After an extended break, the Philadelphia Flyers picked up right where they left off.
Ivan Provorov scored 2:14 into overtime, lifting the Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night. Both teams were returning to action after more than a week off due to postponements and the holiday break.
The Flyers extended their unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1), continuing their resurgence after a 10-game losing streak in late November and early December.
“In the third period, we realized we were lucky to be in the position we were, and we came out with a better mindset,” said interim coach Mike Yeo.
James van Riemsdyk’s second goal of the night, with 5:13 left in regulation, tied the game at 2-2. His goal came just 15 seconds after Seattle’s Jeremy Lauzon scored his first of the season, a goal that stood after an earlier attempt was disallowed due to goaltender interference.
But the Kraken’s lead vanished quickly as van Riemsdyk beat Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer for the second time. Van Riemsdyk also scored on a power play at 4:44 of the first period and has tallied five goals in his last six games.
“Once you get one, your confidence builds, and you start playing more freely,” van Riemsdyk said. “That’s usually when those goals start to come in bunches.”
Martin Jones made 34 saves, keeping the Flyers in the game as Seattle dominated the first two periods. The Kraken outshot the Flyers by a wide margin through the first 40 minutes and generated several scoring opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on them.
“We spent too much time in our end, but we defended decently,” Jones said. “We’d like to build on how we played in the third.”
Seattle appeared to take the lead with 14:03 left in the third period when Lauzon’s shot from the point found the net through traffic. However, Philadelphia challenged the play, and after a video review, the goal was disallowed due to Jaden Schwartz impeding Jones in the crease.
Yanni Gourde scored a power-play goal in the first period for Seattle. Grubauer made 19 saves, bringing his record to 7-12-4.
“Overall, we played a really good game. But in the end, we need to tighten things up,” Lauzon said. “We’ve seen this happen too many times this season. Moving forward, it’s something we need to take pride in.”
Both teams played their first games since Dec. 18 due to COVID-19 protocols, which led to postponed games and an extended holiday break. Seattle had four games postponed, while the Flyers had two.
GIROUX’S MILESTONE
Claude Giroux placed second on the Flyers’ all-time scoring list with an assist on van Riemsdyk’s first-period goal. Giroux passed Bill Barber and now trails only Bobby Clarke. The assist was the 600th of Giroux’s career, bringing his total points to 884.
“I never really thought about it before. To pass Bill Barber, it’s a great honor. He’s a legend in Philly,” Giroux said.
COVID-19 UPDATES
Seattle was without defenseman Vince Dunn and forwards Mason Appleton and Ryan Donato due to COVID-19 protocols. Defenseman Adam Larsson, who exited protocols earlier on Wednesday, played 22:38.
“Frustrating to lose on a night like this. We had enough chances to win the game,” Larsson said.
The Flyers were missing top goaltender Carter Hart, top-line center Sean Couturier, forward Scott Laughton, and center Derick Brassard due to protocols. Hart, who played junior hockey 30 miles north of Seattle with the Everett Silvertips, was notably absent.
UP NEXT
- Flyers: Philadelphia travels to San Jose on Thursday.
- Kraken: Seattle hosts Calgary on Thursday.
