Laughton Looks Like LeClair, Flyers Clip Red Wings

The Philadelphia Flyers (14-12-4) won consecutive games in regulation for the second time this season. Turning the calendar to October (at BOS and vs. STL) revisits the last time the Flyers won two straight games without requiring overtime.

Scott Laughton had a career night. He scored every goal versus the Detroit Red Wings. Laughton nearly averages a point per game versus the Red Wings. His numbers are off the charts. In his career (20GP) versus Detroit, Laughton has 19 points (13G, 6A).

Those points include the four goals for Philadelphia in a 4-1 victory versus the Red Wings. The last time a Flyers skater lit the lamp four times in a game was John LeClair in 2002. Suddenly, Laughton is a top-five goal scorer on the team behind Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, and Owen Tippett.

A team win earned two points.

Alexei Kolosov impressed. John Tortorella cited Kolosov as the backup goaltender to Sam Ersson before Philadelphia took to the ice versus Detroit. He looked comfortable. In games when Kolosov earned the start, he improved to 4-3-1.

First Period

Shots: 12-7, PHI
Score: 0-0

Michkov entered on a five-game point streak. If he added to his point streak, Michkov would become the third Flyers rookie in 30 years to go on a six-game point streak, joining Shayne Gostisbehere in 2015-2016 and Sean Couturier in 2011-2012. However, the Red Wings held Michkov off the stat sheet.

Dylan Larkin (529) hoped to tie Tomas Holmström (530) in points. Holmström is 13th all-time in Detroit. Nonetheless, Philadelphia held Larkin in check.

Early on, the Red Wings paced shot totals. Then, Michkov and Konecny were on a two-on-one rush, but Cam Talbot correctly anticipated the shot attempt coming from Konecny. Around this time, the Flyers began to check effectively. Ryan Poehling and Garnet Hathaway pushed the pace with Laughton, almost foreshadowing a big night.

Joel Farabee, Couturier, and Konecny put Detroit on their heels. A couple of shots deflected off skates, away from Talbot, but Philadelphia took the momentum. The Red Wings went more than 12 minutes without a shot on goal, but before the end of the period, Cam York blocked an attempt from Vladimir Tarasenko. The Andrew Copp, JT Compher, and Tarasenko group had dangerous potential.

Second Period

Shots: 29-14, PHI
Score: 1-0, PHI

Even though he did not end up on the stat sheet, Michkov kept working Talbot close in the crease. Talbot sealed the post on Michkov, but the puck remained loose when Michkov tried to tuck a score. Rasmus Ristolainen was sharp on the forecheck, leading to the scoring chance.

Compher and Copp created a two-on-one rush. Kolosov made the save at the opposite end to keep the game deadlocked. The Flyers turned the puck over in the defensive zone, forcing Kolosov to make two more saves on Larkin and Jonatan Berggren. If Kolosov made a save, then Talbot answered with grand larceny with the glove, swiping another chance away from Michkov.

Each team traded scoring chances in rapid succession, but Laughton broke through. On the breakaway, Laughton slapped the puck past Talbot, 1-0, with 7:38 remaining in the second period.

“Couts [Couturier] has a breakaway. Two-on-one, Beezer [Farabee] misses. Laughts [Laughton] says to hell with this, I’m just going to drive this thing, and that’s what he did.” – John Tortorella; 12/12/2024

Simon Edvinsson served a minor for hooking. Michkov had to take a couple of faceoffs but was unsuccessful. Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale, and Tippett had shot attempts on the powerplay, but Philadelphia would finish 0/1.

At the end of the period, Alex DeBrincat took a shot with traffic in front of Kolosov. Kolosov flashed the pad. It was a save made that Ivan Fedotov tends to have an issue with, and those details stand out on the night when Kolosov is officially named the backup to Ersson.

“Just the way the game went for him [Kolosov], it’s a difficult game. To get the scoring chances he got in the second half of that third period and how he stood in there, he was really good. That glove save, Cam [Talbot] makes one on Mich [Michkov] early in the game, and Koly [Kolosov] makes that save. That’s a huge save.” – John Tortorella; 12/12/2024

Third Period

Shots: 36-26, PHI
Score: 4-1, PHI

Near the beginning of the third period, Michkov served a minor for roughing. On the penalty kill, Konecny led a two-on-one rush with Laughton, where Laughton finished the scoring play. A shorthanded goal, 2-0, with 18:29 remaining in the third period, extended the Flyers’ lead. Philadelphia finished 1/1 on the penalty kill.

A shorthanded goal stood as the 100th for Laughton with the Flyers, and his 23rd point on the penalty kill tied for 9th in Philadelphia with Simon Gagné.

Kolosov saved 21/21 shots with five minutes remaining. Then, one snuck by from above the faceoff circles. Copp and Compher earned the assists as Ben Chiarot broke up the shutout bid, 2-1, with 3:53 remaining in the third period. Jinxes are not real, and luck is for losers. Chiarot ripped a shot, deflecting off of Noah Cates and past Kolosov.

Derek Lalonde pulled Talbot. Detroit had the extra attacker, but Laughton potted the empty-net goal, securing the hat-trick, 3-1, with 1:07 remaining in the third period. Laughton joined Couturier, who notched a hat-trick earlier this season versus the Minnesota Wild.

Hathaway passed up a chance to score an additional empty-net goal. Laughton skated with the puck and dished to Hathaway, who dished back to Laughton for his fourth of the night, 4-1, with 0:13 remaining in the third period.

Up Next

Next, the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at 2:00pm/ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia.