Tyson Foerster nets first career hat trick as Flyers win goal-fest vs. Rangers, 8-5
The Flyers are now 4-1-0 under interim coach Brad Shaw.
After going an entire month without a regulation win, losing 11 of 12 games to fall out of playoff contention, and seeing John Tortorella fired on March 27, the Flyers could have easily mailed it in for the final nine games of the season.
To this team’s credit, it has done the complete opposite, as the Flyers continued their recent uptick under interim boss Brad Shaw, rallying from a sluggish first period Wednesday night to defeat the New York Rangers 8-5 in a goal-fest at Madison Square Garden.
Tyson Foerster notched his first career hat trick in a game that saw the two teams combine for nine goals in a wild third period.
Eat your hearts out tankathoners, the rejuvenated Flyers are now 4-1-0 under Shaw.
With Aleksei Kolosov, who was making his first start since Jan. 2, the main story ahead of puck drop, the Flyers did the young netminder no favors early on. Mika Zibanejad was awarded a penalty shot just 1 minute, 15 seconds into the first period after he was slashed on a breakaway by Cam York. Thankfully for Kolosov, who had not faced a live NHL shot in 97 days, Zibanejad missed wide.
After sloppy play at both ends, the Rangers got another breakaway 10 minutes later, and this time they converted. With the Flyers on the power play, a mishandle on the boards by newcomer Karsen Dorwart led to Zibanejad springing Vincent Trocheck for a shorthanded breakaway. Trocheck got Kolosov to bite on a deliberate head-fake and roofed a backhand to make it 1-0 Blueshirts.
The Flyers drew even midway through the second period via Foerster’s first of the night and 20th of the season. After a nice keep-in at the right point, Noah Cates picked out a wide-open Foerster, who beat New York goaltender Jonathan Quick clean with a well-placed wrist shot. Garnet Hathaway soon made it 2-1 Flyers with a shorthanded goal that trickled through the legs of Quick.
The Rangers tied things up on an Artemi Panarin goal at the 18:32 mark of the second and set up a seesaw third period between two teams cheating for offense with a few meaningless games left on the schedule.
» READ MORE: Brad Shaw and the Flyers are focused on doing ‘the right things’ as they play out the string
Travis Sanheim, who finished with a plus-four rating, gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead 3:05 into the final period after following his pass and pouncing on a rebound from a Cates chance. The lead didn’t last though, as Jonny Brodzinski beat Kolosov on a bad-angle shot from the left boards. Kolosov has struggled positionally on these types of shots through traffic all season.
A minute and 23 seconds later, Kolosov allowed another questionable goal, as J.T. Miller fired a one-timer past the Belarusian netminder from distance. While it wasn’t as bad as the previous goal, Kolosov looked to be in position in time.
But the Flyers would not go quietly. Jakob Pelletier scored a minute later to make it 4-4 before captain Sean Couturier put the Flyers ahead for good with about eight minutes to play after Quick surrendered a juicy rebound from a Matvei Michkov point shot.
Foerster gave the Flyers breathing room at 6-4 with his career-high 21st goal at 15:33 of the third, and after Chris Kreider got the Rangers back within one momentarily, Foerster capped his hat trick with an empty-netter from center ice.
The Flyers added an eighth with Owen Tippett amazingly going bar down on the empty net from inside his own blue line. The Flyers have now scored 25 goals in five games since Shaw took over.
In earning his first NHL win since Dec. 12, Kolosov surrendered five goals on 29 shots. Whether he will get another start before the end of the season is unclear.
The Flyers, who currently own the league’s fifth-worst record with four games remaining, will return home Saturday to host the New York Islanders (12:30 p.m., NBCSP).