Scott Laughton scores four goals in Flyers' 4-1 victory over Red Wings

Jackie Spiegel, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec 12, 2024

Published in Hockey

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PHILADELPHIA — Home hasn’t been so sweet for the Flyers.

So it’s no surprise Scott Laughton was asked about the 6-8-1 record at the Wells Fargo Center during the first intermission of a 0-0 game. “What’s the key to being better at home?” Jason Myrtetus asked on 97.5 The Fanatic. “Simplicity,” Laughton said to start. Maybe he should have said Scott Laughton.

The forward scored all four goals to give the Flyers a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings. Laughton achieved the first four-goal game by a Flyer since John LeClair did so on Oct. 15, 2002. The win snapped a two-game home losing streak and extended their overall win streak to two.

Aleksei Kolosov, anointed the No. 2 goalie by coach John Tortorella on Thursday morning, preserved a 2-1 third-period lead with a spectacular knockdown with his glove off a shot by Erik Gustafsson from the right face-off circle.

After a ho-hum first period, the middle frame saw things open up for both teams.

Kolosov started things off by stopping Detroit’s Andrew Copp on a two-on-one after he received a pass from J.T. Compher 1 minute, 23seconds in. The Belarusian goalie stopped Jonatan Berggren at the 6:45 mark of the period with a glove save as he tracked the puck to the top of the crease.

Then came the Flyers' chances.

After some sustained pressure, helped along the way with a nifty deke by Owen Tippett in the Red Wings’ end, Egor Zamula got the puck above the circles. The defenseman, a healthy scratch for the past two games, fed Matvei Michkov in the right circle. The 20-year-old let winger let off a massive one-timer but was robbed by Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot.

Later in the frame, Patrick Kane missed on a Red Wings two-on-one and the Flyers went the other way on an odd-man rush. Travis Konecny set up Joel Farabee, who was stoned by Talbot’s blocker. After the save, Detroit broke out three-on-two but Kane’s shot was blocked by Cam York. On the wayward shot, Konecny picked the puck up inside the Flyers blue line and fed Sean Couturier for the breakaway. But he was stopped by the pad of Talbot. Ten seconds later, Noah Cates hit the crossbar.

The Flyers put 17 shots on goal in the second period and only one found the back of the net. Laughton, who led the way with three shots on goal in the first period, ended up with the puck after a blind pass up the boards by Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson to an open left point. He scooped up the puck near the Detroit blue line, skated in alone, and didn’t deke or make a snazzy move — instead, he fired off a slapshot from the hash marks.

The reaction said it all.

Laughton extended the Flyers’ lead to 2-0 in the third period after Michkov was called for roughing off the opening face-off. He went at it with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat, who wanted to drop the gloves but Michkov skated away to the penalty box.

On the ensuing penalty kill, Travis Sanheim blocked a Vladimir Tarasenko shot from above the right circles, springing Konecny and Laughton. Skating in two-on-one, Konecny kept the puck till he hit the right face-off dot and fed Laughton for the tap-in at the left post.

Laughton added a pair of empty-netters. It was his first hat trick since Feb. 7, 2021, against the Washington Capitals.

Breakaways

Michkov tried “The Michigan” in the second period on a delayed penalty. … Defenseman Emil Andrae was a healthy scratch for the first time since being recalled on Oct. 26. … Thursday’s game was the 300th of Tippett’s NHL career. … Laughton’s first two goals gave him 100 in his NHL career.

Up next

The Flyers practice on Friday before heading to Minnesota, the home state of five of the team’s players, to take on the Wild on Saturday.