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Sanheim sinks Bruins in OT, Flyers extend winning streak to six games

Posted on by Mike Dusak

The Flyers are officially: hot, hot, hot.

Travis Sanheim scored the game-winning goal in overtime and Carter Hart made 23 saves as the Flyers extended their winning streak to six games with a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins at TD Garden on Thursday night.

Claude Giroux and Oskar Lindblom also scored for the Flyers, who scored twice on the power play despite missing the injured Shayne Gostisbehere for a third-straight game.

PUCK DROP

Boston would grab the game’s first scoring chance and power play after David Pastrnak undressed Claude Giroux 1:27 into the game. Pastrnak dangled around Giroux but couldn’t get much a shot off on Carter Hart while falling to the ice.

The Bruins’ second-ranked power play wouldn’t need long to take advantage, with Pastrnak firing home a one-timer off a perfect feed from Torey Krug just 3:05 into the game to make it 1-0 Boston. After missing on a similar seem pass earlier in the sequence, Pastrnak didn’t miss this one after Krug put it on a tee for him.

Hart would respond after Boston’s opening goal, robbing Joakim Nordstrom on a bang-bang play in front after a Flyers turnover in the neutral zone. Turning the puck over early was a theme for the Flyers, and a dangerous game to play against the Bruins.

The first 10 minutes featured the ice clearly tilted towards the Flyers zone, as they were held more than six minutes between shots as the Bruins had the jump early. Ivan Provorov would end the long drought with an offensive foray down the left wing, but Tuukka Rask fought off a rising wrist shot.

Brandon Carlo nearly extended the Bruins’ lead with 2:56 left in the period, but his point blast found iron behind Hart. It was an important post for the Flyers, who survived being badly outplayed early and then saw the period fall into a disjointed natural zone battle with little setup chances for either club.

But lightning would strike for the Flyers late in the period with the captain getting the boys going. Giroux got loose behind the Bruins defense and buried a snap shot past Rask with 43 seconds left to even things up at 1-1. Jake Voracek provided the lead pass and Giroux did the rest, ending a modest two-game scoring skid in the process.

AFTER 20: Flyers 1, Bruins 1

The Flyers brought considerably more jam to start the second, getting a pair of chances from Oskar Lindblom in the first minute as he tried to jam one past Rask to no avail.

But despite the early flurry from the Flyers, it would be Boston to break the tie, getting a superb deflection from Pastrnak to make it 2-1 Bruins. Pastrnak’s second of the night came 5:11 into the period as he bested Robert Hagg in front of Hart, who again didn’t have much of a shot at this one.

Travis Konecny nearly had an answer for Pastrnak’s go-ahead goal, but Rask was able to deny the chance after a nice entry and setup from Giroux at the 11:45 mark of the period. The Flyers’ reworked top line with Giroux at center has been quite effective since being put together.

There was a scary moment for Travis Sanheim with 9:15 left in the period after he got hit up high by a point shot from Kevan Miller. The shot felled Sanheim and appeared to get him in the neck area, though he would stay on the bench and not miss a shift.

Still trailing, Hart would come up with a dandy save on Patrice Bergeron with 7:19 left to keep the Flyers’ deficit at one. Down the other end the Flyers would nearly tie things back up with a Wayne Simmonds attempt, but again Rask was able to survive the push.

A pair of near misses for both clubs came with just under four minutes left in the frame, with Pastrnak denied a third by the post and a Nolan Patrick redirect turned aside by Rask in a wild sequence.

That sequence would spark things late in the period, fist with Rakdo Gudas ringing one off the post behind Rask at one end and then Hart making a fine glove save at the other on a Charlie McAvoy blast.

AFTER 40: Bruins 2, Flyers 1

The start of the third was tight checking through the neutral zone as the Bruins tried to clamp down on their one-goal lead and the Flyers desperate to draw even. In the middle of the muck there was a beautiful burst from Konecny down the right wing, making the Bruins defense look pretty bad in the process.

But the Konecny show didn’t produce a chance, and those were hard to come by early on, but a huge chance would await one of the most consistent Flyers in the game.

With 13:18 left Scott Laughton was awarded a penalty shot after John Moore hooked him on a breakaway. But Rask got the better of Laughton on the penalty shot, turning aside the straight shot all the way from the Flyers forward.

A couple minutes later the Flyers would be earn their first power play of the night with Sean Kuraly off for holding the stick with 11:14 left in the game. Sean Couturier drew the penalty amid a quiet night as the Bruins took advantage of the last change to get the Flyers’ shutdown center away from the Pastrnak line.

The power play would prove fruitful, evening things up at 2-2 off a subtle deflection from Oskar Lindblom in front. It’s the seventh of the season for Lindblom with Voracek and Sanheim picking up the helpers as a new hockey game begins with 9:24 left.

Bidding for a go-ahead goal under four minutes left, Hart would come up large again with stellar saves on Pastrnak and then a follow-up chance by Patrice Bergeron to keep things tied up. Moments later a waning empty net befuddled Danton Heinen, who I’m told is a real person.

That would be all the scoring for regulation as neither team was able to break the 2-2 tie after 60 minutes.

OVERTIME

Giroux had a great chance on a 2-on-1 to start overtime, but Rask made the save as Giroux drifted towards the middle looking shot all the way. On the ensuing shift Travis Konecny would be tripped up by Brad Marchand to give the Flyers a power play with 4:03 left.

Jake Voracek nearly ended things but Rask sprawled out to make a desperation save with less than a minute left on the power play. A follow-up chance was corralled by Rask and covered.

But with just seconds left on the power play, Travis Sanheim would rotate to the point and fire a wrist shot past Rask to give the Flyers the game winner by a final of 3-2. Simmonds was parked in front to provide the distraction as the Flyers earned their sixth-straight win.

FINAL: Flyers 3, Bruins 2

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