Now that’s a comeback — Flyers show toughness in shootout win over Pens originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers picked up their first comeback of the season Saturday night and they did it in storybook fashion.
Down to the wire, in a shootout, on their rival’s home ice.
John Tortorella’s team rallied for a 4-3 win over the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
Sean Couturier went to his money move — “from the Marty St. Louis playbook” — to net the shootout winner.
Samuel Ersson denied Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust to punctuate the Flyers’ come-from-behind effort.
Owen Tippett, Scott Laughton and Tyson Foerster scored in regulation for the Flyers (12-10-2), who needed this one. The club was 1-3-1 over its previous five games, a stretch in which it had scored just 1.40 goals per game.
The Flyers played with a lead for the first time in six games when Foerster put them ahead on the power play with 6:08 minutes left in the third period.
As the Penguins (11-10-2) emptied their net for the extra attacker, Guentzel flushed a rebound with 20.6 seconds remaining to force overtime.
The Flyers weren’t perfect but knuckled down. Their penalty kill was excellent all night and fended off Pittsburgh for the final minute of OT.
The Penguins won’t have to wait long to see the Flyers again.
• Laughton’s marker might have been the goal of the game because the Flyers were down 2-1 and shorthanded in the third period. For the Flyers to not only kill off the Nicolas Deslauriers boarding penalty but also score on Pittsburgh’s power play was a massive momentum swing seven minutes into the final stanza.
The Flyers’ penalty kill went 5 for 5 and is 32 for 34 (94.1 percent) over the last 10 games.
Foerster showed off his highly touted shot to give the Flyers that elusive lead at 3-2. The 21-year-old winger has five points (three goals, two assists) through the last three games.
• Couturier is a tough customer.
He was clobbered at the end of the second period by Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson.
But he got back up, recorded an assist on Foerster’s third-period goal and then provided the winner in the shootout.
Sean Couturier got absolutely clobbered here at the end of the second period. He’s as tough as they get. Definitely a guy that knows you have to take hits to make plays. pic.twitter.com/M2GivfhMWX
— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) December 3, 2023
• Ersson is 5-1-0 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .930 save percentage over his last six starts.
His resurgence has been impressive.
The 24-year-old finished with 29 saves on 32 shots against the Penguins. He turned away six shots in OT and had a stellar glove save on Crosby in the shootout.
Guentzel potted two of Pittsburgh’s three goals. Both were right around the crease.
Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry stopped 31 of the Flyers’ 34 shots.
A minute after Pittsburgh’s game-opening goal in the second period, Tippett was sprung for a breakaway by a Travis Sanheim blocked shot, but Jarry denied the Flyers’ winger with a glove save.
Tippett took Round 2 against Jarry on another breakaway to make it 1-1 at second intermission.
• After playing only 56 seconds in the Flyers’ 4-3 overtime loss Thursday to the Devils, Joel Farabee saw 15:06 minutes against the Penguins. He didn’t play on special teams.
Tortorella on Friday said the benching was in the past.
“I had a two-second discussion as we past ways in the hallway,” the head coach said. “That’s all that needed to be done.
“He’s going to get a chance. I’m by that, I’ve already moved by it. He’ll get his ice time and get right back at it.”
Farabee was a tad overeager in OT when the Flyers were whistled for too many men on the ice. The 23-year-old was trying to get out there to help prevent a Pittsburgh rush.
• Sanheim blocked seven shots and Cam York five.
With two assists, the 22-year-old York has helped spark the Flyers’ power play over the last two games.
“You know me, I want him to try to make a difference. And I think he has done that,” Tortorella said Wednesday. “I’ve been really impressed with him as how he has defended, he’s there, his willingness to block shots this year.”
• The Flyers and Penguins are right back at it Monday in Philadelphia (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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