Flyers blow lead, forget about hockey for a period, and still beat Canadiens in shootout
If you like normal, stress-free hockey, the Philadelphia Flyers are not for you.
Philly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Montreal, completely fell apart in the second period, then pulled themselves out of the ditch and beat the Canadiens 5-4 in a shootout.
A roller coaster would look at this game and say relax, you are doing too much.
Bobby Brink scored twice in the opening eight minutes and Cam York smashed home a one-timer on a five-on-three to put Montreal in a coma early. It looked like a blowout. It looked fun. Flyers hockey looked enjoyable for the first time in a bit.
Bobby Brink
Then the second period happened and the Flyers played defense like they were trying to get Rick Tocchet fired. Montreal rattled off four goals, fired up the Bell Centre crowd, and suddenly Philly’s three-goal cushion evaporated into thin air.
Classic Flyers. Build a house, set it on fire, then try to live in it anyway.
Credit where it is due… they did not quit. Nikita Grebenkin stepped up and ripped his first NHL goal in the third period to tie it 4-4 and breathe life back into the bench. Big moment for the kid and a huge moment for a team that was teetering on another depressing loss.
Trevor Zegras helped get them there and then sealed it with his shootout number, sliding in casually and burying the only goal. The kid is just built for moments that need ice-cold swagger.
Dan Vladar did not exactly stand on his head in regulation, but in overtime and the shootout he locked in and got the job finished. Sometimes you need a goalie who can survive chaos, and that is what he did.
Rick Tocchet complained after the last home game that the product was boring and the fans deserved better. This was not boring. This was heartburn with a happy ending.
It was also a real response. Three goals early, a meltdown, then a gut-check rally on the road in one of the loudest buildings in the league. Flyers fans have seen this movie before, only tonight it did not end with sadness and uncontrollable pacing in the living room.
Philly now heads to Nashville. If they can figure out how to play a full game without hitting the self-destruct button for 20 minutes, maybe this season actually settles into something competitive.
Until then, buckle in. The Flyers do not do smooth. They do chaos, confusion, and somehow a shootout win.
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