Wayne Simmonds Scores Twice As Flyers Beat Panthers 3-2 In OT For Sixth Straight Win

Wayne Simmonds had two goals, and Jakub Voracek scored with 8.6 seconds left in overtime to propel the Philadelphia Flyers to their sixth consecutive victory, a 3-2 home win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

Wayne Simmonds Scores Twice As Flyers Beat Panthers 3-2 In OT

To score his OT goal, Voracek spun and beat goalie James Reimer from in close, after Flyers center Claude Giroux knocked the puck off defenseman Michael Matheson’s stick in front of the Panthers net.

This marks Philadelphia’s longest winning streak since it won seven straight from Dec. 2-15, 2011.

Steve Mason made 42 saves for the Flyers (15-10-3).

Jussi Jokinen and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers (12-11-4),  and Reimer made 22 saves.

Philadelphia was outshout 44-25, including 17-4 in the third period, and surrendered a one-goal lead when Jokinen scored with 4:46 remaining in the third to tie it 3-3.

“I think a month and a half ago, we [would have allowed] two, three goals in that third period, and we’re talking about something different now,” said Simmonds, who put the Flyers ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 10:08 of the second period. “But great goaltending, little bit of luck. It happened to go our way tonight.”

Simmonds also scored the Flyers’ first goal with 2:53 remaining in the first period, when his shot from just inside the blue line went off Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle’s stick and past Reimer.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have lost three in a row. Florida also fell to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in OT on Monday.

Mason, who was NHL First Star for the week ending Dec. 4, played another strong game. At 5:50 of the third period, he stopped a shot from Jokinen, and with 1:57 left in overtime, he aggressively came out to make a save on Aaron Ekblad.

“It was a game where you had to come up with big saves,” Mason said. “We spent a lot of time in our own end. I think it was good to come up with the two points, but I think we all know we have to be better.”

The Panthers went 1-3-2 on their season-high, six-game road trip, although coach Tom Rowe said he was pleased with the way they played.

“I told the guys after the game, as frustrating as it is and as mad as some of you might be, there’s too many positives to get down,” said Rowe, who took over for Gerard Gallant as interim coach just two weeks ago. Rowe also serves as general manager for the Panthers.

Barkov scored his fifth goal to give Florida a 1-0 lead at 15:40 of the opening period.

Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere made two nice plays to hold the puck in the Panthers zone to set up Simmonds’ second goal. He skated over to hold in a clearing attempt on the wall, then just barely prevented it from crossing over the blue line.

The Panthers next host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, when the Flyers will host the Edmonton Oilers.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 29: Wayne Simmonds #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers takes the puck in the second period against the Boston Bruins on November 29, 2016 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena