Owen Tippett scored a game-winning shootout tally Thursday night to give the Flyers a 4-3 decision over the Lightning at the Wells Fargo Center.
Finally, John Tortorella's club could celebrate again.
The Flyers (28-31-8) picked up win No. 1 on their season-long seven-game homestand. They came in 0-5-0 on this stretch at home and had been outscored 22-8. They avoided matching their season-worst losing streak of six games.
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"They know the situation and that's why I appreciate them," Tortorella said. "I don't think there's going to ever be a problem in how hard they're going to play. But it's hard for them and I'm happy they can enjoy it."
Bobby Brink led the Flyers' charge with three points. The 23-year-old winger had two goals to make up for two penalties. Both were game-tying markers.
"I have been all over Bobby for the first couple of years and I just like the way he has handled it," Tortorella said. "He has just taken it on, I think he has accepted the challenge. And I'm happy for him because I think he has found an area that I don't think he thought he could play. He was a scorer in college, small guy, probably doesn't think he's good enough to check. But he has found a way to play hard in those areas and I think that has taken him to another level this year."
Ryan Poehling gave the Flyers just their second lead of the homestand when he made a nice move in close with just under a minute left in the middle stanza. Brink assisted the go-ahead 3-2 goal, but former Flyer Cam Atkinson erased the lead just 3:50 minutes into the third period.
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The Flyers went to overtime for the 19th time this season. They improved to 5-3 in the shootout. Matvei Michkov also netted one in the skills competition.
Lycksell had the second multi-point game of his NHL career with two assists. The 25-year-old winger saw the door open for an audition when the Flyers traded away four forwards in the span of five weeks. Both of his helpers were primary ones on Brink's markers.
"He's a great player, real skilled offensively," Lycksell said. "Heck of a two goals and he can really make plays, so I was just trying to set him up."
The Flyers are 2-0-0 against the Lightning (37-23-5), with both victories coming in the shootout. The clubs meet once more in four days at Amalie Arena.
On Thursday night, Tampa Bay was without Nikita Kucherov (illness), the NHL's third-leading scorer (92 points).
• After the Flyers turned to Ivan Fedotov for consecutive starts, they went back to Samuel Ersson and he converted 17 saves on 20 shots.
"He did a great job, that's a heavy lineup they've got up there, especially in a shootout," Poehling said. "For him to shut the door like that for us and give us a chance was awesome."
Ersson had surrendered 16 goals over his previous four starts.
Lightning backup Jonas Johansson stopped 26 of the Flyers' 29 shots.
• Tortorella decided to bump Travis Konecny up to the first line with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster.
As a result, Brink moved down to play with Poehling and Lycksell. And it ended up sparking Brink. The Flyers are 7-0-2 in games that Brink scores a goal.
"He has taken a huge step in his development," Tortorella said. "He works so hard away from the puck, that helps his offense."
The Flyers got great production from that line and really needed it. They've been desperate for a jolt offensively. They had not scored three or more goals since Game 1 of the homestand.
"Lycky and Poehls played great," Brink said. "Unbelievable plays on the goals. They made life easy on me."
• Rasmus Ristolainen was banged up and unavailable, so Egor Zamula drew into the lineup and played alongside Emil Andrae.
Garnet Hathaway remained out with an undisclosed injury he suffered from a blindsided hit he took at the end of February.
• Atkinson unleashed a big pump of the fist after he tied things up against his former team in the third period.
The veteran winger was back at the Wells Fargo Center as a visiting player for the first time since having the final year of his contract bought out by the Flyers last summer.
The veteran winger has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 38 games for Tampa Bay.
• The Flyers wrap up the homestand Saturday when they host the Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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