Gostisbehere keeping Flyers in playoff hunt

The legend of the Ghost That Saved the Flyers is growing.

It spread north of the border over the weekend, in Montreal and Toronto, as Shayne Gostisbehere extended his NHL record for rookie defensemen by scoring in his 14th and 15th consecutive games.

"I'm living the dream," Gostisbehere, a Florida native, said with a smile after scoring 29 seconds into overtime and giving the Flyers a critical 5-4 win Saturday in Toronto. "It's just cool how my teammates have been doing it with me and see how happy they get. It's awesome."

After extending his point streak in 3-2 shootout loss to the Canadiens on Friday, Gostisbehere received a text from his grandfather, telling him how proud he was of him. His grandfather, Denis Brodeur, grew up in Montreal before moving to Florida, and he bought Gostisbehere his first pair of skates at age 3, coached his youth team, and took him to Florida Panthers games with his season tickets.

Gostisbehere, 22, has a great bond with his grandfather, and a reporter asked about him following the overtime thriller in Toronto.

"I don't know what he's thinking right now," Gostisbehere said after showcasing his skills to a Hockey Night in Canada television audience, "but I can't wait to see my phone and see what he has to say. I'll bet he's smiling ear-to-ear."

During his 15-game streak, Gostisbehere has five goals and 13 assists. All told, he has 12 goals (one shy of equaling the club's rookie record for defensemen) and 34 points in 40 games and has become a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate. No Flyer has ever won the rookie-of-the-year honor.

Gostisbehere's goal Saturday was scored after a great setup by Jake Voracek. It gave him four overtime goals this season - an NHL record for a rookie - and it tied the league record for any defenseman. Scott Niedermayer also had four OT winners in 2001-02, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"I'm just doing whatever I can to contribute to the team," he said. "The huge thing is we got . . . three out of four points in the buildings we just played in."

Since being recalled from the Phantoms on Nov. 14, the swift defenseman with the off-the-charts hockey IQ has rejuvenated the Flyers and put them in the wild-card hunt.

They were 5-8-3 without him and are 21-13-8 with him in the lineup.

"He's such a good skater and such a heads-up player," said winger Matt Read, who has chipped in with five goals in his last 17 games. "When he's on the ice, he's always controlling the game. He makes great pinches out there. He's always smart offensively, and [plays] very well defensively. He uses his stick well and his speed well, and he's very (seldom) out of position."

The way Gostisbehere is performing, it's easy to forget he has played only 42 NHL games and 21 AHL games.

General manager Ron Hextall admitted he didn't expect to get this much so soon from Gostisbehere.

"He's grabbed it by the throat," Hextall said. ". . . He's played better here than in the minors."

"Obviously he's a special player, and hopefully he can continue to lead us the rest of the season," Read said.

The legend is growing.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull