Gostisbehere’s goal lifts Flyers over Coyotes 5-4 in OT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dale Weise and the Flyers bonded on a recently completed road trip that righted their season. They displayed the renewed confidence with a comeback victory in their return to home ice.
Shayne Gostisbehere scored on a one-timer 1:01 into overtime after Weise tied the game with 2:13 left in regulation, and Philadelphia rallied past the Arizona Coyotes 5-4 on Thursday night.
Scott Laughton had two goals and Travis Konecny also scored for the Flyers (8-7-1), who began a five-game homestand — their longest of the season — after earning seven of a possible eight points on a four-game trip out West. Philadelphia went over .500 for the first time since winning its season opener against Vegas.
“We’re a confident team,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “Guys in the room are tight. You either blow apart or come together. This was a good sign tonight. This was a character win.”
Jakub Voracek set up the game-winner in the extra session with a pass to Gostisbehere in the slot, and the defenseman’s slap shot beat goalie Darcy Kuemper.
“We had a purpose and it showed,” Gostisbehere said. “Huge for morale. Huge for us.”
It appeared the Flyers were going to lose their third in a row at home until Weise tied it.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s pass in the Arizona zone was intercepted by Gostisbehere. Weise broke toward center ice on the turnover, and Gostisbehere fired a pass to him. Weise got in alone on Kuemper and beat him high to the glove side for his first goal of the season.
Weise said the road trip, void of distractions, helped the Flyers come together.
“It’s just the boys on the road and you get that team bonding,” he said.
Ekman-Larsson and Michael Grabner each had a goal and an assist, and Brad Richardson and Derek Stepan also scored for the Coyotes, who lost 5-2 at home to Philadelphia on Monday.
“It’s a learning lesson for this team,” coach Rich Tocchet said. “We started to take over the game and then we reverted back to old habits.”
Arizona went ahead by scoring three times in the second period, including two short-handed goals 24 seconds apart.
Richardson tied it 2-all 1:51 into the second when his wrist shot from the right circle beat Calvin Pickard to the far side. Stepan scored with a backhand on a short-handed breakaway with 13:46 left in the period after Gostisbehere’s turnover at the Philadelphia blue line.
Grabner then got in alone on Pickard and also scored with a backhand.
Hakstol pulled Pickard in favor of Brian Elliott after Grabner’s goal. Elliott, the Flyers’ regular starter, wasn’t in the initial lineup following an upper-body injury he sustained in a collision with Konecny at practice on Sunday.
Elliott stopped all 16 shots he faced.
Laughton scored his second of the night 2½ minutes into the third on a backhand after a scramble in front.
Philadelphia got the first goal, just as it did in all four games on the road trip.
Konecny finished with a backhand from close range after a good pass from Claude Giroux at the point to make it 1-0 just 1:18 in. It was 2-0 only 4½ minutes later when Laughton forced a turnover in front and beat Kuemper with a backhand.
The Coyotes got one back with 11:30 left in the first on Ekman-Larsson’s wrist shot from the point that sneaked inside the post past Pickard’s left pad.
NOTES: The Flyers have allowed a power-play goal in nine straight games. ... D Alex Goligoski (lower body) left in the second period and didn’t return. ... Oskar Lindblom extended his career-best point streak to five games with a third-period assist.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: At Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
Flyers: Host Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
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