The Philadelphia Flyers won over the Tampa Bay Lightning behind two goals from rookie Shayne Gostisbehere. The first-year player has been a force for the Flyers this season, and the team is right in the playoff mix after earning the 4-2 victory.
The Flyers snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Lightning with the victory, and now, the team is within striking distance of the second wild card spot. With just 17 games left in the season, the Flyers are now just two points back of the Detroit Red Wings in the playoff standings. The teams will face off two more times over the final stretch of the season.
Gostisbehere has been one of the surprises for the team this season, and he came through with two goals. Gostisbehere, Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds all scored in the game, pushing the Flyers to their fifth win in six games. Gostisbehere now has 14 goals this season, which is a team record for a rookie defenseman.
"It's been a fun ride," Gostisbehere said. "I didn't expect any of this to happen."
Gostisbehere has been impressive this season, recording 37 points through 47 games for the Flyers, including 23 assists. The 22-year-old has had the most goals for a rookie defenseman in the NHL since Dion Phaneuf had 20 back in 2006. The Flyers are now the first team behind the second wild card spot in the playoff standings in the Eastern Conference, leading the Carolina Hurricanes by two points.
Steve Mason had 16 saves in the game for the Flyers, while Andrei Vasilevskiy had 36 stops for the Lightning. Gostisbehere scored the first goal of the game in the second period and later added his second score in the third. The Flyers will play the Lightning again on Friday in Tampa Bay, and the team will then play the Florida Panthers before returning home against the Red Wings.
The matchups with the Red Wings on the schedule will be crucial if the Flyers want to make the playoffs. The upcoming schedule has a tough stretch for the Flyers, as they will play the Blackhawks in Chicago after the Red Wings game and will then return home to play the Penguins. After that, the team has four straight games on the road, including matchups with the Islanders, Blue Jackets, Avalanche and Coyotes.
