Owen Tippett scored the decisive shootout goal as the Philadelphia Flyers picked up a badly needed home victory by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Thursday.

After both teams failed on their first shootout attempt, Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov beat Jonas Johansson. Tampa Bay quickly evened things up, however, as Brayden Point skated in with speed and scored on Samuel Ersson.

The teams then exchanged multiple empty shootout attempts before Tippett’s forehand got past Johansson. Ersson then stopped Oliver Bjorkstrand to win it for the Flyers.

Bobby Brink had two goals and an assist in regulation for Philadelphia, which had lost the first five games of its seven-game homestand. Ersson made 17 saves before stopping four of Tampa Bay’s five shootout attempts.

Johansson made 26 saves for Tampa Bay, which fell to 0-2-1 in its last three games. Ex-Flyer Cam Atkinson was among the goal scorers for the Lightning.

Yanni Gourde, playing his fourth game since returning to Tampa Bay in a trade last week, set up the first goal of the game at 8:29 of the first period — a redirection by Gage Goncalves.

Brink tied it up about six minutes later. With the Flyers on an offensive rush, Olle Lycksell saucered a pass to Brink, whose wrister from the right circle beat Johansson.

After Tampa Bay scored 15 seconds into the second period, Brink netted his second goal of the game to even things up. Sean Couturier won a puck battle in the defensive zone and unleashed Brink, who got behind the defense and flipped a backhander over Johansson for his 10th goal of the season.

With 59 seconds left in the second, Philadelphia’s Ryan Poehling deposited a beautiful goal to make it 3-2. Lycksell found Poehling wide open in front of the net, and Poehling deked Johansson before tucking it around the goaltender.

Atkinson tied it 3:50 into the third period with a wrist shot from the slot. It was just the fourth goal of the season for Atkinson, who was left wide open on the play.

–Field Level Media