Mika Pyorala's first career shootout tally
was the difference as Philadelphia clipped St. Louis, 2-1, at Wachovia Center.
Each club tallied in the first three rounds, then Pyorala began the fourth
with a high wrister to put the Flyers ahead. David Backes' try to keep the
game alive for St. Louis ended up in Ray Emery's breadbasket.
Scott Hartnell tallied in regulation for the Flyers, who have won four games
in succession. Emery made 30 stops for the win, his ninth of the season.
"We've been playing well. Back-to-back games coming off the road is
tough," said Hartnell, whose club won 5-2 in Buffalo on Friday. "We played a
hard, physical game. We knew they were hungry for a win, right from 'Razor' on
up, we battled hard. It took the extra five and the shootout but we got the
win."
T.J. Oshie scored for the Blues, losers of four straight and five of six.
Chris Mason took the loss despite a strong 35-save performance.
The Flyers picked up the game's first goal with 7:45 to play in the second
while on the power play, when Hartnell managed to tip in a dish from Claude
Giroux a split second before colliding with Mason.
Oshie's turnaround shot from a broken play knotted the score 5:43 into the
third period and the game remained tied through regulation.
Mason came up with a huge pad stop on a Hartnell breakaway midway through
overtime to keep the contest going but neither team could end it before the
shootout.
"I know they go to the net really hard. That's how they score and that's how
they got the goal tonight," Mason said of his opponents. "Hartnell is always
coming hard to the net. We would have liked a better outcome but I think we're
happy with the point."
Game Notes
Pyorala has yet to record a regulation score in his first 14 NHL games...The
Flyers have won seven of the last nine home games against the Blues dating
back to December, 1996...Flyers defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen left
the game early in the third period with an upper-body injury.
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