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 The Philadelphia center found the back of the net with 14.8
seconds remaining to lead the Flyers to a wild 4-3 comeback victory
over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. It was Lecavalier's first
goal since Nov. 27.
"It's good for the confidence any time you get out of the slump and
hopefully that'll get me going," Lecavalier said.
Lecavalier's goal capped a frantic third period that featured four
goals in the game's final 6:32. After a scramble beside the Buffalo
net, Flyers right winger Matt Read dug out the puck and found
Lecavalier on the left point, and he blasted a one-timer into the
Sabres net.
"I took the shot and I thought that one was going to go in but Read
got the rebound and looked for me again," Lecavalier said. "I just
kinda wound up and it was kind of a lucky bounce. The puck was
jumping a little bit but it went in."
Left winger Scott Hartnell, center Brayden Schenn and right winger
Jakub Voracek also scored for Philadelphia (24-19-4). Goaltender
Steve Mason made 16 saves in the win.
It was the seventh time since the start of December that the Flyers
have come from behind in the third period to win.
"Our team doesn't quit," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "Over the
weekend, Tampa and the Rangers, I thought we had really good third
periods. They tried, it didn't happen. But the effort's always
there."
Jhonas Enroth, the Sabres goalie, was once again one of Buffalo's
best players but was unable to hold on for a victory. The goalie
made several acrobatic saves, including a highlight-reel stop 11:53
into the first period when he robbed Flyers center Claude Giroux of
a sure goal. Skating from right to left, Giroux fired a backhand
shot on an open net but Enroth sprawled along the ice and used his
blocker to knock the puck away.
"Obviously, he's had a tough go," Sabres right winger Matt
D'Agostini said of Enroth. "He's been our best player when he's
played. It just hasn't gotten the results. We haven't gotten them
the goals. Tonight we got a couple goals but we just left him
hanging there at the end."
Center Tyler Ennis, D'Agostini and center Cody Hodgson scored for
the Sabres (13-27-5). Enroth made 30 saves.
"It's just one of those things, it just wasn't meant to be," Sabres
interim coach Ted Nolan said. "We didn't play well enough to win and
we have to learn to play a certain way."
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Hodgson put the Sabres on the board first with a beautiful
finish 6:59 into the game. Sabres captain Steve Ott found
Hodgson all alone in the slot, and he raced in alone and beat
Mason with a strong forehand deke.
It was Hodgson's ninth goal of the season and his first since
Nov. 24. Hodgson returned to the lineup Sunday after missing
nine games due to a hand injury. D'Agostini, with an assist on
Buffalo's first goal, recorded his 100th career point.
Voracek evened the score at 1 early in the second period on the
power play. Voracek smashed a one-timer past Enroth from inside
the right circle at 1:40 for his 13th goal of the season.
D'Agostini gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead on a perfect feed from Ott
6:27 into the final period. Following a drop pass from Hodgson,
Ott found D'Agostini streaking toward the net. D'Agostini dove
forward and tipped the puck between Mason's legs.
The game kicked into high gear when Schenn tied the game with
6:32 remaining. After a fortuitous bounce off the boards, the
puck made its way through the Buffalo crease and found Schenn
inside the right circle, who quickly spun and fired the puck
into the net for his 12th goal of the season.
Hartnell briefly gave Philadelphia a 3-2 edge with a power-play
strike with 4:17 remaining. With Buffalo's Zenon Konopka in the
penalty box for goaltender interference, Hartnell flipped a
one-timer over Enroth for his 11th goal of the season.
Ennis tied the game at 3 at 16:47 of the third period, just 54
seconds after the Flyers took a 3-2 lead with a wrist shot from
inside the right circle.
NOTES: Flyers RW Matt Read returned after missing six games due
to a concussion. Heading into the game, Read had 19 points (10
goals, nine assists) in 39 games. ... D Tyler Myers (suspension)
and LW John Scott were scratched for the Sabres. It was the
final game of Myers' three-game suspension for an illegal his to
the head. ... RW Steve Downie, D Hal Gill and D Erik Gustafsson
were scratched for the Flyers. ... This was the second of three
meetings between the two teams this season. The Flyers won the
first meeting 4-1 on Nov. 21.
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