Claude Giroux scored two goals and assisted on another, and rookie Matt Read scored a third period highlight reel goal and added an assist, leading the visiting Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers (10-4-3) now sit atop the Eastern Conference with 23 points.
Flyers Vs. Hurricanes: Giroux, Read Shine in Philadelphia’s 5-3 Win over Carolina
Claude Giroux continued his ascendency to superstardom with a three point night, and rookie Matt Read’s stellar play is helping to win games for the Flyers.
In two games against the Hurricanes this year, Giroux has feasted on Carolina. He has scored three goals and recorded seven points, posting a +5 rating. The two teams play again next Monday in Philadelphia.
The Flyers also continued their road dominance this season, improving their record away from the Wells Fargo Center to 6-1-1.
Giroux got things started off right away, taking a pass from Jaromir Jagr in full stride. He split the Carolina defensemen and went in on starter Cam Ward, beating him high to the glove side to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead just 1:19 into the game.
Philadelphia increased their lead to 2-0 just over seven minutes later. Jakub Voarcek carried the puck behind the Hurricanes' net, and spotted Maxime Talbot alone in the slot. Talbot one-timed Voracek's pass behind Ward for his sixth goal of the year.
The Flyers carried play for the entire period, dominating territorially for long stretches, but a mistake in the waning moments of the opening stanza would cost them.
While on a power play, winger James van Riemsdyk committed an awful giveaway along the Philly blue line, leading to a Carolina two-on-one shorthanded break. Captain Eric Staal made a perfect pass through Chris Pronger, and Patrick Dwyer beat Flyers' netminder Sergei Bobrovsky with just 0.9 seconds remaining in the first.
It was Dwyer’s first goal of the season, and also the first shorthanded goal yielded by Philadelphia this year.
Early in the second period, Giroux would restore the Flyers’ two-goal lead. This time, he took a Jagr pass at center ice, skated down the left wing side, and snapped a wrister over Ward’s glove hand and int the top corner for his second of the night and 11th of the season to give Philly a 3-1 edge.
As Philadelphia was on another man advantage four minutes later, Giroux nearly completed the hat trick. His shot instead glanced off of Wayne Simmonds, who was screening Ward in front, and trickled into the net for a 4-1 Flyers' lead. It was Simmonds' fourth goal of the year and first in three games, while just his second in the previous 12 contests. Although he didn't get the hat trick, Giroux still registered his third point of the game. He now has 11 goals and 22 points in 17 games, both statistics being good enough to be tied for second in the entire NHL.
The goal chased Ward from the ‘Canes net and brought in former-Flyer Brian Boucher to tend the cage.
Carolina narrowed the gap to 4-2 just over five minutes later, as Tuomo Ruutu's one-timer of a Jussi Jokinen pass just squeezed through a gap between Bobrovsky's arm and body and barely made it over the goal line. Ruutu's seventh of the season brought the 'Canes back to to within two with 7:06 left in the middle frame.
With Carolina's Tim Brent serving a tripping minor early in the third period, Dwyer would again capitalize on a Philadelphia mistake with his team a man short. This time it was Jagr who was guilty of the turnover and it led to Dwyer getting a shorthanded breakaway, as defenseman Kimmo Timonen had no choice but to haul the Hurricanes' forward down from behind. Dwyer was justifiably awarded a penalty shot, and he made no mistake in beating Bobrovsky cleanly with a wrist shot on the glove side and inside the post.
It was Dwyer’s second of the night and second shorthanded goal in the game, cutting the Flyers’ lead to just 4-3. It was also the second consecutive Philadelphia game in which a player scored a shorthanded goal on a penalty shot, as Read accomplished the feat yesterday in the third period against the Florida Panthers in what would prove to be the game-winning goal in a 3-2 Flyers’ win. (Philadelphia’s PR department released the following NOTE: “Per the Elias Sports Bureau, there has never been a situation where there were shorthanded penalty shots in consecutive Flyers games, for or against. The Flyers scored on one last night and Carolina scored on one tonight.”)
Read would be instrumental in rebuilding Philadelphia’s two-goal lead with just over three minutes left in regulation time. Voracek broke into the Carolina zone with speed along the left wing side, and Read saw a chance to jump into the play. He hustled at top acceleration from center ice and as Voracek sent a pass across the front of the net, Read dove and swatted the puck past Boucher for his fifth of the season for a 5-3 margin. Read was able to get back up to his knees, but still slid heavily into the boards, and remained on the ice after being shaken up.
After the game, Read said he was just trying to protect himself as he hit the wall, and he actually had gotten a bit of a charley horse when he hit the end boards. He also added that he was fine.
Pronger, who led all Philly skaters in TOI with 24:54, assisted on three Flyers’ goals on the night.
Bobrovsky stopped 17 of 20 Hurricanes’ shots, and upped his record to 3-0-1 on the year.
It should be noted that Philadelphia skaters - led by Braydon Coburn’s five shot blocks - blocked 21 Carolina shot attempts.
See More:
