What was sure to be a physical and entertaining game turned out to be just that. The Pittsburgh Penguins (38-24-8) went across the state to face their most heated rival, the Philadelphia Flyers (34-23-12). Marc-Andre Fleury had, once again, an outstanding game and allowed only one goal which was deflected off of his own teammate.
Pittsburgh’s defense was able to hold the Flyers in single digits in shots headed into the third period and did not allow them to dictate the tempo of the game. The Penguin’s offense was jump-started by Trevor Daley, who scored his first goal in over 20 games, followed by Carl Hagelin, and Chris Kunitz giving Pittsburgh the win, 4-1.
Matt Cullen, Bryan Rust, and Nick Bonino all had a fantastic game and came up strong against a very physical Philadelphia team. Their composure and ability to keep the Flyers back on their heels kept Philly from being able to garner any type of momentum.
Make it Five
With today’s win, the Penguins were able to make it their fifth straight win. Coach Mike Sullivan has his team running on all cylinders and it is clear they are playing the best hockey of the season.
It is unfortunate that Evgeni Malkin is not a part of the success, with the team winning all four games since it was announced he’d be out at least until the playoffs begin. But, as of now, it looks as thought the Penguins have not missed a beat and are determined in reaching as high in the standings as possible.
It will not be a very interesting final few weeks of the season with the New York Islanders (38-22-9) just a point ahead of Pittsburgh. The Islanders will be in action tonight at 8:00 p.m. against the Dallas Stars (42-21-9) and has major implications on the current standings in the Metropolitan Division.
Necessity for Discipline
Philadelphia knows how to get in the heads of their opponents, more so in the head of the Penguins. However, it was very impressive how the Penguins did not retaliate to late hits or trash talk.
While some players would yak back, no one put themselves unnecessarily in the penalty box. Though this strategy does work on most other teams, Sullivan was clear on telling his team to smile and leave the game with two points, and not multiple two-minute penalties.
What is most amazing out of all this is that Pittsburgh did play a very physical game too. The Penguins were incredibly active against the boards and able to draw three penalties.
Kris Letang had a superb game as well and was able to get an empty netter at with a little over a minute left to seal the deal. This marks a rare win in Philadelphia, a place where Pittsburgh typically struggles to win.
What’s Next?
The Penguins are set to face yet another rival, the Washington Capitals, tomorrow at Consol Energy Center at 6 p.m.
