Wayne Simmonds Scores In OT, Flyers Beat Ducks 3-2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Wayne Simmonds scored 44 seconds into overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.
The puck ricocheted off Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano skate and directly to the open Simmonds. He quickly gained control and snapped a shot past goalie John Gibson for the Flyers' second victory in three games.
One second after Anaheim successfully killed the first penalty of the game, Philadelphia's Ivan Provorov beat Gibson stick-side to give the Flyers the early lead. Assisting on the goal and earning his first NHL point was Nolan Patrick, the second-overall pick this summer.
Antoine Vermette, who was exiting the penalty box when the Flyers scored, redeemed himself minutes later. Ondrej Kase's cross-crease pass connected with Vermette for the one-timer, beating Brian Elliott.
The Ducks did not record a shot on goal for nearly fourteen minutes.
The Flyers were equally unremarkable until late in the period when Jakub Voracek wrestled his way toward the Anaheim crease with Ducks draped all over him. The Philadelphia forward sent a beautiful backhand pass to Sean Couturier. All alone in front of Gibson, Couturier slammed home the puck to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead going into the second intermission.
The Ducks were forced to kill their fifth penalty when Vermette was taken off for slashing. Smooth-skating Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler picked off a puck at the blue line and skated in on a breakaway, sending the puck past Elliott to once again tie it.
NOTES: Ducks F Nick Ritchie is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and Ryan Getzlaf missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. Ritchie and Getzlaf join Hampus Lindholm, Ryan Miller, Ryan Kesler, Sami Vatanen, and Patrick Eaves already on the sideline to start the year. ... Undrafted free-agent signing F Giovanni Fiore made his NHL debut for the Ducks.
UP NEXT
Flyers: At Nashville on Tuesday night.
Ducks: Host Calgary on Monday night.
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