Best 3-Goal Comebacks in Flyers History
The Philadelphia Flyers completed an epic comeback victory Thursday over the Pittsburgh Penguins on the shoulders of captain Claude Giroux. This came after being down three goals just four minutes into the game.
The Flyers won for the first time in a game when they trailed by three or more goals since October 2016, when they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in a shootout. Another crazy chapter in the Flyers-Penguins rivalry is in the books, and announcers can once again spin cliches about the most dangerous leads in hockey.
Some of the greatest games in Flyers history, especially in recent memory, have included remarkable comebacks from down three goals. See where Thursday’s thriller ranks in the Top 5.
5. Philadelphia Flyers 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 4- December 19, 2013, Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia, PA)
The outlook was grim for the Flyers at the beginning of the 2013-14 season. Through 8 games, they sat at 1-7. The Flyers fired head coach Peter Laviolette just three games into the season, and the team struggled to find its legs under Craig Berube throughout the next few months.
The Flyers met the Columbus Blue Jackets in South Philadelphia on December 19, 2013 in a seemingly pedestrian regular season matchup between two teams sitting out of playoff position.
Columbus dominated the first two periods against their former goaltender Steve Mason. The lifeless Flyers hit the dressing room facing a 3-0 deficit after two periods in front of a severely disappointed home crowd.
Jake Voracek, in just his second season in Philadelphia, started the rally with a goal early in the third period against his former team. Defenseman Braydon Coburn added another less than a minute later. The goals signified some emerging energy with plenty of time left to find the equalizer.
The Blue Jackets stifled the Flyers momentum by extending their lead with just over 11 minutes left in the 3rd period on a goal by Blake Comeau to make it 4-2.
The score held until Erik Gustafsson (the other one) scored on a rebound chance to rejuvenate the comeback hopes for the home crowd with under five minutes to play. The Flyers finally found the equalizer less than a minute later with a tying goal from Claude Giroux.
Giroux then scored the game-winner on an acrobatic backhand from the bottom of the right circle with only 1:38 remaining.
The victory over Columbus is the only game on our list in which Philadelphia overcame a three goal deficit in the 3rd period. They won the game in regulation behind a 5-goal effort in final frame.
4. Philadelphia Flyers 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3- March 4, 2021, PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA)
The Flyers entered the night coming off a dismal 5-2 loss against Pittsburgh just two days prior in which sloppy defensive play left young goaltender Carter Hart hanging out to dry. They missed an opportunity to spoil Pittsburgh’s first home game played in front of fans in nearly a calendar year.
The Penguins came out firing, taking advantage of additional defensive breakdowns to beat Brian Elliott three times in less than four minutes of play.
Alain Vigneault elected to use his timeout to settle the momentum, but the Flyers put Pittsburgh on the power play shortly following the attempt to regroup.
The ensuing penalty kill kept them in the game as the Penguins attack settled. Sean Couturier then got his team on the board with a power play goal 11:32 into the first period to weather the storm.
The Flyers chipped away, thanks in large part to the efforts of Giroux. He scored in the second period to cut the Penguins lead to one and bounced a shot off teammate Scott Laughton to tie the game with just over six minutes to play in the third.
Giroux again reminded fans why he wears the C, depositing the game-winner with 2:08 remaining to secure a win that the Flyers hope can serve as a rallying cry for the rest of the 2021 season.
3. Philadelphia Flyers 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3- April 11, 2012, Consol Energy Center
The rivalry between the Flyers and Penguins reached a pinnacle in the opening round of the 2011-12 playoffs. Animosity boiled over between the cross-state rivals leading into the playoffs, evidenced by Peter Laviolette’s angry tirade targeting Dan Bylsma on the Penguins’ bench late in the season.
Entering the playoffs, Penguins star Sidney Crosby hit his stride after returning from long-term concussion issues that sidelined him for over three months during the regular season. The media lauded the chances for the fourth-seeded Penguins to go on a run while the Flyers weren’t receiving much national attention.
Crosby put the Penguins up 1-0 less than four minutes into Game One. The Pittsburgh grew increasingly exuberant when Flyers goaltender and off-ice entertainer Ilya Bryzgalov allowed two more first period goals.
Fans were stunned as the offensive firepower of the Pittsburgh Penguins appeared to be satisfying the hype surrounding them.
Danny Briere, one of the best playoff performers in franchise history, got the Flyers on the board in the second period when he took a stretch pass in on a breakaway and beat Marc-Andre Fleury. No whistle was blown despite cameras catching Briere a full stride offside.
Briere scored his second of the night just over midway through the third period to legitimize the comeback hopes of Flyers fans. Brayden Schenn, who assisted on the first two goals, added a tally just over three minutes later.
The daunting first period deficit was erased and the Pittsburgh crowd grew nervous and quiet. The Flyers controlled the game’s momentum heading into OT. Just 2:23 into the extra session, Jake Voracek sent home a careless rebound off Fleury’s pad to secure the Game One victory in Pittsburgh.
They would go on to defeat the Penguins in six games in one of the wildest playoff series in NHL history.
2. Philadelphia Flyers 4, Edmonton Oilers 3- May 22, 1987, Spectrum (Philadelphia, PA)
The Flyers were defeated in Games 1 and 2 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals by the Edmonton Oilers, led by future Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey. Red-hot rookie goaltender Ron Hextall finally looked human against the mighty Oilers.
The Oilers again jumped on the Flyers for a commanding 3-0 lead in Game 3 at the Spectrum. They simply appeared overmatched.
Flyers goals from Murray Craven, Peter Zezel, Scott Mellanby, Brad McCrimmon, and Brian Propp propelled the Flyers to an electrifying comeback. They even repeated the magic with a two-goal comeback victory in Game 6 to avoid elimination.
The 1987 Flyers ultimately fell short of a Stanley Cup, but the older generation of fans will never forget the outstanding series against one of the best hockey teams ever assembled.
1. Philadelphia Flyers 4, Boston Bruins 3- May 14, 2010, TD Garden (Boston, MA)
The best, and most iconic, three-goal comeback in Flyers history came in Game 7 in Boston. They rallied from being down 0-3 to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with victories in Games 4, 5, and 6.
Fans entered the game with confidence, anticipating a historic victory in Game 7. The Wells Fargo Center even allowed fans free admission to watch the game on the big screen inside the arena.
Boston jumped all over the Flyers in the 1st period. An early goal ignited the crowd, and an ensuing pair of goals from Bruins gritter Milan Lucic forced the hand of Peter Laviolette to spend his timeout, facing a 3-0 deficit.
The Flyers gained new life after a shot from rookie James van Riemsdyk trickled by Tuukka Rask late in the first period. A suddenly poised and focused Philadelphia team carried the momentum through the intermission. The deficit was cut to one with an early second period goal by Scott Hartnell. Danny Briere fully erased the deficit by lighting the lamp less than six minutes later.
The Bruins grew tense as their lead was already gone less than halfway through regulation. However, an even slate meant the series was not yet decided.
Simon Gagne finished the historic comeback when he slammed home a scattering puck for one of the most memorable goals in Flyers history with just over seven minutes remaining in the 3rd period. They held on for a 4-3 win.
The 2010 Flyers possessed an admirable “never say die” attitude, never more apparent than the night of Game 7 in Boston. They went on to steamroll the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing in the Stanley Cup Finals.