Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – Claude Giroux’s power-play goal with 2:11
left in overtime gave the Philadelphia Flyers their first win of the season, a
6-5 decision over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Jakub Voracek posted a goal and two assists while Andrew MacDonald and Giroux
each posted a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who had started off the
season 0-2-2. Michael Raffl netted the tying score with 3:53 left in
regulation.
Steve Mason started the game in net, but was pulled after giving up four goals
on 18 shots in two periods. Ray Emery gave up a goal on five shots after that.
Trevor Daley scored twice, Jason Spezza picked up a goal and three assists,
while Tyler Seguin added four helpers for the Stars, who had won their
previous two.
Kari Lehtonen continued to be plagued by the Flyers, falling to 0-10-2 against
them in his career after allowing all six goals on 36 shots.
Daley was called for hooking Brayden Schenn at 2:09 of overtime and the Flyers
went to work on their second man-advantage of the extra session.
Receiving a pass from Mark Streit at the top of the left circle, Giroux
cranked a shot that beat Lehtonen with Wayne Simmonds providing a screen in
front for the win.
“It’s a good character win because the team battled back for a lot of deficits
in the game,” said Philadelphia coach Craig Berube. “This win will give our
team some confidence, that’s for sure.”
The teams scored three times in two minutes in the third to knot the game at
5-5.
Philly tied it when Voracek banged home a rebound from the right side at
14:14. Dallas, though, scored 40 seconds later as Spezza knocked the puck in
from the right side.
The Flyers once again tied the game just over a minute later as Michael
Raffl’s turnaround pass from the right circle went off the skate of Daley and
in.
In the first period, the Stars took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal after
Seguin’s pass missed its intended target, but found Daley for a wrister past
Mason at 11:32.
The Flyers, though, got a goal from Sean Couturier at 13:16 off a blocked
shot, and Schenn potted his first of the year on a rush play at 15:09 to give
the team a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.
Dallas tied it 2:46 into the second as Shawn Horcoff skated down the left wing
and sent a pass to the right side where Erik Cole had an easy backhand tap-in.
On the power play, the Stars made it 3-2 when Daley netted his second of the
game on a one-timer off a pass from Seguin at 18:33, and it was Seguin setting
up Jamie Benn less than a minute later to give the team a 4-2 advantage going
into the third period.
McDonald scored on a big slap shot from the top of the left circle while on
the power play at 8:32 of the third to pull the Flyers within one.
Game Notes
Philadelphia continues its three-game road trip in Chicago on Tuesday …
Dallas hosts Vancouver on Tuesday … These teams split a pair of games last
season, but Philly has won eight of the last nine overall.
