Schenn's hat trick carries Flyers past Flames
The puck wasn't glued to Brayden Schenn's stick Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. It just seemed that way.
The puck wasn't glued to Brayden Schenn's stick Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
It just seemed that way.
Schenn collected the first hat trick of his career and Claude Giroux recorded four assists as the Flyers defeated the Calgary Flames, 5-3.
Calgary made it interesting as Micheal Ferland and Michael Frolik scored 50 seconds apart to cut the deficit to 4-3 midway through the third period. Michal Neuvirth got a piece of Frolik's shot, but it still got through.
"It got a little scary in the third. . . . We let our foot off the gas, but it's nice to come out with the two points tonight," Schenn said.
But Wayne Simmonds iced it with his 23rd goal, an empty-netter, with 36.1 seconds to go.
It was the Flyers' first hat trick since Vinny Lecavalier's on Oct. 26, 2013 against the host Islanders, and it was the team's first home hat trick since Scott Hartnell had one in 2012.
The outburst gave Schenn 21 goals, a career high, and he fired nine shots (all in the first two periods), also a personal best.
"I've always believed in myself," Schenn said. "I know it's a bit slower development than maybe some people thought, but I keep chipping away and try to get better."
Giroux assisted on each of Schenn's goals.
"He's getting open, and that makes our job a lot easier," Giroux said after the Flyers improved to 3-0 on a six-game homestand that resumes Thursday against Connor McDavid and Edmonton.
The Flyers remained three points behind Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot. The Flyers have 20 games remaining, one fewer than the Penguins. The bitter rivals still have three games against each other.
Schenn's 21st goal - and seventh in his last 10 games - gave the Flyers a 4-1 lead with 1 minute, 29 seconds left in the second period. The 24-year-old left winger, playing on the top line because of an injury to Jake Voracek, redirected Mark Streit's right-circle pass past Jonas Hiller, triggering hundreds of hats to be heaved onto the ice.
As Schenn skated by the bench, teammate Simmonds gave him a bear hug.
Andrew MacDonald's point drive deflected off Schenn's skate for his second goal of the night, putting the Flyers ahead, 3-1, with 4:33 remaining in the second. Giroux collected his third assist of the game.
About 11 minutes earlier, Simmonds was the benefactor of Giroux's second assist, a pass from behind the goal line. Simmonds scored a power-play goal by putting a wrist shot over Jonas Hiller's glove with 15:13 to go in the second to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
"We did a good job of forechecking and getting the puck back," Giroux said.
Schenn had tied the score at 1-1 with 7:35 left in the opening period. Getting position in front, Schenn took a feed from Giroux and beat Hiller with a shot that hit the left post and caromed into the net.
That goal was scored a couple of minutes after Schenn thought he had deposited an earlier goal, but the no-goal call on the ice stood after a video review.
"It's one of those tough ones where there was no white ice under the puck," said Schenn, who has 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in the 24 games since his brother, Luke, was traded to Los Angeles. "It was hard to tell. The puck was kind of caught in [Hiller's] jersey or glove, but it was nice to get rewarded on the same shift with a goal."
Calgary, which traded defenseman Kris Russell and right winger David Jones in separate deals earlier in the day as it continued to reshape its roster, had taken a 1-0 lead on Sean Monahan's 20th goal of the season. Monahan scored on the power play, one-timing a slick feed from South Jersey's Johnny Gaudreau with 13:53 remaining in the first. The assist gave "Johnny Hockey" points in eight straight games.
The Flyers, who concluded an 8-4-3 February, stood pat at the trade deadline.
"We like our team and we knew management likes our team, too, so making changes wasn't really necessary," Giroux said.
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