Skip to content
Flyers
Link copied to clipboard

Flyers win 9th straight on Schenn's goal in OT

DETROIT - Rookie goalie Anthony Stolarz, who started the Flyers' winning streak in his NHL debut last month, extended the victory string to nine games with an outstanding performance Sunday night in Detroit.

DETROIT - Rookie goalie Anthony Stolarz, who started the Flyers' winning streak in his NHL debut last month, extended the victory string to nine games with an outstanding performance Sunday night in Detroit.

In what was probably their last game at Joe Louis Arena, the Flyers defeated the Red Wings in overtime, 1-0, as Stolarz recorded his first career shutout and Brayden Schenn scored the game-winner after a nice setup by Ivan Provorov and Wayne Simmonds.

Stolarz, a 22-year-old New Jersey native, stopped 28 shots and showed uncanny composure for a player making his second NHL start - and playing in his second game, at any level, in the last month.

"He made some pretty great saves," captain Claude Giroux said after the Flyers improved their record to an admirable 6-1-1 in the second half of back-to-back games. "Obviously, he was our best player out there tonight."

Schenn, who had a hat trick Saturday, scored on a backhander from out front with 2 minutes, 16 seconds left in a Flyers-dominated overtime.

The Flyers' nine-game winning streak - the longest by any NHL team this season - is their longest since 1995, when Eric Lindros led the way. They haven't won 10 straight since 1985. The Flyers next face Colorado on Wednesday in Denver.

"I'm really happy to keep this win streak going," said Stolarz, who made four stops on Dylan Larkin, including two early in the third period while Detroit was on one of its five power plays. "I wanted to keep things rolling."

"We've done this streak in a tough schedule, too," said Schenn, whose team played its 12th game in the last 20 days. "We're playing a lot of hockey and lots of back-to-backs. It's good to keep 'er going."

It was just the Flyers' fourth win in Detroit in the last 28 years.

Jimmy Howard (35 saves) stopped Pierre-Edouard Bellemare from the doorstep with 3:07 to go in overtime after a great setup by Travis Konecny, who stole the puck and weaved past a defender.

With the game scoreless, Detroit scored on a scramble in front with 17:19 left in the third period. But the goal was waved off because it was ruled that Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas knocked the net off its moorings before the goal was scored.

Gudas was incorrectly given a delay-of-game penalty; replays showed he was pushed into the net by the Red Wings' Luke Glendening.

The Flyers killed the penalty and another one (Simmonds, delay of game) a short time later. They went 5 for 5 on the night and are on a 16-for-17 penalty-killing streak.

With 11:57 to go in regulation, the Flyers got a power play after Xavier Ouellet pounded Michael Raffl in a fight and was given an extra two minutes for instigation. But Howard made three saves on the power play, keeping the hard-fought game scoreless.

Stolarz stopped all 16 shots he faced in the first two periods as the teams were locked in a scoreless tie.

"Real sound, solid performance from start to finish," coach Dave Hakstol said.

Steve Mason rested Sunday after starting 13 of the previous 14 games.

Hakstol said it was a "good day for Mase to have a day off, and also Stolie did a good job in his first start [last month] and he's done a great job in practice. As we go through this busy stretch, this is a game we looked at, depending on circumstances, to get Stolie to start."

Stolarz allowed a pair of shorthanded goals but was solid in his debut, a 5-3 win over Calgary on Nov. 27. He made 29 saves in that victory.

The Flyers registered their first nine-game winning streak since late in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season. They won eight straight that season in March, then put together a nine-game streak in April.

Lindros, Mikael Renberg, John LeClair, Rod Brind'Amour, and Eric Desjardins were the leaders on that team, which had Ron Hextall and Dominic Roussel as its goalies and lost to New Jersey in the Eastern Conference finals.

"I couldn't have drawn it up any better," Stolarz said of a streak-extending win and his first career shutout in a fabled arena that is in its final season. "When you're a kid dreaming of playing in the NHL, this is something you can't even put into words. I'm excited, but even more excited to keep the win streak going."

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull