Konecny scores in OT, lifts Flyers to 3-2 win over Red Wings

DETROIT — Travis Konecny gracefully got his skates to the blue line, carried the puck into the middle of the right circle and sent a wrist shot to the back of the net.

Konecny's goal 27 seconds into overtime lifting the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.

"It was 100-per cent onside," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. "Konecny made a heck of a play to stay onside and the linesman made a heck of a call."

The goal stood up after a video review, which determined Konecny was not offside when he got the puck near the blue line after Dylan Larkin lost it along the boards.

"I was pretty sure it was a good goal," Konecny said. "When I saw the replay, my skates hit the blue line before the puck hit my stick. I didn't think they had enough to overturn it.

Jakub Voracek scored a tiebreaking goal in the last minute of the second period and assisted on Andrew MacDonald's goal late in the first for the Flyers. Philadelphia's Brian Elliott stopped 19 shots.

The Flyers have won four straight, for the second time this month, and 16 of their last 22 games to surge into the playoff race.

"We've just got great chemistry in that group, and I think we all bring something else to the ice," Flyers centre Sean Couturier said.

Detroit has lost five of seven, pushing the franchise closer to missing out on the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since a five-year drought from 1979 to 1983.

Blashill said the team's sense of urgency will lead to a tough decision in net, choosing to start Petr Mrazek or Jimmy Howard.

"We're in playoff hockey," Blashill said. "We have to win games and we have to make games on a game-by-game decision."

The offensively challenged Red Wings were fortunate to score midway through the first when Jonathan Ericsson flipped the puck toward the net from just inside the blue line and it appeared to be redirected by Philadelphia defenceman Brandon Manning.

Mrazek made 28 saves, coming off consecutive shutouts. Mrazek made some strong saves early in the game before the Flyers put a lot of pressure on him with pucks from all directions.

After it took about 5 minutes for either team to get a shot on net, the Flyers dominated. They looked like they were on a power play in some even-strength situations and generated more offence when short-handed than Detroit did.

"The second period, they were all over us and we couldn't get it out of the zone," Mrazek said.

Philadelphia controlled the puck and prevented Detroit from shooting much, but didn't lead until Voracek scored with 36.4 seconds left in the second.

After Nielsen tied the game, the Red Wings suddenly played aggressively on offence and created chances that forced Elliott to make saves to extend the game.

"We had a really sluggish start, but we were really good in the second period," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "It was night and day. They really pushed us back at the end, especially with their speed, but we found a way to get two points."

NOTES: Voracek leads the NHL with 46 assists. ... Detroit's Luke Glendenning returned from a 12-game absence for an upper-body injury and assisted on both of Detroit's goals. ... Philadelphia scratched F Taylor Leier, F Dale Weise and D Mark Alt. ... The Red Wings scratched F Justin Abdelkader and D Trevor Daley.

UP NEXT

Flyers: Host Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

Red Wings: Host Chicago on Thursday night.

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Larry Lage, The Associated Press