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 After taking a skate to the midsection early in Tuesday's game
against the New Jersey Devils, Schenn scored with 3:10 remaining in
overtime to give the Flyers a 3-2 victory.
The victory was the fourth in the past six games that Philadelphia
has won despite trailing during the third period.
Devils center Dainius Zubrus was sent tumbling to the ice to the
second period, and his skate blade sliced the stomach of Schenn, who
crumpled to the ice in pain. Team doctors patched him up with skin
glue, as the cut wasn't deep enough to require stitches.
It was a lucky break for Schenn, whose 11th goal of the season — off a beautiful pass from defenseman Nicklas Grossmann — helped the
Flyers improve to 9-2-1 in their past 12 games.
"It was just a slap pass, in my skates," Schenn said. "It was a nice
pass and I was able to get a stick on it and it was an open net once
I shot it."
What was it like to play an entire game with a huge gash on your
torso?
"As soon as I put something over it, it stopped burning," said
Schenn, who usually doesn't wear a shirt under his pads but adjusted
after he was cut. "I think with sweat and bacteria going in there,
it's going to burn a little bit. The training staff did a good job
patching me up."
The Flyers entered the third period trailing 1-0, as a goal by
Devils center Adam Henrique 57 seconds into the game was the only
scoring. But Flyers center Claude Giroux, who learned earlier
Tuesday that he was not going to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi
as a member of Team Canada, delivered a big goal early in the third.
With defenseman Mark Fayne in the penalty box — the Devils took
five penalties in the game — Giroux beat goaltender Martin Brodeur
with a long wrist shot through a slew of bodies to tie the score at
1 at 5:18.
"Too many penalties that we don't need to take," Fayne said.
"They're either offensive zone, or like mine tonight; the puck
wasn't even around there. ... Penalties away from the puck, you
can't have."
It was Giroux's 13th goal of the season and eighth in his past 12
games. He admitted afterward that the snub provided him with added
motivation against the Devils.
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"Any time someone takes something away from you, you want to
prove them wrong," Giroux said. "But you know what? I put that
behind me. I just have to move on here, keep playing, just play
my game. It's a fun game out there, so I'm not going to stress
myself with that."
Left winger Scott Hartnell put the Flyers ahead 2-1 with 10:11
remaining, and it looked like it would serve as the winner when
Devils center Travis Zajac was whistled for high sticking with
1:43 remaining in regulation.
But right winger Michael Ryder tied the game with 29.6 seconds
remaining with the Devils short-handed and Brodeur on the bench
for an extra attacker. It helped the Devils earn a point,
although it could have easily been two points if New Jersey
could have found a second goal during the first 40 minutes.
"At least we got that. It could have been worse," said Brodeur,
who stopped 25 shots. "It's definitely not a position we wanted
to be in, especially after we dominated. Offensively, we had a
lot of good chances, but we just couldn't bury that second goal
to give us that lead we needed to be a little more comfortable
out there."
The Devils had numerous chances to build on their 1-0 lead, but
goaltender Ray Emery was up to the task of holding the Flyers in
the game. The backup made 31 saves for his fifth win of the
season.
"He's been huge for us," Flyers right winger Jakub Voracek said
of Emery. "It's great to have a goaltender you count on,
especially in the tight games like that."
NOTES: Flyers LW Michael Raffl, who will represent Austria at
the Winter Olympics, returned to the lineup after missing one
game with a concussion. ... With an assist in the first period,
Devils RW Jaromir Jagr tied Mario Lemieux for seventh on the NHL
career scoring list with 1,723 points. Lemieux reached that mark
in 520 fewer games. ... Devils C Patrik Elias (upper body)
missed his third straight game. There is no timetable for his
return.
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