PHILADELPHIA _ There is no manual out yet on how to defend Johnny Gaudreau. If there ever is, though, providing him with a string of power-play opportunities will not be in it.
Rather than extinguishing the red-hot Salem, N.J., native, the Flyers fanned a second-period comeback by Gaudreau and his Calgary Flames teammates from two-goal and one-goal deficits, aiding them greatly in their 5-4 overtime victory. Beginning at 5 minutes, 13 seconds of the period and ending at 14:56, when Gaudreau and linemate Sean Monahan combined to once again knot the game at 4-4, a parade of four Flyers took turns skating into the penalty box, resulting in three power-play goals by Monahan.
Gaudreau assisted on two and was involved in all three. Throw in his first-period breakaway goal, and the 100 or so friends, family, and high school buddies in attendance had already been given their money's worth.
In the end, it was second-line winger Michael Frolik who won it in the three-on-three overtime, roofing a shot over Elliott to complete the comeback win. Gaudreau wasn't even on the ice.
Particularly culpable during the Flyers' second-period meltdown was the usually collected Shayne Gostisbehere, who incurred consecutive penalties _ the first while on the bench _ to again reverse the fortunes of a team that lately, at least, just can't get out of its own way. Nolan Patrick's second goal of the season at 14:02 of that second period had regained the lead at 4-3, but on his first shift after returning, "Ghost" was flagged for an elbow, and Monahan tied it 35 seconds into the Flames' fourth power play of the period.
The Flyers scored on their first shot of the game _ the same kind of shot they have been forced to take too often during the recent scoring malaise. Brandon Manning's controlled slap shot from the right point traveled through a small crowd, bounced off goalie Mike Smith's left shoulder, the post, and his back, and into the net.
Calgary tied it at 7:13 of the first in a way that delighted those in the crowd with mixed allegiances. After Claude Giroux couldn't get a handle on Sean Couturier's shot from the blue line, Calgary's Michael Ferland threaded a long breakout pass to Gaudreau, who craftily slipped behind the usually dependable Robert Hagg, and beat Brian Elliott to his blocker side without so much as a deke or feint.
An odd unsportsmanlike penalty call on Kris Versteeg _ a Flyer back in 2010-11 _ helped the Flyers regain the lead. In a textbook example of how their power play is supposed to work, Wayne Simmonds provided the initial screen on Jake Voracek's shot from the high circle. Smith made a pad save, but the puck bounced fortuitously out to Sean Couturier, who calmly roofed one over the Flames' 35-year-old goalie at 15:23 to push the Flyers ahead, 2-1.
Ivan Provorov made it 3-1 at 16:08 of the first with a harmless-looking wrist shot from the point that cleared everyone, and then Smith's left shoulder. Acquired when the Flames decided not to re-sign Elliott in the offseason, Smith has played well for Calgary, and he settled down after that, allowing only Patrick's rebound. Among his better ones was a pad save on Couturier during a second-period short-handed breakaway.
Gaudreau nearly had another breakaway early in the second period, again slipping past the Flyers defense. The puck was a little too far ahead, however, allowing Elliott to play it aside.
Dale Weiss' high-sticking penalty, though, provided the Flames another power play. This time it was Monahan whom the Flyers lost track of, as he tipped a shot from the point through Elliott to cut it to 3-2. Monahan tied it via another power play, this time with Manning off for slashing. Once again Gaudreau was involved, firing a point-blank wrist shot from the left circle that Elliott gloved but could not contain.
