beyond our control and we have to pay attention to what we're doing," said Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who must lead his club into battle again at Toronto with trade speculation now past.
Carey Price was under siege for most of the final 40 minutes of regulation, and took the loss despite 30 stops.
“They got four pretty lucky goals in my opinion and that’s the difference. But I don’t think we played well enough to win that game, regardless of the bounces,” Price admitted. “I think we definitely could have played better collectively as a group. We just didn’t have our legs under us."
Brandon Prust and David Desharnais scored in a 20-second span late in the second period and Montreal appeared to have things in control, but let two valuable out-of-division points slip from its grasp.
Alexei Emelin added a first-period marker for the visitors.
Simmonds came to the rescue again as time began to slip away. He outmuscled a Canadiens defender in front of Price to get position atop the crease, and Bruno Gervais' right-point shot caromed into the net off Simmonds' back leg for a 3-3 game with 5:06 remaining.
Gustafsson then pinched deep along the left wing to snag a puck, and his intended dish to Matt Read either hit the second-year player's stick or deflected off a Montreal defender 90 seconds later to give the hosts yet another lead, this time 4-3.
In any case, the 24-year-old Swede was later credited with his first career game-winning goal.
"I think that's part of my game. I was going to shoot it first, but their guy was coming out right into my shooting lane," Gustafsson explained. "So, I faked it and tried to put it in front for 'Reader,' and I think Jake (Voracek) was coming too. You never know what can happen. It was a lucky bounce."
With Price on the bench, expert work in the defensive zone resulted in Read getting the puck at center ice and dishing to Voracek for the insurance empty netter.
The Canadiens ended the first period ahead by a goal, but it could have been two.
In between minors to Mike Knuble and Kimmo Timonen, the Habs found time to take the lead, as a Voracek turnover inside the defensive zone found Max Pacioretty's stick, and after a back pass to the point, Emelin's floater found space through a screen of Read, Kent Huskins and Luke Schenn and inside the left post with 6:47 left.
PK Subban fired away on a series of one-timers from the point on both Canadiens' advantages, but one at even strength in the final 30 seconds could have done the most damage if not for the right post getting in the way. Bryzgalov was beaten cleanly, and looked back to see the low, hard drive skitter away after hitting iron.
Just after the two-minute mark of the period, consecutive bouts broke out, pitting Simmonds against Travis Moen and Zac Rinaldo against Brandon Prust. The passion displayed in both seemed to ignite a spark in the Orange and Black, something of which the head coach took notice.
"I really think it turned at the start of the second period, when our guys fought," Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette said. "I thought that the second period, 90 percent of the play went our way and that continued into the third.
The Flyers evened the game with 4:47 gone in the second as Couturier's intended cross-crease pass for a waiting Simon Gagne deflected off Subban's leg and settled into the net inside the right post -- ending a 27-game goal drought for the sophomore.
Gagne made it 2-1 with 4:17 left in the second. Oliver Lauridsen's blast from the right point sailed well wide of the net, but it made for a perfect carom off the back boards, where the veteran slammed it home from the left side. For the young Dane experiencing his initial NHL call up, the play resulted in his first career point.
However, Prust made it 2-2 only 46 seconds after Philly took the lead, and Desharnais put Montreal ahead 20 seconds after that when his offering from the right side changed direction off Schenn's stick blade and sailed past a ducking Bryzgalov.
"We just didn't match their intensity, it's just that simple," said Montreal head coach Michel Therrien.
Notes: Philly improved to 2-11-0 when trailing after two periods this season...Couturier's last score came in a 5-1 loss at Tampa Bay on January 27...The season series is evened at one game apiece, with one more game scheduled between the clubs, on April 15 at Montreal...The Flyers have won five straight on home ice against the Canadiens and six of the last seven, squaring their all-time home record against the Habs to 36-36-16...Rinaldo left the game in the second period and did not return with a lower-body injury...Montreal forward Tomas Plekanec also saw an early exit, which was later reported to be a groin issue...Defenseman Davis Drewiske made his Habs debut after being acquired from the Kings earlier this week...The Flyers acquired goaltender Steve Mason from the Columbus Blue Jackets for goalie Michael Leighton and a 2015 third-round draft pick, also snagged forward Adam Hall off waivers from the Lightning, announced that defenseman Kurtis Foster cleared waivers, and revealed that Sault Ste. Marie forward Brandon Alderson signed an ATO with the Phantoms...The Canadiens also inked former North Dakota forward Danny Kristo to a two-year deal....Injured Flyers Chris Pronger, Braydon Coburn, Jody Shelley and Danny Briere gathered in the press box during the second period...Montreal mustered only six shots in the last two periods while allowing 26 Philadelphia offerings to reach Price.
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