Brink, a Minnesota native, stole the show against his hometown team.
The Philadelphia Flyers might just be fun, folks.
They may not be Stanley Cup favorites, and they may not even be legitimate playoff contenders. But in Thursday night's 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, there was a whole lot to celebrate.
Young forward and Minnesota native Bobby Brink stole the show against his hometown team at Wells Fargo Center, scoring the first two goals of his NHL career. Brink's first goal as an NHLer came on the power play just before the game's midway point after an attempted centering feed from Sean Couturier ricocheted off an official. In the right place at the right time, Brink gathered the loose puck and slid it through Filip Gustavsson's five-hole. He scored again in the third period with a backdoor tap-in on a 2-on-1 rush with Joel Farabee to give the Flyers a comfy three-goal cushion.
"It's a pretty special moment. I've been thinking about it forever. A lot of years of hockey and a lot of stuff leading up to this moment. A lot of sacrifices from my parents and family and grandparents and aunt and uncles. It's just a really special moment for me and my whole family," Brink told the media after the game.
Brink was not expected to make the 23-man roster out of training camp, but after an outstanding preseason, he gave the Flyers no choice. Without question, he belongs in the NHL for the long run.
"I'm happy for him. As much as I think he knows and we know how well he's played, scorers want the goals, so I'm happy for him," head coach John Tortorella told the media after the game. "He's put a lot of work into it."
After converting on just one of 20 power-play attempts in their first six games of the season, the Flyers went 2-for-3 on the man advantage against Minnesota. Minutes before Brink's first marker, Couturier netted a power-play goal of his own — the Flyers' first 5-on-4 goal of the season — off a juicy rebound created by Cam Atkinson.
Travis Konecny potted the icebreaker at the 13:57 mark of the first period when he ripped a quick shot past Gustavsson on the rush. Fittingly, former Wild defenseman Nick Seeler got the primary assist on the goal.
The Flyers' first 40 minutes were outstanding. They led 25-13 in shots and were comfortably in the driver's seat. But after the second intermission, the Wild began to push back. Defenseman Dakota Mermis got the Wild on the board 3:05 into the third period, and Marcus Foligno potted his second goal of the year 1:25 later to make it a one-goal game.
Unfortunately for the Wild, Owen Tippett delivered a massive response. With the Wild frantically pushing to tie the game, Atkinson forced a Minnesota turnover at the blue line and sprung Tippett, who beat Gustavsson with a sick wrister on the breakaway.
It took over six games for Tippett to net his first goal of the season, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
With time winding down in regulation, defenseman Travis Sanheim joined in on the goal party, beating Gustavsson with a laser from the high slot for his first tally of the campaign. Sanheim also posted a pair of assists on the night, giving him eight points in the Flyers' first seven games.
Not bad for someone who was nearly traded away in the offseason, eh?
"He has come in here from Day 1, I'm up his ass all year long last year, he's in trade talks, all that stuff. His skill level hasn't changed. His skating hasn't changed. What has changed is his mindset, and he has shown us right from Day 1 that he's gonna take control, and he has done it to this point," said Tortorella.
"I'm happy for him. I know it was a miserable year for him last year. I'm proud of him, the way he's handled himself so far."
Two weeks into their season, the Flyers are 4-2-1 and sit atop the Metropolitan Division standings. Keep in mind, though, that the Flyers won five of their first seven games last season, and they wound up finishing the year as one of the worst teams in hockey.
Still, something about this team feels a little different. And that's a good thing.
The Flyers continue their homestand Saturday with a matinee tilt against the Anaheim Ducks at Wells Fargo Center. The puck drops at 1 p.m. ET.