BOX SCORE
WINNIPEG, ManitobaIt was as improbable a victory as you could imagine.
The Flyers had already given up three power-play goals (again), lost a lead (again) and fired more than 50 shots on Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec.
And they were losing.
As the seconds ticked away, it looked like they were going to slip into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conferenceuntil Wayne Simmonds scored with 9.7 ticks left in regulation to rescue the Flyers for overtime where Jaromir Jagr won it, 5-4, at MTS Centre.
A remarkable, stunning turnaround to open a four-game road trip.
We were just resilient tonight, Simmonds said.
NHL
No matter how many goals the Flyers yield, it has the ability to get one moreso long as its not a shootout.
We played three forwards on the ice in overtime and if this doesnt work, lets play four forwards, Jagr kidded.
His game-winner came at 4:16 and set a new NHL record16 overtime winners.
You got to play 60 minutes, you never know, Jagr said. You look around, a lot of games this year, scoring goals in the last seconds. You dont give up until its over.
Three times during the month of February now the Flyers penalty-kill units have given up triples on the opponents power play.
This time, they got away with it.
As far as the attack goes, I really liked our game, coach Peter Laviolette said. Im really proud our guys kept coming, kept pumping.
It was one of those gutsy efforts you look back on. It might have been one of our best, toughest wins of the year. Keep fighting and keep pushing to get the two points.
They fired 55 shots on Pavelec. Thats how much the Flyers wanted it.
That one good save he had, otherwise I dont think he played good, Jagr laughed.
Pavelec robbed Jakub Voracek as his backhander on a power play was literally in the air going into the net by diving across the crease and snaring it out of the air with his glove hand.
That was unreal, Simmonds said.
Evander Kane broke a 3-3 deadlock at 4:57 of the third period with the Jets third power-play marker. It was a 42-foot wrister that goalie Ilya Bryzgalov fanned at with his glove hand.
It looked grim right there.
Just a stupid mistake, Bryzgalov said. I started catching the puck and I miscalculated the distance between the puck and my glove, and it hit me on the edge of the glove and went in.
Im kind of sick and tired of these mistakes. Its not like playing bad, its just consistently stupid mistakes. I want to help the team.
He did. Bryzgalov had a clutch pad stop on Andrew Ladds attempt for a hat trick in overtime off a partial breakaway that could have ended the game right there.
Laviolette continued to mix up his lines in this one, while Jagr continued to skate with Danny Briere and Matt Read.
It was Brieres assist that set up Jagrs game-winner.
I honestly dont even remember what happened, Briere said. The puck was laying there on one of the defensemans sticks and I lifted it.
We got into a battle and somehow I was able to break free and Jaromir was in the hole crease area, and when I hit him there, hes going to hit it most of the time. It was a good feeling to start this road trip.
This was the Flyers only win in four games against Winnipeg this season. It was competitive the entire way, except that the Flyers failed again on the penalty kill.
Winnipegs only goal in the opening period came on the power play and it was totally Max Talbots fault.
He didnt like the stick he got from Jim Slater, insisting on trying to provoke the Jets forward by following him down the ice and twice smacking him across the back with his stick.
The second smack drew a penalty and then Dustin Byfuglien ripped a shot from the left point that somehow beat Bryzgalov to the short side. Either that or it might have deflected off Sean Couturier at 12:31.
Funny thing is, before the game Laviolette said he warned his penalty killers about being aware of Big Buffs point shot.
Claude Girouxs 23rd goal tied it a few minutes later on a pass from Scott Hartnell by merely lifting a backhander high into the open side of net.
It was Girouxs first goal in four games. Hartnell threaded the puck across the slot.
He'll tell you he saw me back door, Giroux said. There's no way he saw me ... It's always good to get the goal back after trailing.
Hartnell came into the game tied with Pittsburghs Jame Neal with 13 power-play goals. Well, the Flyers winger temporarily took over the NHL lead in that department with a power-play rebound just 1:08 into the second period to give the Flyers their first lead at 2-1.
Hartnell leads the Flyers with 28 goals.
Again, however, whatever momentum was gained quickly disappeared as Ladd scored twice just 1:04 apart to give the Jets a 3-2 lead.
He buried a quick pass from Blake Wheeler behind the net for a second power-play goal at 7:52, then scored even strength from close to the same distance as Bryzgalov went down too quickly, while his forwards werent around to help out, either.
As bad as that went for the Flyers, Talbot avenged his earlier mistake with an equalizer at 11:14 on a rebound to make it 3-3 going into the third period.
Thats 17 goals for the best-dressed Flyer, who has four markers in as many games.
Well, a couple of minutes earlier I missed a chance with an open net shot, Talbot said. The puck hit the post. I skated back to the bench and Wayne Simmonds told me 'Max,
just relax, you'll be fine. You'll get another chance.'
And like he said, a couple of shifts later I got the same type of shot and I didn't want to miss my chance again.
In the third period, the Flyers had 18 shots on Pavelec and six in overtime as they tried to avoid a shootout.
Everyone was going to the net, we were trying everything to get the puck past him, Simmonds said.
James van Riemsdyk assisted on Simmonds goal that sent the game past regulation.
You got to find ways to win games and we were resilient, JVR said. We kept going no matter what the bounces out there. It was great for us to get that win.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net.