Giroux’s power-play goal lifts Flyers past Blue Jackets 3-2
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets gave Philadelphia plenty of opportunities on the power play, the Flyers finally took advantage.
Claude Giroux scored on Philadelphia’s fifth power play and the Flyers beat the Blue Jackets 3-2 Wednesday night.
Scott Laughton had his first goal after a 13-game absence due to a broken finger, and Tyler Pitlick also scored to help Philadelphia win its second straight and beat Columbus on the road for just the second time in 15 visits. Brian Elliott stopped 28 shots.
Philadelphia was shut down on its first four power plays before Sony Milano’s interference penalty gave the Flyers another chance with 4:45 left in the second. Giroux made the most of this one, taking a pass from Ivan Provorov, and skating in fast from the blue line to beat Korpisalo through the five-hole 1:20 later. It was Giroux’s eighth of the season and third on a power play, and gave Provorov a team-high 10 power-play points (four goals, six assists).
“I thought in the first period our power-play wasn’t executing the way it should,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. “We weren’t getting any looks. I thought in the second we battled back and then the power-play comes back scores a big goal at the right time and gave us the lead.”
Laughton, in just his third game back from injury, had tied the score for the Flyers at 3:19 of the second.
“It was nice to get one,” he admitted. “This is the best I have felt since the injury. It was nice to get one and contribute to the group. This is a big one on the road.”
Nick Foligno and Seth Jones scored for Columbus, which lost for the second time in three games. Joonas Korpisalo had 20 saves.
Foligno got the Jackets on the board first, burying the rebound of Emil Bemstrom’s shot from the right circle at 4:51 of the first for his second of the season and first since Oct. 7, a span of 17 games.
Pitlick tied it with 1:29 left in the first, burying his own rebound past a sprawling Korpisalo for his second.
Columbus regained the lead with 35 seconds left in the period with Jones’ one-timer off tic-tac-toe passing from Oliver Bjorkstrand along the right wall and Gustav Nyquist behind the net.
Foligno admitted he was frustrated by the Blue Jacket’s effort in the loss, their first to the Flyers at home in regulation since 2005.
“We lost tonight because of what we did,” Foligno said. “We were shooting ourselves in the foot with so many penalties. ... This is not going to be the recipe for winning.”
Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella agreed.
“We beat ourselves,” he said. “I'm not disrespecting Philly, but you can't put a team on the power play five times in a couple of periods.
“This is on us. It's just a dumb hockey team tonight."
NOTES: Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk played in his 700th NHL game. ... Sean Couturier is the 21st player in Flyers history to appear in 600 games for the club. ... Columbus has scored first in nine straight games. ... Bjorkstrand extended his point streak to five games. ... The Blue Jackets lead the NHL in one-goal games (17).
UP NEXT
Flyers: Host Detroit on Friday.
Blue Jackets: Host Pittsburgh on Friday.
