Sean Couturier recorded a hat trick and two assists as the host Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Minnesota Wild 7-5 in an exciting Saturday matinee.
Travis Konecny had a goal and four assists and Rasmus Ristolainen netted the game-winner for the Flyers, who had not posted a victory in regulation in any of their first seven games. Meanwhile, the Wild had not lost in regulation in their first seven games before Saturday’s back-and-forth defeat.
Marcus Foligno scored twice for Minnesota, while Kirill Kaprizov chipped in two assists. Joel Eriksson Ek registered a goal and an assist, and defensemen Brock Faber and Jake Middleton also scored for the Wild.
With the game tied at 5-5 with about 2 1/2 minutes left, the Flyers emerged on a 4-on-2 rush into the offensive zone. Couturier put a shot on net, but Filip Gustavsson allowed a rebound in the slot and Ristolainen came charging in to jam it into the net.
Ristolainen’s goal was the fifth tally during a chaotic six-goal third period. Couturier’s empty-net goal completed his second career regular-season hat trick and his first since 2019.
Foligno put Minnesota ahead 4-3 just over two minutes into the third period before Konecny’s equalizer came on the power play shortly thereafter.
Couturier scored with 11:34 remaining as he rammed home a loose puck in front of the net, but Middleton pulled the Wild even five minutes later, as his shot from the left point snuck through a screen and past Samuel Ersson.
The Flyers only had three shots in the first period, but they scored on two of them. Couturier deposited a rebound less than 1 1/2 minutes into the game, and then Nick Seeler scored on a wrister about 2 1/2 minutes later.
In the final 5:06 of the second period, the teams combined for four goals — three by the Wild. First, the visitors drew even on Faber’s deflection and Foligno’s end-to-end rush. The hosts went back ahead on Matvei Michkov’s fourth goal of the season, but the momentum didn’t last long as Eriksson Ek slammed home a loose puck for a power-play goal with 3.2 seconds to play.
