Haula Nets OT Winner, Devils Down Flyers

For the second straight game, the Flyers scored the lone goal of the third period to get the game to overtime. This time, the result did not go in their favor.

Erik Haula scored at 2:28 of overtime to lift the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.

The Flyers got off to a fast start and got on the board just 2:04 into the game. Emil Andrae made an outlet pass that started a give-and-go between Wade Allison and Bobby Brink. Allison got the goal on the backhand feed from Brink to make it 1-0.

The Devils got the equalizer just seconds after a Flyers power play. Andrae took a shot that was blocked and started a rush the other way. On a two-on-one, Curtis Lazar finished things off to even the score at one at 8:38.

With 3:18 remaining in the period, the Devils capitalized again as the Flyers struggled to gain possession. Timo Meier won a battle and was able to center to a wide-open Alexander Holtz for the goal to make it 2-1. It was Holtz' second goal of the preseason.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 8-5 Flyers.

Neither team scored in the second period, as the Devils evened things up in shots, 17-17, after two periods.

The Flyers pushed play for most of the third period, outshooting the Devils, 12-4, in the third. Finally, with 3:06 to play, they broke through for the tying goal.

A puck battle win behind the net by Samu Tuomaala and Matt Brown allowed Brown to center into the slot for Rhett Gardiner, who buried the chance to make it 2-2.

That forced overtime, where Haula scored the winning goal off the rush at 2:28 to seal the result.

Carter Hart made 19 saves on 22 shots in the loss. Vitek Vanecek made 29 saves on 31 shots in the win.

The Flyers return to home ice on Monday night to face the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Wade Allison (1) (Bobby Brink, Emil Andrae) 2:04
• NJ Curtis Lazar (1) (Tyce Thompson) 8:38
• NJ Alexander Holtz (2) (Timo Meier, Nico Hischier) 16:42

2nd Period

• No Scoring

3rd Period

• PHI Rhett Gardiner (1) (Matt Brown, Samu Tuomaala) 16:54

Overtime

• NJ Erik Haula (1) (Dawson Mercer, Dougie Hamilton) 2:28

Game Statistics

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.