The Flyers nearly whiffed on a huge home game.
Instead, Brad Marchand whiffed to seal a wild 6-5 shootout win for the Flyers over the Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night.
The Flyers were almost chased out of their own building but picked up arguably their most improbable win so far of the 2019-20 season.
Travis Konecny scored the lone shootout marker. Marchand had a chance to draw even but missed the puck at center ice, which counted for an attempt, as the Wells Fargo Center erupted and the Flyers stormed the ice in celebration (see highlights).
The Flyers (24-16-6) took down the Capitals and Bruins on this three-game homestand. Washington and Boston were tied with the Blues atop the NHL standings entering Monday.
The Flyers have taken both matchups with the Bruins (27-8-12), who return to Philadelphia for the regular-season series finale March 10.
NHL
• Just how unfathomable of a win was this for the Flyers?
The Bruins were 10-0-0 when scoring five or more goals and had not surrendered more than five all season.
The Flyers didn't unravel when they allowed Boston to score five goals less than midway through the contest. Instead, they tightened things up, stayed out of the box and sparked their offense after being shut out for the first time this season.
Can't argue with that response.
Travis Sanheim was huge with two goals, including the 5-5 equalizer in the third period. Sean Couturier had a big one in the middle stanza to make 5-3, which stopped the Flyers' bleeding.
• Following one of their best defensive efforts in Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Lightning, the Flyers had far too many busted coverages and mistakes.
The Bruins held a 5-2 lead just 7:21 into the second period.
• Boston almost got the best of Carter Hart after the goalie had beaten the Bruins in their first three career meetings.
Boston broke down Hart with dekes and speed, putting up five goals on the 21-year-old, who had allowed only seven combined markers in the three matchups prior with the Bruins.
Hart impressively recovered, though, improving to 4-0-0 against the Bruins.
The Flyers had Boston goalie Jaroslav Halak going every which way as he had to make 34 saves. He denied Ivan Provorov on the doorstep with one second left in overtime.
• Connor Bunnaman, the latest recall of the Flyers as the team searches for bottom-six answers, emphasized the importance of every shift when playing limited fourth-line minutes.
"Can’t turn the puck over at the blue line, you’ve got to get it in, you’ve got to get scoring chances," the 21-year-old said after morning skate. "Just do everything right, you can’t mess up, but you can’t be afraid to mess up. Try things and keep working.”
Bunnaman worked hard and well to earn his first career NHL goal during the second period. He smartly chipped the puck into the offensive zone, allowing the Flyers to gain possession. The sequence finished with Bunnaman being credited for a goal deflected in front of the net as Mark Friedman also notched his first career NHL point.
The positive work by the fourth line and third defensive pairing trimmed the Flyers' deficit to only one at second intermission.
• The first period nearly turned into a disaster for the Flyers. After the team fell behind, 2-0, Konecny (blocked shot) and Scott Laughton (high-sticked) both went up the tunnel toward the dressing room banged up within a 52-second span.
Fortunately for the Flyers, Konecny raced right back to the ice for a four-minute power play to notch a primary assist on Kevin Hayes' goal just 1:14 after Konecny's brief exit.
Laughton came back out for the second period, when the game got only crazier.
• Phillies manager Joe Girardi was in the house for the game.
• The Flyers play their 10th back-to-back set out of 17 when they visit the Blues Wednesday (8 p.m. ET/NBCSN) and host the Canadiens Thursday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.