Giroux’s goal gives Flyers a 4-3, comeback win over the Penguins

Claude Giroux scored the biggest goal of the Flyers season and then put it perfectly into context shortly afterward.

“For us to make the playoffs,” he said, “we need to win games like tonight.”

Giroux scored with just a little over two minutes remaining as the Flyers erased an early three-goal deficit and picked up a 4-3 win at Pittsburgh. Just as important as the victory was that it occurred in regulation.

Giroux, who came into the night in a nine-game drought, had two goals and the primary assist on the tally that tied it with seven minutes left.

A three-goal blast by Pittsburgh within the first four minutes had the Flyers reeling, but not panicking. The Flyers slid into a tie with Boston for third place in the rugged East division, three points back of Washington and the Islanders.

Kris Letang, Mark Friedman, and Jared McCann scored within 71 seconds as the Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead. After McCann’s goal, Sean Couturier slammed his stick on the Flyers’ net in a rare burst of anger.

It was the quickest any team had scored three goals all season, according to the NHL, and the odds-line that started at Flyers -110 shot up in-game to Flyers +825, according to PointsBet communications director Pat Eichner.

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault called a rare first-period timeout, which had the desired effect.

“I just wanted them to take a deep breath,” the coach said. “There was still a lot of time left. We went out there and played the right way and were able to dig ourselves out of the hole. ... We won a big game for us. A big character win.”

Brian Elliott, who was helpless on the three goals, stopped Pittsburgh’s final 23 shots to improve to 6-1-0 backing up Carter Hart. Stops on Jake Guentzel on a third-period power-play and a nifty glove save on Evgeni Malkin midway through the third helped keep the Penguins within reach.

“When we’ve got a three-goal lead, we’ve got find a way to get a fourth goal,” said Sidney Crosby, who had an assist and a game-high five shots on goal. “If we do, it’s probably a different story.”

The Flyers had been 0-4-0 when trailing after two periods, 0-3-0 on the road.

He’s our captain. He’s our leader. He brings us into the fight. Happy to see him get rewarded with two tonight. [It was] a really good comeback win for us.

The power play, in an 0 for 15 rut coming in, got the Flyers on the board when Couturier blasted a rocket over the left shoulder of Tristan Jarry midway through the first period.

Couturier extended his career-high point streak to eight games with his sixth goal of the season. He has a point in all 10 games he’s played except for the one he left in the first minute with the rib injury that cost him three weeks.

Just when it appeared that the Flyers were whole again, another key forward was forced to the sidelines. Vigneault had to play roster roulette after Joel Farabee popped up on the COVID-19 protocol list on Thursday afternoon. Players can go on the list for any number of reasons, and because of privacy issues it’s unclear how long Farabee will be out.

Farabee was replaced on the top line by Jake Voracek, who skated with Couturier and James van Riemsdyk. Other notable moves was Giroux centering Oskar Lindblom and Nic Aube-Kubel on the third line. Aube-Kubel, curiously scratched when Travis Konecny returned to the lineup, set up Giroux’s game winner with a gorgeous pass through the slot.

Vigneault said Farabee skated very briefly on Thursday morning before being pulled from the ice. He didn’t know he wouldn’t have the talented second-year winger until shortly after arriving to the rink 90 minutes before the game.

He redrew all four of his lines on the fly.

“It is what it is,” the coach said muttering a cliche that isn’t nearly as tiresome in this case. “You adjust, adapt and find ways to win and that’s what we did tonight.”

An outbreak last month put a handful of Flyers out for more than two weeks. On the other hand, Crosby, Pittsburgh’s captain, came off the list prior to Thursday’s game after just two days.

The players view this unprecedented three-game series in Pittsburgh as a playoff series, and Thursday certainly had more of a postseason feel to it than the first game on Tuesday. There were 80 hits on Thursday, compared to 63 on Tuesday and the ferocity of those collisions was higher, as well.

“Guys were playing for each other, and that’s what you have to do,” Scott Laughton said. “Especially in these miniseries. The longer it goes on, and the more physical it gets, the more you have to dig in. Guys were digging in for each other, guys took big hits to make plays.

There were casualties, too, as both teams lost a defenseman.

Nolan Patrick twice knocked Friedman out of the game. Once, briefly in the first period on a boarding call, and then again in the second on a mid-ice collision.

Phil Myers took a big hit from Anthony Angello in the second period. He remained in the game but came out for good early in the third.

It’s the first time the Flyers have come back from a three-goal deficit to win in regulation since Dec. 21, 2015 when they beat St. Louis. For context on how long ago that was, Evgeny Medvedev scored the game-winner from Ryan White and Chris VandeVelde.

The Flyers and Penguins will finish this three-game series on Saturday (1 p.m., NBCSP).

“There are some moments during the regular season where the team has a gut-check,” Vigneault said. “We lost that first game two days ago. For us, this was an important game.”