Simmonds' Late Goal Lifts Flyers Over Struggling Oilers, 2-1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Wayne Simmonds scored on a feed from Valtteri Filppula with 2:15 left to break a tie and lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
Filppula skated into the slot and found Simmonds to his right, who one-timed a shot past Cam Talbot to give the Flyers three wins in four games.
Simmonds also assisted on Claude Giroux's first period goal, and Brian Elliott made 23 saves.
Patrick Maroon scored in the second period and Talbot stopped 22 shots for the Oilers, who have dropped five of their first seven games.
It marked the first time Connor McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, faced Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick, the 2017 second overall pick.
But McDavid was held without a goal for the sixth straight game and Patrick's miscue led to Edmonton's goal.
Oilers-Flyers has been an unusual inter-conference rivalry since McDavid broke his collarbone against the Flyers two seasons ago as a rookie. McDavid last season claimed Brandon Manning tripped him intentionally to cause the injury that sidelined him 37 games.
The bad feelings simmered and Manning and Maroon brawled last spring. Fans booed McDavid most times he touched the puck Saturday, but there were no fireworks with Manning as the defenseman was a healthy scratch despite participating in warmups. Coach Dave Hakstol decided to go with hot rookie Travis Sanheim instead.
With fourth-line center Scott Laughton often draped over him, McDavid had a frustrating day. Last season's MVP left the bench briefly in the first period after taking a stick to the face, took a penalty in the second period and was kicked out of the face-off circle several times early as the Oilers got off to another poor start.
With Brad Malone serving a high-sticking penalty, the Flyers went up 1-0 when Simmonds redirected a loose puck to Giroux, who scored his fifth goal at 3:36. It marked the fifth straight time Edmonton has surrendered the first goal before a game was nine minutes old.
Elliott was sharp for much of the second period as the Oilers controlled play and were more physical. Edmonton tied it when Maroon stole the puck from Patrick, wheeled in and beat Elliott from a sharp angle with 4:23 left in the period.
It was the 14th goal in seven games for the Oilers, the NHL's second lowest-scoring after Montreal.
NOTES:
- Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere earned his 10th assist on Giroux's goal.
- Oilers C Leon Draisaitl, still experiencing concussion symptoms, missed his fourth straight game.
- Flyers C Jordan Weal and LW Taylor Leier didn't dress with upper-body injuries.
- Referee Ian Walsh, a Philadelphia native, was honored before working his 1,000th NHL game.
- The teams play again Dec. 6 in Edmonton.
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