GIF Rewind: Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek carry Flyers to OT win at MSG

Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek carried the Flyers to victory on Monday night against the Rangers. Let’s get right into it.

First Period

The Flyers got out to an early lead for a change. Sean Couturier made a great play along the boards to take a hit and get the puck up ice. His wingers did the rest.

 

Joel Farabee entered the zone and fed a slick pass to James van Riemsdyk, who went five-hole on Keith Kinkaid.

 

That put the Flyers up 1-0 and they weren’t done yet.

Rather than quickly allowing a goal, as they have done a lot this season, the Flyers quickly tacked on. Couturier once again picked up an assist for his faceoff win. He got the puck back to Provorov and screened Kinkaid on the shot.

 

A seeing-eye shot by Provorov.

 

The Flyers were up 2-0 and it was only 5:05 into the game.

Kevin Hayes made a nifty move to exit the zone and then drew a penalty in the offensive zone.

 

Shayne Gostisbehere and Travis Konecny executed a give-and-go to perfection for a great scoring chance for the defenseman.

 

But the Flyers couldn’t capitalize on the power play.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel took a penalty, but Carter Hart came up big with a few stops. Perhaps the biggest save was on Mika Zibanejad.

 

Hart appeared to be locked in.

The Flyers had a pair of injury scares late in the period.

Nolan Patrick went down awkwardly but returned to the ice before the end of the period.

 

Farabee blocked a slap shot and was hobbled.

 

He stayed on the bench, though.

 

He took a 10-second shift at the end of the frame but didn’t put too much weight on his left foot. He was fine for the second period, though.

Second Period

For as good as the first period was, the second period was just as bad. The Rangers completely took over in the early going and ended up outshooting the Flyers 12-7 in the frame.

It was all New York early, but Hart kept the Flyers up 2-0 with this save on Julien Gauthier.

 

He wouldn’t be as lucky later in the period, however.

Nate Prosser did nothing to stop the Rangers from entering the zone. He then did nothing to stop the pass to or shot by Artemi Panarin.

 

The Rangers kept it going.

Less than three minutes later, Brendan Smith made a stretch pass through the Flyers defense and Panarin fed Blackwell for a one-timer.

 

Just like that it was a tie game again.

The Rangers took their first lead of the game less than five minutes after that. Gauthier sped around Shayne Gostisbehere and beat Hart with a filthy finish.

The Rangers had a 3-2 lead and all of the momentum until Travis Konecny was high-sticked in the final minutes of the period.

The Flyers made quick work of the power play with Giroux controlling the puck behind the goal line. He passed it to Farabee in front and the sophomore went top shelf.

 

That tied the game at three, but the period didn’t end without some shenanigans.

Smith laid a hit on Giroux, and his linemates came to his rescue.

 

 

Claude had that look in his eyes.

 

That put the Flyers down a man, but it’s good to see some life from this team.

Third Period

The Flyers killed off the penalty, largely due to this great save by Hart on Kreider.

 

Yeah, Hart looks like he’s back.

Unfortunately, the Rangers got the first goal of the third period anyway after a defensive breakdown by the third pair.

 

The Flyers got another power play, however, after Gauthier high-sticked Giroux.

 

It initially wasn’t called a penalty on the ice, but it was a double-minor after review.

 

Giroux drew the penalty and scored on the power play. What a pass by Voracek.

 

That tied the game up at four.

Turning Point: Jake Voracek calls his shot on Claude Giroux’s game-tying goal

Giroux picked off a pass toward the end of a Rangers power play to spring Laughton on a breakaway, but Keith Kinkaid had the answer.

 

It looked like the Flyers took a 5-4 lead on the power play with this blast by Kevin Hayes.

 

However, Couturier entered the zone just before the puck and the goal was waved off after the Rangers challenged for offside.

There were some scary moments in the final minutes, but the Flyers took the game to overtime.

Overtime

The Rangers controlled the puck for most of the overtime session. However, Travis Sanheim poked the puck down the ice and Keith Kinkaid tried to send it up to Artemi Panarin.

Flyers Film: Jake Voracek scores OT winner at end of 111-second shift

Instead, Voracek stole the puck and deked around Kinkaid for the overtime winner.

 

What a move!

 

The steal and finish.

 

Voracek and Giroux willed the Flyers to victory in New York.

This was a win that the Flyers desperately needed. Their leaders put the team on their back and willed the Flyers to victory. Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek are still the heart and soul of this team.

— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) March 16, 2021