Flyers Waste The Islanders With A Pair Of Gordie Howe Hat Tricks
The Flyers jumped out to an immense lead on Thursday night, and never looked back when it came to competing against the Islanders.
The Islanders and the Flyers now find themselves tied in the unlikely Wild Card race. The Flyers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period, led by two Gordie Howe hat tricks, from Dale Weise and Wayne Simmonds. The famed Gordie Howe hat trick includes a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game.
Weise was able to accomplish all that in the first period. He kicked off the night with a goal that deflected off an Islanders defender and into the net. The play was set up by the scorching hot Sean Couturier. Couturier then followed up with a goal of his own a minute later, and with a snap of their fingers, the Flyers were up 2-0.
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Weise then racked up an assist midway through the first after Radko Gudas put in a knuckle puck from near the blue line. Weise, just a fight away from completing the bullish hat trick, engaged in one with bruiser Travis Hamonic just seconds after his assist. The broadcast called it the fastest Gordie Howe hat trick ever. But it wouldn’t be the last Howe hat trick the Flyers see that day. In fact, it wouldn’t even be the last of the period.
Wayne Simmonds had the puck in front of the net, which ended up on the stick of Jordan Weal who put in the rebound goal. Weal scored a goal in his third straight game, and is looking like a huge piece moving forward.
Simmonds was not to be left out of the scoring brigade. He notched his 30th goal of the season by taking a rocket of a shot from Shayne Gostisbehere to the knee cap, finding its way to the net. Simmonds limped his way to the bench, just a fight away from his own Gordie Howe hat trick.
Why not get it in the first period as well? With seven seconds left before intermission, Simmonds dropped the gloves to fight Anders Lee. Two Gordie Howe hat tricks in the first for the Flyers, that’s almost like an automatic victory.
The Flyers sit tied at 82 points with the Islanders, and must continue to rack up points to even sniff a playoff berth. They’re making the moves to do so.
The team also announced the signing of former college star Mike Vecchione today in hopes of a spark in play. The Flyers are full steam ahead in the playoff hunt but are looking down the line as well.