Flyers 3, Predators 2 (OT)
PHILADELPHIA -- Despite coughing up their lead with 20 seconds left in regulation, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 in overtime on Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.
Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere won it in the extra session with power-play marker to lift the struggling Flyers (8-10-5) to their fourth win in the last 16 games. It's Gostisbehere's second game-winning goal in the last three games.
In just his second game with the Philadelphia, right winger Colin McDonald netted a third-period goal to give his new team a 2-1 lead.
However, center Mike Fisher erased the lead by scoring on a backhander in traffic to help Nashville earn a point. Still, the Predators (12-6-4) had a sour end to their tough five-game road trip in which they went 1-3-1 with just five goals.
Nashville now comes home for three straight, where it's 7-1-2.
Philadelphia goalie Michal Neuvirth (5-3-1) got the start thanks to strong career numbers against Nashville. He entered 2-0-1 with a 1.29 goals-against average lifetime against the Predators and made 33 saves for the win.
Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne (10-5-4) stopped 34 shots and has lost four straight.
The Predators, who on Wednesday snapped their longest goal drought in franchise history at 227 minutes, 39 seconds, got things started just 1:44 into the game.
Center Mike Ribeiro fooled Neuvirth behind his own net by reversing directions and finding left winger Filip Forsberg for an easy goal and a 1-0 lead.
The Flyers quickly answered 2:16 later as defenseman Michael Del Zotto joined a rush and laced a slap shot from the circle past Rinne, assisted by centers Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux.
Not only did Nashville kill Philadelphia's first power play in the second period, but it nearly took the lead on a short-handed opportunity. However, Neuvirth made an outstanding second-effort leg save by stretching out to block a snap shot from left winger Eric Nystrom after denying defenseman Mattias Ekholm's attempt a second prior.
It kept the second period scoreless, allowing McDonald to make his mark in the third before Fisher answered.
NOTES: Before the game, the Flyers called up C Nick Cousins and sent LW Taylor Leier back to American Hockey League affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Cousins played 11 games for the Flyers last season and went scoreless. Leier appeared in six games this season and did not register a point. ... Predators C Colton Sissons, who was recalled on Thursday, was inserted into the lineup, replacing C Paul Gaustad, who left Wednesday's game with an upper-body injury. ... Flyers D Evgeny Medvedev saw his first action since Nov. 12 and played just his second game since Oct. 31. He replaced D Brandon Manning, who was a healthy scratch. ... Predators RW Miikka Salomaki was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, while D Anthony Bitetto and D Victor Bartley were healthy scratches. ... Flyers C R.J. Umberger (foot), D Mark Streit (groin), C Ryan White (upper body) and C Sam Gagner (upper body) were all out of the lineup.