Flyers need extra time and more to defeat Sabres, 5-4

PHILADELPHIA – The Flyers needed a goal from Shayne Gostisbehere in the third period to get even with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

Goal by #25 of the Philadelphia Flyers James van Reimsdyk

“It was good for us to break through there, tie the game up,” Gostisbehere said. “But I think it was more important for our team to tie the game up, come back. We didn’t have the best game out there, but good teams find a way to win.”

That goal led to overtime, which solved nothing necessitating the skills competition.

Nolan Patrick and Sean Couturier scored in the penalties to get the Flyers the win.

Carter Hart gave up three goals and made five saves before getting the hook in favor of Brian Elliott. Through the final two periods of regulation and overtime, Elliott made who made 11 saves.

“I replaced him because I didn’t think he had been good enough, so I said to him Moose (Elliott) was going in,” Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said. “At the end of the day, it’s the toughest position in hockey. Carter is a very young goaltender. We all believe in him. We all think that he’s got a tremendous amount of potential. But it’s a tough position. He’s going to learn from this, he’s going to get better.

“I believe he’s got to battle a little bit harder in goal at this time. And I’m confident that he’ll work with [goalie coach] Kim [Dillabaugh] and try and get his game to where it needs to be so that our team can have a chance in every game.”

After James van Riemsdyk gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead, Sam Reinhart scored the first of his two goals in the game to tie, 1-1, and Riley Sheahan put the Sabres up, 2-1, and gave them hope.

“We were moving our feet,” Reinhart said. “We were supporting each other coming out of our end and through the neutral zone, and it led to some good opportunities.”

Reinhart scored for a 3-1 lead and Brandon Montour made it 4-2 Sabres.

Kevin Hayes had cut the score to 3-2.

“I think, probably, in our last 10 power plays, I feel like we’ve been right there,” the Flyers’ Joel Farabee said. “Things are moving in the right direction for our power play. Pucks are getting to the net, we’re creating chances. That’s all you can do. It was really nice to get that tying one tonight and hopefully we build some momentum off that.”

Claude Giroux made it 4-3 heading to the third period.

Jonas Johansson made 29 saves in the loss.

“I think early in the season we were outshooting teams and I think controlling the play a lot more than we are right now,” Buffalo’s Taylor Hall said. “We have to find a way to play confidently with the lead and not sit back and take penalties and allow them to get momentum, because they’re playing in front of fans now.

“They’re a good team, they have a lot of offensive weapons. … I mean, let’s be serious, we’re a lot of points out of the playoffs, we should just be playing loose and just playing free.”