Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Tyson Foerster’s flurry of two goals in 45 seconds lifts Flyers past Senators, 4-2

Joel Farabee snapped a 14-game goal drought, and the Flyers made a bit of NHL history in the win.

Flyers right wing Tyson Foerster celebrates his second period penalty shot goal with his teammates against the Ottawa Senators on March 2.
Flyers right wing Tyson Foerster celebrates his second period penalty shot goal with his teammates against the Ottawa Senators on March 2.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Time is ticking down and the Flyers’ schedule is anything but an easy one.

Facing an Ottawa Senators team that is last in the Atlantic Division, this was a game circled as a must-win weeks ago. The red circle became even thicker after a losing effort Friday night in the nation’s capital — and it wasn’t a gimme at the Wells Fargo Center.

The visiting squad gave them fits at times, but the Flyers did what a team inside the playoff bubble should be doing — beat a team well below them in the standings with a 4-2 victory over the Senators.

» READ MORE: Ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline, the Flyers plan to stand firm on their asking price for players

Like Friday night, the Flyers jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Joel Farabee finally broke through and snapped a 14-game goal drought in the first period with a nifty deflection of a Nick Seeler point shot.

But, also like Friday night’s 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, the opposition made a push to start the second period. The Senators collected five shot attempts to the Flyers’ two before Vladimir Tarasenko tied things up 1-1 with a backhander short-side past Felix Sandström.

The Flyers’ lull lasted a bit before they started to turn it up and match the Senators’ intensity. But it took till the last minute of the middle frame for the Orange and Black — er, Tyson Foerster — to break through.

With 47 seconds left, Scott Laughton won an offensive-zone faceoff and Foerster settled the bouncing puck, before snapping the puck past a crouched Mads Søgaard. Forty-five seconds later, Foerster broke in and was hooked by Shane Pinto as he drove to the net. Awarded a penalty shot, Foerster capitalized on the opportunity, scoring low glove side to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead and make some history. It marked the fifth penalty shot for the Flyers this season — the most in a single season by any NHL team.

» READ MORE: Q&A: Danny Brière on the Flyers’ young stars, working with John Tortorella, and more

The Flyers almost gave it all away thanks to undisciplined play in the third period. Sandström played well in the game and made 24 saves, including a big-time stop on a Jake Sanderson one-timer during a four-minute minor to Cam York for high-sticking.

Thomas Chabot did cut it to one, knocking in the puck after Dominik Kubalik whiffed on a shot in the slot during a six-on-five with 1 minute, 58 seconds left. But after some pressure from the Senators, the Flyers got the puck out and York scored an empty-netter with 1 second remaining.

Breakaways

Foerster, Laughton, Morgan Frost, Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny have each scored a penalty shot this season. ... Olle Lycksell and Ronnie Attard were each a healthy scratch. Attard has yet to play a game since being recalled on Thursday from Lehigh Valley. ... Bobby Brink played on a line with Nic Desluariers and Couturier. ... Cam Atkinson returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games.

Up next

Monday night brings the return of Kevin Hayes to Philly. The Flyers host the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. on NBCSP.