BOSTON — Make it six in a row.
The Flyers got a rare power-play goal in overtime to beat the Bruins, 3-2, Thursday night, as Travis Sanheim connected on the game-winner.
It’s the Flyers' first win in Boston since Oct. 21, 2015, having dropped their previous four at TD Garden.
Here are my observations:
• After Claude Giroux tripped up David Pastrnak, the Flyers quickly discovered taking penalties against this team would be highly detrimental. The Bruins came into this game with the second-best power play in the NHL and they proved why in the opening two minutes.
After nearly connecting on a cross-ice pass across the slot that Pastrnak couldn’t get his stick on, the Bruins capitalized roughly 15 seconds later. It was a pass that Oskar Lindblom was right there for but had his stick in the wrong place.
• When it's healthy, Boston’s line of Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand is arguably the best in the NHL. Following Pastrnak’s second goal, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead, that line had combined to score six consecutive goals for Boston. Pastrnak’s tip-in goal may have looked high but certainly below the cross bar.
• After being outshot in each of their five games during the winning streak, the Flyers appeared to be on the verge of that again throughout the first period as the Bruins were standing the Flyers up at the blue line. As a result, the Flyers couldn’t get pucks deep, they weren’t moving in unison and pucks were being thrown all over the place.
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Interim head coach Scott Gordon made a few tweaks and the Flyers were much better in the second period, outshooting Boston 17-7.
• Another change for Gordon was a different look with his lines as Sean Couturier moved up to play alongside Giroux and James van Riemsdyk, and together that trio looked really good as it moved the puck well and created several second-period chances.
• After doing very little offensively in the opening period, the Flyers needed a break to go their way. And that’s exactly what they got when defenseman Charlie McAvoy had an easy look at the net, but instead missed it entirely, allowing the puck to rim around the boards.
The Flyers were thankful Jakub Voracek and Giroux were on the ice at the same time. Even when they’re not on the ice together, they still know where the other player is.
• Gordon said there were a number of factors that went into the decision to go back to four forwards and a defenseman on the power play. Moving Voracek back to the half wall and switching personnel with Lindblom and Couturier swapping lines made Gordon look like a genius in the third period, when Lindblom scored the game-tying goal.
The Flyers' power play was 2 for 25 in the previous nine games.
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