Elias rallies Devils to OT win in Philly

December 4, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

On a night where the Devils received good news before the game with the return of both Brian Rolston and John Madden from injury, they picked up their most encouraging win of the season in Philadelphia, rallying from a late 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 in OT with Patrik Elias producing both the tying and game-winning goals. 

Elias’s overtime goal was the fifteenth of his career, tying him with Jaromir Jagr and Mats Sundin for the most in NHL history – and since neither is playing this year the odds are good Elias will eventually hold the record by himself.

Both teams slogged through a nondescript first period, but the Flyers’ deadly power play would open the scoring at 6:48 of the second when Kimmo Timonen‘s slapshot found its way through traffic in front and past Scott Clemmensen to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead.  Ironically mistakes by both the returning players contributed to the goal, as Rolston took the initial penalty and Madden got caught up ice after an ill-advised turnover.

Philly held their 1-0 lead until late in the period when Zach Parise‘s effort created a goal.  He fired one shot that was saved by Martin Biron, circled the net and shot from the other side, collected the rebound after being stopped a second time and fired it into an open net after Biron got tangled in traffic in front, giving Parise his fourteenth goal of the season.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Devil-Flyer game without fights - and David Clarkson was in the middle of both, scrapping with ex-teammate Aaron Asham in the first period and nearly wrenching his knee in the process, then faring better in a second fight later on, this time with Andrew Alberts.

For most of the third period, the action was quiet and tense until the Flyers suddenly brought the home crowd to life with another power play goal – this one by Scottie Upshall when his pass out front was accidentally deflected in by Bryce Salvador.  With under five minutes remaining Upshall’s goal could have been a death knell, but it wasn’t – thanks to a little help from Biron.  The Flyer goaltender tried to play the puck behind the net but threw it right to Brian Gionta, whose pass to a streaking Elias was one-timed home with a minute and a half to go, tying the game again.

After such a scintillating finish to regulation Elias one-upped himself midway through the overtime, skating through and around the Flyers defense and beating Biron with a sweet backhander for his tenth goal of the season, giving the Devils a huge overtime win that not only upped their record to 13-8-2 (and 3-1 so far on this five-game road trip) but perhaps now gives the team confidence to play with the big boys.  They’ll need every bit of that confidence on Saturday against a Montreal team that whipped the Rangers 6-2 tonight and is definitely one of the best teams in the East.   

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Patrik Elias (2 Goals, +1, GWG)
2. Zach Parise (Goal, Assist, +2)
3. Scott Clemmensen (29 Saves)