Rasmus Ristolainen's goal gives the Flyers a 2-1 win over the Red Wings in OT

Jackie Spiegel, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jan 21, 2025

Published in Hockey

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PHILADELPHIA — The first time the Flyers and Detroit Red Wings met this season on Dec. 12, five combined goals were scored at the Wells Faro Center. The next matchup on Dec. 18, in the Motor City, featured 10.

On Tuesday night in South Philly, there were three, with the Flyers picking up a 2-1 overtime win.

Joel Farabee sent a leading pass to a streaking Owen Tippett, who had his backhander nicked by Detroit goalie Alex Lyon, but the puck trickled to the goal line. Rasmus Ristolainen and Farabee crashed the net with Ristolainen tapping it in for the game-winning goal.

With the win, the Flyers extended their point streak to a season-high six games. The Flyers have also won three straight.

Farabee gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period. The Flyers entered Detroit’s zone and Sean Couturier corralled the loose puck in the left faceoff circle. He tapped a backhand pass to Farabee, who finished with a backhander of his own past the glove of former Flyers goalie Lyon.

The Flyers had chances to get more, before and after Farabee notched his first goal of 2025.

Matvei Michkov, who got an assist on Farabee’s goal, cut across the crease less than five minutes into the game after taking a leading pass from Couturier, but was denied by Lyon. Less than five minutes later, Bobby Brink fed Noah Cates after a turnover but he was stopped on the doorstep; Cates hit the crossbar not long after that and on another shot attempt in the second period.

Michkov had another chance late in the opening frame after Couturier’s shot hit the end boards and came back in front. And Travis Konecny had a wide-open chance with under 90 seconds left in the second period, but he rang it off the crossbar.

Red Wings’ Ben Chiarot tied things up 30 seconds into the third period with a shot over the shoulder of Sam Ersson from the left circle. Lucas Raymond set him up with a backhand pass after he snagged the puck out of the right corner and cut around Travis Sanheim and Brink.

It was the only goal Ersson allowed in regulation in his third straight start. He has started six of the past seven games for the Flyers and had a couple of big-time saves, notably in the second period when he made a pad stop on Patrick Kane.

In the third period, he was saved by Sanheim who, on the back-check, got the stick of Kane after Ersson came out to play the puck and gave it right to Alex DeBrincat. Then in the waning seconds of regulation, with Detroit putting on pressure, Andrew Copp got the puck all alone in front and Ersson aggressively attacked him to knock it away.

Breakaways

Scott Laughton did not play due to a family matter. … Forward Rodrigo Ābols, who was recalled on Monday from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, made his NHL debut. He centered the fourth line between Olle Lycksell and Garnet Hathaway.

Up next

The Flyers head to the Big Apple for a matchup with the New York Rangers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET) to start an Empire State back-to-back set. Philly won the Black Friday meeting, 3-1.