The Philadelphia Flyers were supposed to be going through a rebuild this season.
Not so fast.
The surprising Flyers defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in a shootout Thursday to extend their points streak to seven. Philadelphia is 5-0-2 during this stretch and will try to make it eight when hosting the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
“We weren’t at our best,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “You could tell we were flat. I think the biggest thing is that you admit to yourself that you are flat and just try to change the game a little bit. We were turning too many over. Find a way to score a couple goals, tied it a couple times.
“So, it’s a good win for us because we need to try to win those games. You’re not always going to be perfect.”
Bobby Brink scored in regulation and the shootout while goaltender Sam Ersson made 27 saves as a late replacement for Carter Hart (illness).
And the Flyers found a way to come from behind for another two points in this surprising start.
“I felt like the first half of the game wasn’t what we probably wanted to do,” said Joel Farabee, who tied the game at 2 at 5:25 of the third period. “I thought we were pretty flat.
“I think something we talked about in the intermission is it’s just one of those games where you just mentally have to get over some hurdles and keep playing. Really liked our battle and perseverance in the third.”
The Red Wings will look to rebound after a tight 2-1 loss Thursday to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Michael Rasmussen scored Detroit’s lone goal and goaltender Ville Husso was stellar with 37 saves, but the Red Wings fell short and are 1-3-1 in their past five games.
“Ville was excellent,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “It’s frustrating, because that was his best game in a while, and then he had one miscue. That probably reflects our overall game a little bit. We have to be good all the time.”
The Red Wings were outplayed in the third period, and now they’ll try to slow down the surging Flyers.
“They are about as aggressive a team as you’re going to play, especially on the forecheck,” Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said of the Hurricanes. “They sell out pretty much on every puck, and they’ve been doing it for a while now. There’s not a lot of room on the ice against them.”
Detroit competed without its top two centers — Dylan Larkin and J.T. Compher — who remain on injured reserve.
Larkin, the Red Wings’ captain, is expected to be sidelined for at least another week with an upper-body injury.
“I’m encouraged on the big picture, but you start dealing with some upper bodies, it wouldn’t be my spot to say,” Lalonde said of Larkin. “We’d love him back sooner than later. The fact he is skating in a non-contact (capacity) is positive, but I couldn’t give an exact time frame.”
Red Wings forward David Perron will sit for the fourth game of a six-game suspension for cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub Dec. 9.
–Field Level Media
