Flyers defeat Red Wings in OT for ninth straight win

DETROIT --Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves in his second NHL game, and Brayden Schenn scored with 2:16 left in overtime to lift the Philadelphia Flyers to their ninth straight win, 1-0 against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday.
"I was just trying to keep the winning streak going, but the shutout was in the back of my mind," Stolarz said. "I don't think I could have drawn tonight up any better."
The nine-game winning streak for the Flyers (18-10-3) is the longest in the NHL this season and their first since April 2-22, 1995.

"We didn't get off to a great start, so we had some ground to make up," Schenn said. "We're playing a lot of hockey, pretty much every other day with some back-to-backs thrown in, so we're doing this against a tough schedule."
WATCH: All Flyers vs. Red Wings highlights
Jimmy Howard made 35 saves for the Red Wings (13-13-3), who are 2-7-3 in their past 12 home games and play their next three at Joe Louis Arena.
"We've got to find a way to start putting points on the board," defenseman Xavier Ouellet said. "I don't know what it is going to take, but we have to start taking two points from our home games."
Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin tried to hit Henrik Zetterberg with a long pass in overtime, but Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds gained control of the puck at center ice. Schenn scored his fourth goal in two games with a backhand shot after taking a return pass from Ivan Provorov in the left faceoff circle and skating around a sprawled Howard on the ensuing 3-on-2 rush.

"They had a guy streaking, and [Simmonds] made a great play on the pass," said Schenn, who scored three power-play goals in a 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. "I dropped it to [Provorov], and he made a great play giving it back to me."
Howard thought he had done enough to make the save on Schenn.
"We were both stretched out, and I didn't think he was going to be able to wrap the puck around my glove, but he made the play," Howard said.
Larkin put the puck into the Flyers net at 2:41 of the third period, but the goal was waved off because the net was off its moorings.

Philadelphia defenseman Radko Gudas, who fell into the net while trying to clear the loose puck, was given a penalty for delay of game, but Stolarz made a point-blank save on Andreas Athanasiou on the ensuing power play.
Stolarz made four saves on that power play, and three more after Simmonds was penalized for shooting the puck over the glass at 5:30.
Philadelphia played without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who sustained an upper-body injury against Dallas.

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Goal of the game

Philadelphia controlled the puck for the first 60 seconds of overtime and outshot Detroit 6-1, but it looked like Howard might force a shootout until Schenn found the few extra inches of reach he needed to score the winner.

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Save of the game

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had a chance to win it for the Flyers after Travis Konecny stole the puck from Red Wings defenseman Mike Green near the Detroit blue line, but Howard slid across to stop Bellemare's shot at 1:53.

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Highlight of the game

Athanasiou nearly put the Red Wings ahead early in the third period, breaking in all alone on a power play, but Stolarz got in front of his wrist shot from the slot and trapped the puck against his chest with his glove. "I think that's when I knew that no one was getting anything past me," Stolarz said.

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Unsung performance of the game

The Flyers entered Sunday with the League's best power play after going 3-for-6 against the Stars, but they were shut out in five tries against the Red Wings. "Every great penalty kill starts with a great goalie, and [Howard] was really solid back there and our killers kept them away from the net," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said.

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They said it

"I think tonight was our 12th game in 20 days, so there hasn't been a lot of time to reflect on what we are doing. Guys are playing hard and having fun, and getting the reward."-- Flyers coach Dave Hakstol on their winning streak
"We need to decide that we're going to go hard to the net and take shots, but that's how you win in today's NHL. Our guys are over-passing the puck, trying to make plays, and it has been a problem for three years now." -- Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill

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Need to know

The Flyers will go for their first 10-game winning streak since they won 13 in a row from Oct. 19-Nov. 17, 1985, when they play at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. … Stolarz's shutout in his second NHL game was the earliest by a Flyers goalie since Robbie Moore earned one in his NHL debut against the Colorado Rockies on March 6, 1979. … Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson missed his second straight game with back spasms.

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What's next

Flyers: At the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TCN-PH, NHL.TV)
Red Wings: Host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-D, FS-A+, NHL.TV)