Post Game Recap: Gostisbehere scores twice, leads Flyers to their 6th straight win

Philadelphia enters tonights matchup coming off solid team effort to beat the Sabres. The Flyers look to extend their winning streak to 6 against the Stars. Dallas comes in having played last night. The Stars lost to the Devils 5-2 and look to change their losing ways and get Coach Ken Hitchcock his 800th career win against his former team.

Flyers Lineup

Giroux – Couturier – Simmonds

Raffl – Filppula – Voracek

Weal – Patrick – Weise

Leier – Laughton – Konecny

Provorov – MacDonald

Gostisbehere – Hagg

Sanheim – Gudas

Starter – Elliott

Backup – Lyon

Scratches

15 – Lehtera

39 – Alt

1st Period Notes…

If the first minute could talk, it would tell you how this night was going to be. Just 38 second into the game, Claude Giroux and Jamie Benn got into a scrum between the benches. Let the fun begin. After the dust settled, Giroux and Benn each got roughing minors, game to 4v4.

Just before they exited the box, Sean Couturier worked a perfect give-and-go with Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds found Couturier at the line, who then proceeded to give it right back to him for a chance close in on Bishop, who stood tall and made the tight, in-close save on Simmonds.

With 12:54 remaining in the period, after the Flyers had a poor breakout, Dallas struck. After Martin Hanzal stole the puck in center, winger Remi Elie tracked the puck down in the corner. He fed Gemel Smith beautifully with a pass through Flyers Travis Sanheim for a one-timer that beat Elliott. 1-0 Stars.

Remember that 1st minute? Well, here comes the physical play and penalties. Just over the halfway mark the Flyers got a power-play after Stars Antoine Roussel tripped up a Flyer.

However, just 30 seconds into the power-play, during an after whistle scrum, Sean Couturier was deemed the only penalty. Ending the Flyers power-play short.

But, just as the Stars were going to get a shortened power-play, Voracek was tripped in center. Flyers would get about a minute power-play after Couturier exited the box. However, nothing came from it and Dallas killed it off.

And to finish it all off? With 3:25 left in the 1st, Filppula was whistled for a weak tripping call on Stars Alexander Radulov. Dallas had great puck movement, but Elliott made timely saves and Flyers killed it off.

Period ends 1-0 Stars.

Scoring

12:47 Stars Gemel Smith Assisted by Remi Elie & Martin Hanzal.

Penalties

19:22 Stars Jamie Benn 2 mins Roughing

19:22 Flyers Claude Giroux 2 mins Roughing

8:30 Stars Antoine Roussel 2 mins Tripping

8:00 Flyers Sean Couturier 2 mins Roughing

6:47 Stars Devin Shore 2 mins Tripping

3:25 Flyers Valtteri Filppula 2 mins Tripping

Shots

Flyers – 9

Stars – 11

2nd Period Notes…

Flyers come out roaring. With the Stars coming in on a back-to-back, the 2nd period long change helped in the Flyers effort. It was long shift after long shift for the Dallas Stars. Flyers had all the pressure and you knew the goal was coming.

The Flyers would get an opportunity with 12:22 left in the 2nd because of a Dallas roughing minor. And, well it went pretty good for the Flyers. After missing on multiple close opportunities, the Flyers finally made Dallas pay.

Just after Wayne Simmonds was robbed by Ben Bishop, the Flyers made up for it on the next shift. After Jake Voracek missed a wide-open net, the puck rotated back around to him. He fired it just wide. However, with the theme of the holiday light show game, Shayne Gostisbehere came sliding in on his knees and fired it past Bishop for the goal. 1-1.

https://twitter.com/FlyersNation/status/942205534119194624

It would continue for the Flyers. The team controlled the period after that with chance after chance. But a real funny moment happened during that control. With a Dallas player holding the puck behind the net, Stars goalie Ben Bishop decided to have a little fun with the much smaller Flyer, Taylor Leier. Much smaller? Bishop is listed at 6’7″, Leier just 5’10”.

The 5'11" Taylor Leier tries to see over the 6'7" Ben Bishop. pic.twitter.com/eHbyJhRhDd

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) December 17, 2017

Then, just under 5 minutes remaining in the 2nd, Travis Konecny went in on a break-away. He fired it wide. However, he finally made a deke and didn’t just shoot the puck. Still 1-1.

Period ends 1-1.

Scoring

10:50 Flyers Shayne Gostisbehere Assisted by Jake Voracek & Claude Giroux

Penalties

12:22 Stars Tyler Pitlick 2 mins Roughing

Shots (Total)

Flyers – 10 (19)

Stars – 6 (17)

3rd Period Notes…

The Flyers came out roaring again to start the period. Dallas looked like they were struggling to get their legs after a hard fought first 2 periods.

And, the Flyers were rewarded right before 5 minutes into the 3rd. Dallas Gemel Smith was whistled for a hooking minor after Radko Gudas strong play behind the net. This Flyers power-play wasn’t like the last and Dallas killed it off easily.

But, the Flyers got another chance less than a minute after the penalty concluded. When trying to leave the zone, Flyers Ivan Provorov was clipped up high by the stick of Stars Alexander Radulov. Flyers back to the power-play. But, just like the last one, Dallas killed it off easily.

However, with under 8 minutes left in the 3rd, Travis Sanheim had a blunder that almost led to a Stars goal. For the second time tonight, Sanheim lost a puck in mid-air and couldn’t find it. When it landed, Stars Tyler Pitlick found it skated around Sanheim and went in on a break-away. He missed wide, but that almost costed the Flyers.

The period flew by after that. There was only 2 whistles over the final 6 minutes of the period. Flyers and Stars tied at 1 after the 3rd. Going to overtime.

Scoring

None

Penalties

15:01 Stars Gemel Smith 2 mins Hooking

11:25 Stars Alexander Radulov 2 mins High Sticking

Shots (Total)

Flyers – 7 (26)

Stars – 7 (24)

OT Notes…

The Flyers started with their usual trio of Giroux-Voracek-Gostisbehere. They had a great shift. However, it ended with Stars Tyler Seguin firing one off the crossbar. Still no goal.

But, with 1:32 left in OT, off a weird scramble, where the Wells Fargo Center crowd thought the Flyers were being penalized. It was actually the opposite as Stars Alexander Radulov got whistled for hooking.

And, if you know anything, power-plays in OT do not last long. Just 20 seconds later, the man that tied it for the Flyers ended it. Gostisbehere beat Bishop to end the game. Flyers win 2-1.