CALGARY — Scott Laughton scored twice and Brian Elliott made 43 saves as the Philadelphia Flyers snapped a 10-game losing skid on Monday night with a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames.
Calgary held a wide edge in play, outshooting the visitors 45-21, but the opportunistic Flyers scored three times in a 1:11 span in the second period to break open a 1-1 game.
Valtteri Filppula, Michael Raffl and Wayne Simmonds also scored for Philadelphia (9-11-7), while Jakub Voracek tacked on three assists. The Flyers have points in six of their last 11 games as five of the losses during their skid came in overtime.
Troy Brouwer, with his first of the season, and Sean Monahan scored for Calgary (14-12-1). The Flames lost three of four on their homestand and now head out East for games on back-to-back nights in Toronto and Montreal starting on Wednesday.
Mike Smith made 16 saves in defeat.
A key moment came early in the second when a misplayed puck by Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov enabled Johnny Gaudreau to race away on a breakaway. Elliott stopped the dangerous Flames winger with a sharp glove save then stopped four more shots on the ensuing power play as defenceman Andrew MacDonald was whistled for hooking Gaudreau.
It was right after that penalty kill that the Flyers took the lead for good. Shayne Gostisbehere's slapshot from the blue line hit the post, deflected off the back of Mike Smith's leg and was knocked over the line by Laughton.
Twenty-five seconds later, Voracek set up Raffl on a two-on-one to make it 3-1 and then Philadelphia took advantage of a mistaken call by the officials.
With Michael Frolik sent off for high-sticking, when it was actually a teammate's stick that caught Sean Couturier in the face, Simmonds scored 10 seconds into that power play to make it 4-1.
Monahan's 15th goal at 18:45 of the second period got Calgary back to within two. However, just 1:51 into the final period, Laughton scored again, burying a Jordan Weal rebound to restore the Flyers' three-goal cushion.
Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic received a match penalty early in the third period for hitting to the head after connecting with Dale Weise.
Calgary took the lead at 18:15 when Brouwer buried a Curtis Lazar rebound for his first of the season. Dating back to last season, it was the first goal in 33 games for Brouwer, who immediately looked skywards in an expression of relief.
Notes: Flames captain Mark Giordano played in career game No. 700... Calgary made one lineup change inserting Curtis Lazar at centre and scratching veteran Matt Stajan... Philadelphia also made one change with Taylor Leier drawing in for Jori Lehtera... Philadelphia won for just the second time (2-8-4) when giving up the first goal.
Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press
