Claude Giroux scored with a little more than two minutes left Thursday night, and the visiting Flyers erased an early deficit to beat the Penguins, 4-3.
It’s a huge two points that didn’t look likely after the Flyers allowed three goals in the first four minutes.
Giroux came in without a goal in his last nine games. He scored the Flyers’ second goal, as well, and also had an assist when Scott Laughton deflected in a Giroux shot with his thigh to finally get the Flyers even with seven minutes left in the third period.
A three-goal blast by Pittsburgh in the first four minutes had the Flyers reeling early.
Kris Letang, Mark Friedman, and Jared McCann scored within 71 seconds to help the Penguins jump out to a 3-0 lead. After McCann’s goal, Sean Couturier slammed his stick on the Flyers net in a rare burst of anger.
It was the quickest any team had scored three goals all season, according to the NHL, and the odds-line that started at Flyers -110 shot up in-game to Flyers +825, according to PointsBet communications director Pat Eichner.
Flyers coach Alain Vigneault called a rare first-period timeout, which settled his short-handed club down.
Just when it appeared that the Flyers were getting whole again, another key forward was forced to the sidelines. Vigneault had to play roster roulette after Joel Farabee popped up on the COVID-19 protocol list on Thursday afternoon. Players can go on the list for any number of reasons, and because of privacy issues it’s unclear how long Farabee will be out.
Farabee was replaced on the top line by Jake Voracek, who skated with Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk. Other notable moves was Giroux centering Oskar Lindblom and Nic Aube-Kubel on the third line.
An outbreak last month put a handful of Flyers out for more than two weeks. On the other hand, Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby came off the list prior to Thursday’s game after just two days.
The struggling power play got the Flyers on the board when Couturier blasted a rocket over the left shoulder of Tristan Jarry midway through the first period.
Couturier extended his career-high point streak to eight games with his sixth goal of the season. He has a point in all 10 games he’s played except for the one he left in the first minute with the rib injury that cost him three weeks.
It was a more physical game than Tuesday’s Penguins win as both teams lost a defenseman.
Nolan Patrick twice knocked Friedman out of the game. Once, briefly in the first period on a boarding call, and then again in the second on a mid-ice collision.
Phil Myers took a big hit from Anthony Angello in the second period. He remained in the game but came out for good early in the third.
The Flyers and Penguins will finish their three-game series on Saturday.
