Flyers Rally Past Canadiens in Shootout Thriller
In a wild back-and-forth affair that saw the Flyers cough up a three-goal lead, Philadelphia clawed back to steal a 5-4 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. Trevor Zegras buried the decisive shootout goal, while rookie Nikita Grebenkin’s first career NHL tally forced overtime in a game that showcased the Flyers’ resilience and firepower.
First-Period Dominance Sets the Tone
The Flyers wasted no time, jumping ahead just 1:56 into the contest when Bobby Brink buried a power-play one-timer off a Travis Sanheim feed. It marked Philadelphia’s league-leading (tied) third goal inside the opening two minutes this season. The period belonged entirely to the home side, who limited Montreal to a season-low two shots while peppering Samuel Montembeault with 42 shots overall—a season high for the Flyers.
Brink struck again later in the frame, roofing a rebound past Montembeault for his second of the night. Cam York added a power-play blast to make it 3-0 after 20 minutes, sending the Wells Fargo crowd into a frenzy.
Photo Credit: Leigha Grace/Olde City Sports Network
Canadiens Storm Back in the Second
Montreal flipped the script in the middle frame, erupting for four unanswered goals to stun the Flyers. Kirby Dach scored twice, Nick Suzuki converted on the power play, and highly-touted prospect Ivan Demidov lit the lamp with another man-advantage marker. Suddenly, a blowout turned into a 4-3 Montreal lead heading into the third.
Grebenkin Ties It, Zegras Seals It
Philadelphia refused to fold. With the clock ticking down in regulation, Nikita Grebenkin—making his presence felt in his rookie campaign—ripped home the equalizer to send the game to overtime. The extra session solved nothing, setting the stage for a shootout.
After both sides traded misses, Trevor Zegras danced in and roofed a backhander for the winner. Goaltender Dan Vladar (16 saves on 20 shots) stonewalled the Canadiens in the skills competition to secure Philadelphia’s first road win of the season (1-2-1 away).
Beauts of the Game
Bobby Brink: Two goals (one PP), now tied for the team lead with five. Three multi-point games already this season.
Trevor Zegras: Two assists en route to his 200th career NHL point. His 15 points (4G-11A) in 13 games with Philly tie for the second-most in franchise history in such a span since 2005-06.
Cam York: Two helpers, marking his second multi-point outing.
Travis Sanheim: Assist on Brink’s opener pushed him past Ivan Provorov for sixth place on the Flyers’ all-time defensemen points list (218).
Power Play Surge: Two PP goals tonight; six over the last six games.
Goaltending Battle
PHI – Dan Vladar: 16/20, clutch in the shootout.
MTL – Samuel Montembeault: 38/42, kept
Montreal in it despite the barrage.
Looking Ahead
The Flyers and Canadiens renew acquaintances on December 16 in Montreal, with the season series wrapping up on April 14 back in Philadelphia. Tonight’s win improves Philly to a perfect start in this three-game set and highlights a team finding its groove on the man advantage and in comeback situations.
- Jesse Bell/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit/Leigha Grace/Olde City Sports Network
