Umberger finally finds net in win over Sabres
PHILADELPHIA>> Having gained a reputation the past couple of seasons as a team that likes to help out the few down on their luck Eastern Conference colleagues that usually slot in behind them in the standings, the Flyers started leaning that kinder, gentler way again Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.
But it was a Flyer in need named R.J. Umberger who sparked a total turnaround, scoring his first goal in more than a year to start a four-goal uprising, as the Flyers won a game they were supposed to win at a crucial time, 5-1 over the Sabres at Wells Fargo Center.
With memories of a hurtful loss earlier in the season to low-brow Toronto, which was part of a three-game losing streak, the Flyers already were riding three losses in a row coming into this game and causing their latest standings slip. So this Buffalo outing was rather must-win, and the Flyers started out treating it the way they usually treat such games.
By letting the other little guys take the game to them.
So although this one took a while, the
So although this one took a while, the Flyers (24-20-9, 57 points), did fulfill their mandate to win, ending their skid and boosting themselves to within four points of Metropolitan Division mates Pittsburgh and New Jersey (61 points each) for the last wild card playoff spot.
It didn’t look like it would turn out that way in the first period. Despite a strong start by the Flyers, they proceeded to take three consecutive minor penalties that wound up giving the Sabres a bevy of shots and opportunities. It was to the credit of Steve Mason (41 saves in his sixth straight start) that none of them went in.
But then Umberger, who was coming off a five-game healthy benching and who had gone 50 games without a goal, got a perfect cross-ice feed from Sam Gagner and redirected it past goalie Robin Lehner 1:23 into the second period for a 1-0 lead.
That ignited his team. Michael Raffl went right around Buffalo’s Ryan O’ Reilly at the point and passed over to Brayden Schenn, who ripped one past Lehner at 2:11. Then at the 8:33mark, an odd deflection off Shayne Gostisbehere’s stick went right to Wayne Simmonds, who fired a shot that beat Lehner when it shouldn’t have and it was 3-0.
A delayed decision to award Gostisbehere an assist on the play gave him a 10game points streak, tying the club record set by then-rookie Mikael Renberg during the 1993-94 season.
The Flyers weren’t done in the period, either. Off a turnover, Nick Cousins found Raffl going down the left side, he broke in free and beat Lehner for 4-0.
The Sabres (21-28-6) finally got on the board 10:04 into the third period on a goal by Jamie McGinn. But just 29 seconds later, Cousins stripped away the puck and broke in alone, slapping it past Lehner for his first NHL goal.