Claude Giroux scored twice within 22 seconds late in the third period to force overtime. Then he led the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
The Devils, now winless in 10 consecutive games, did manage to earn a point for the first time in that stretch, bringing their total to five points since March 28.
Giroux and Sean Couturier both found the net in regulation for the Flyers, while Brian Elliott made 29 saves. Michael McLeod, Miles Wood, and Pavel Zacha scored for New Jersey, with Mackenzie Blackwood stopping 33 shots.
Giroux’s late-game heroics began with the Flyers trailing by two goals and under 90 seconds remaining. After a James van Riemsdyk pass, Giroux scored his 12th season goal at 18:34, cutting the Devils’ lead to 3-2. Just 22 seconds later, the same duo connected again, this time from the opposite side, as Giroux beat Blackwood on the glove side to tie the game.
“He’s one of the most competitive human beings out there,” said Couturier. “Everything he does, he wants to win. That’s what makes him a great leader and a great captain.”
Giroux’s performance also saw him surpass Brian Propp for third place on the Flyers’ all-time points list, now sitting at 850, behind only Hall of Famers Bobby Clarke (1,210 points) and Bill Barber (883).
The Devils had opportunities to clear the puck on both of Giroux’s goals but could not do so.
“When you’re up two goals in the last two minutes, you have to find a way to close it out,” said Devils winger Nathan Bastian.
New Jersey started the game strong, capitalizing on the Flyers’ defensive lapses. McLeod scored 4:56 into the first period, converting on an odd-man rush with a pass from Bastian.
The Flyers equalized when Couturier tipped a Phillipe Myers shot past Blackwood for his 14th goal of the season.
Midway through the second period, Bastian, while falling to the ice and surrounded by two Flyers defenders, managed to pass to Wood, who scored his 16th goal into an open net. Zacha later added what seemed to be a crucial insurance goal, his 11th of the season, after receiving a backhand pass from Jesper Bratt.
In overtime, New Jersey had a 4-on-3 power play but could only muster one shot against Elliott.
The shootout extended to six rounds before Kevin Hayes secured the win for the Flyers with a backhand that slid past Blackwood. Elliott preserved the victory by just getting enough glove on Nico Hischier’s shot to keep it out of the net.
“We keep saying we’re heading in the right direction,” Bastian noted. “People notice once the scoreboard starts to tilt. We had the lead and felt comfortable, but it all fell apart at the end.”
INJURY REPORT
- Devils: Janne Kuokkanen returned to the top line after missing Saturday’s game with a hand injury. Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler missed his second consecutive game due to COVID-19 protocols.
- Flyers: Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will be out for 7-10 days with a minor MCL strain, and Carter Hart missed his fifth game with a knee sprain.
UP NEXT
- The teams will meet again on Tuesday, this time in New Jersey.
