Flyers Fall Short in Shootout

Mistakes cost Flyers in 4-3 OT loss to the Devils

The Flyers hot streak cooled off Thursday night as they lost in a shootout to the rival New Jersey Devils.

Patrik Elias and Zach Parise scored in the shootout to lift the Devils to a 4-3 win over the Flyers.

Elias scored the winner on New Jersey's final attempt. Parise beat Sergei Bobrovsky on the stick side on the first attempt.

Danny Briere scored the only shootout goal for Philadelphia. His goal was reviewed after he appeared to skid to a stop in front of Johan Hedberg, using the sweet fake to pound in the easy score.

David Clarkson tied the score at 3-all late in the third period after a costly turnover by the Flyers. Parise and Adam Henrique scored in the second to rally the Devils from a 2-0 hole.

The Flyers lost the lead twice in the game. Zac Rinaldo and Claude Giroux scored second-period goals for the Flyers. Max Talbot scored in the third on a penalty shot for a 3-2 lead.

It was Rinaldo’s first NHL goal.

“Scoring my first goal is very special. It definitely gives me a little more confidence with the puck,” Rinaldo said. “I don't just like hitting, I also like putting the puck into the net sometimes.”

The Flyers played without key forward James van Riemsdyk after he suffered a lower-body injury a night earlier against Buffalo. JVR suffered a punishing hit behind the net on Wednesday and was slow getting up, the likely cause of the injury.

Briere returned after missing two games because of an upper-body injury.

The Devils outplayed the Flyers in regulation that scored the clutch goals in the shootout. The Flyers picked Wayne Simmonds to take the first shot, skipping Jaromir Jagr. Giroux failed to score on Philadelphia's third attempt.

It came down to the shootout because the Flyers failed to make smart defensive plays.

Matt Carle's errant clear at the blue line was intercepted by Elias, who needed one pass to find Clarkson in front of the net to whip a backhander for the tying goal with 6:35 left in the third. It was Philadelphia's second costly turnover of the game that led to a goal.

Talbot had put the Flyers ahead 2:37 into the third after he was dragged down on a breakaway by Devils defenseman Mark Fayne. Talbot, 0 for 1 in his career on penalty shots, skated along the right boards, cut through the slot, and deked Hedberg with a forehand for the 3-2 lead.

Bobrovsky got the start in net a night after Ilya Bryzgalov held off the Sabres. Bobrovsky was sensational early -- twice stopping Dainius Zubrus in the final 2 minutes of the first to keep the game scoreless.

With defenseman Chris Pronger still out with an eye injury, Bobrovsky was battered with 30 shots though two periods. Hedberg only faced 14. The Devils took 21 shots in the second period -- two fewer than Philadelphia's total through overtime.


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