Flyers cough one up to Sabres
PHILADELPHIA » Rasmus Asplund and Jeff Skinner scored 25 seconds apart late in the third period to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.
Arttu Ruotsalainen, Sam Reinhart and Casey Mittelstadt also scored for the Sabres, who improved their NHL-worst record to 10-25-6.
Buffalo appeared headed for another defeat before a late rally. Skinner tied the game at 3 with 3:03 remaining. Flyers goalie Carter Hart couldn’t corral Victor Olofsson’s shot from long range, and the puck went off Skinner’s skate and over the goal line as he crashed the net. The goal was upheld after an officials’ review.
“You need big plays at big moments,” Skinner said. “It’s a good feeling when everyone chips in like that.”
Asplund scored the goahead goal just seconds later when he scored on a rebound with a backhand from close range.
Middlestadt’s emptynetter capped the scoring.
Linus Ullmark made 40 saves for Buffalo. The Sabres have won four of seven since snapping an 18-game skid with a 6-1 home victory over the Flyers on March 31.
“We’re just starting to realize how we need to play,” Buffalo’s Kyle Okposo said. “And everybody is getting on the same page in the new system (interim coach) Don (Granato) wants us to play.”
Oskar Lindblom, Shayne Gostisbehere and Joel Farabee
scored for the Flyers, whose playoff chances took a hit. Philadelphia entered four points behind Boston for the final playoff spot in the East Division. The Flyers skated to a 3-2 home victory over the Bruins on Saturday.
“It’s hard to explain,” Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault said. “We had that game in total control. We just blew it. It’s a tough one to take.”
Gostisbehere put Philadelphia ahead 3-2 at 3:47 of the third period. Farabee won a battle in the corner, found a wide-open Gostisbehere in the slot and the Flyers defenseman fired a wrist shot between Ullmark’s pads. It was the eighth goal of the season and third in four games for Gostisbehere, who wasn’t claimed by any NHL team when the Flyers placed him on waivers last month.
That looked like the potential game-winner until the late collapse.
“Letting them score two goals like that, that just can’t happen,” Flyers’ Claude Giroux said. “It’s very frustrating, especially the position we are in the standings. That just can’t happen.”
Hart made 26 saves and dropped to 8-11-5 to stretch his winless streak to seven straight. His most recent victory was March 18.
Lindblom and Farabee staked Philadelphia to a 2-0 lead after one period.
Lindblom opened the scoring with 8:24 left in the period when Gostisbehere’s pass went off Lindblom’s stick and into the pads of Ullmark. As Ullmark was trying to corral the puck, he accidentally knocked it into the goal with his left pad.