Wings finally win in Philly
PHILADELPHIA -- It took a shootout goal by left winger Andreas Athanasiou, but the Detroit Red Wings can finally say they've won a game in the City of Brotherly Love.
Athanasiou scored his second goal of the night as the sixth shooter of the shootout, snapping a shot past Flyers goaltender Steve Mason to give the Red Wings a 3-2 win Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Red Wings, who had lost 12 straight regular season games in Philadelphia dating back to Jan. 25, 1997, the first year of the Flyers' 20-year-old arena.
It was the second time in one week the Flyers and Red Wings needed extra time to decide the outcome.
Jimmy Howard stopped 26 shots, including three in the shootout, to earn the win for the Red Wings (7-6-1). Mason made 35 saves, including two in the shootout in the loss for the Flyers (6-6-2).
Left winger Tomas Tatar also scored for the Red Wings in regulation as Detroit twice rallied from one-goal deficits.
Centers Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers in regulation and right winger Jake Voracek picked up two assists, his 300th and 301st of his NHL career.
The Flyers grabbed a 2-1 lead with 6:51 gone in the third period on center Sean Couturier's fourth goal of the season but just as they had earlier in the game, the Red Wings quickly answered.
Left winger Andreas Anthanasiou tied the score at 2-2 just 4:20 later with his fourth goal of the season.
The Flyers had a chance to take the lead with about 5 minutes to play in regulation, but Howard stopped a one-timer by center Pierre-Edouard to keep the score tied.
The Flyers opened the scoring for just the fifth time in 14 games when Giroux drilled a pass from right winger Jake Voracek past Howard 6:28 into the game. The goal was Giroux's fifth of the season and third on the power play.
Philadelphia's lead lasted less than 3 minutes. The Red Wings tied it at the 8:42 mark when Henrik Zetterberg stole the puck from Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning and fed Tatar at the side of the net for Tatar's second goal of the season.
Aside from some key saves and a one-sided fight, the second period was uneventful. Mason kept the score tied with excellent saves on right winger Dylan Larkin and left winger Andreas Athanasiou, while Howard and the Rd Wings breathed a sigh of relief when Flyers rookie Travis Konecny missed a wide open net late in the period. Konecny, who had goals in each of his last two games, reacted by holding his stick over his head, threatening to crack it over his helmet.
The second period also featured a one-punch fight between Flyers right winger Wayne Simmonds and Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson. Simmonds knocked Ericsson down with a hard overhand left to the ear, but Ericsson returned without incident and finished the game.
NOTES: With LW Thomas Vanek on long-term injury reserve with a hip injury and the Red Wings hurting for goals, rookie Tyler Bertuzzi, the nephew of former Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi, made his NHL debut and played on a top line with C Frans Nielsen and RW Dylan Larkin. ... The Flyers also shook up their top line, promoting LW Matt Read to a top unit with C Claude Giroux and RW Jake Voracek. ... Red Wings G Jimmy Howard is one shutout away from tying Mike Richter for 10th all-time among American-born goalies. Richter had 192 shutouts. ... The Flyers entered the game leading the NHL in shots (431) and missed shots (195). ... The Flyers return to action Friday night in Toronto, then return home for games against the Wild, Senators, Jets and Lightning. ... The Red Wings return to Detroit to face the Canucks on Thursday, then head to Montreal to face the Canadiens.