Brian Elliott was the main dish ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday as the Flyers beat the Blue Jackets by a 3-2 final from below-average Columbus on Wednesday night.
Claude Giroux, Tyler Pitlick, and Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers, who registered their first regulation win in the Buckeye state since Robert Esche was manning the pipes and Jeff Carter was ripping them high and (probably) wide.
Best chance of the early going went to the Blue Jackets, who somehow couldn’t solve Brian Elliott after hemming the Flyers deep in their own zone. Robert Hagg appeared to make a save on what was a sure goal for Columbus as the defender stepped in to help out his goalie.
Cool play as Pierre-Luc Dubois took a cheap shot on Joel Farabee from behind but wasn’t penalized as we crossed the four-minute mark. Ah, yes, player safety!
Farabee shoved from behind as he’s heading off for a change pic.twitter.com/Q2xD2phQyM
— Brandon Murphy (@2Murphy8) November 28, 2019
Of course the Blue Jackets would score directly after the Flyers weren’t awarded a penalty for that crap and Nick Foligno beat Elliott to make it 1-0 Lumbus. Cool using a cannon guys, since they haven’t been relevant in hundreds of years.
The Flyers couldn’t capitalize on any of their three power plays in the first, and none of them were particularly that dangerous. Actually that’s being too nice, they were all an unmitigated disaster.
But the best part is none of that mattered as Tyler Pitlick evened things up with a dandy of a goal on his backhand with 1:22 left in the first. Pitlick looked more like a goal scorer than, well, Tyler Pitlick on the play and it was sure a big one after the Flyers lost all that momentum with their awful power play.
Pitlick strikes! pic.twitter.com/FkTS4VtkiB
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2019
But Seth Jones decided that he really, really wanted the Blue Jackets to take a lead to intermission and he beat Elliott with 35 seconds left to give them a 2-1 lead at the first break.
Right from the jump in the second the Flyers would be back on the power play with their fourth chance. Fourth time wasn’t the charm, another empty power play on the road in a tight game.
Power plays be damned, the Flyers got even at 5-on-5 again, this time with Scott Laughton grabbing his first goal of the season off a nice feed from Joel Farabee. Kevin Hayes started the play behind the cage and Laughton finished off the nice passing sequence.
Hayes ➡️ Farabee ➡️ Laughton 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WD4ZbgVXKN
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2019
So Brian Elliott really just wanted to do hood rat shit with his friends, apparently.
“The Moose is loose” indeed, JJ. pic.twitter.com/0HWG6f5efs
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2019
After enjoying the game’s first 15 power plays, the Flyers got caught as Pitlick ran over a dude near center ice with 8:44 left in the second.
But for some reason the Flyers kept drawing penalties, with Morgan Frost going down and yet another power play on the docket.
This one would finally be the breakthrough as Claude Giroux fired one home to give the Flyers their first lead of the game at 3-2. Giroux used a screen in front and didn’t miss as the Flyers struck on their sixth power play of the game.
The captain! pic.twitter.com/F6hOuEi15y
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2019
After seizing the lead last in the second they’d try their best to surrender it in the first half of the third as Elliott was under siege. The veteran held down the fort, calmly staying IN his crease and making the saves.
The best chance for a tying goal came as Elliott had the puck loose between his legs but fought to keep it out as the Blue Jackets came that close, but it remained 3-2 with just over six minutes left.
THE MOOSE IS LOOSE. #PHIvsCBJ | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/f4ja9Z7nfs
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 28, 2019
Though the Flyers were determined to try and force overtime (yeah, they were in the lead), Elliott wouldn’t let them. Just clutch save after clutch save from the BAMF.
Elliott’s fine work would hold up as the Flyers held on for the 3-2 win for their first regulation win in Columbus since 2005. That’s wild.
Three stars
1. Brian Elliott
Epic performance from the Moose in there, stopping 28 of 30 shots and many of them difficult down the stretch to secure two huge points.
2. Brian Elliott
Just confirming that the Moose was indeed: loose.
3. Claude Giroux
Game-winning goal for the captain, no big deal to him though as he was cool as a cucumber postgame. Maybe let the man work from the left side on the power play all the time from now on?
GIF of the night
SKATE SAVE. pic.twitter.com/2DZ4F8E2aU
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) November 28, 2019
That’ll do, Moose. That’ll do.
