After one of the worst games of the season by the Penguins in the first of a home-and-home series with their in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers, the Pens returned to the Consol Energy Center, hoping for a bounce-back performance. In the 4-0 loss, the injury depleted Penguins were outshot 40-25 and had to make last minute adjustments with Chris Kunitz and James Neal joining the growing list of key players missing from the lineup.
Fueled by early power play opportunities and an especially flat first period, the Pens were beaten once again by the red-hot Flyers, 4-3.
The Pens did not the get the start they were looking for as Brayden Schenn took a mishandled rebound off of a spectacular Marc Andre Fleury save and buried a goal at the 17:54 mark with assists by Wayne Simmonds and Vincent Lecavlier to give the Flyers an early 1-0 lead.
Barely two minutes later the early assault continued after the Flyers were able to convert on a power play opportunity courtesy of a Robert Bortuzzo interference call. Simmonds scored on a deflection with assists to Kimo Timmonen and Claude Giroux. It was their second goal in five shots.
The Pens spent most of the 1st period on the penalty kill, as the Flyers had three PP opportunities, and were able to convert for a second time with Simmonds second goal at 13:41 of the first. The Flyers third tally of the period chased Fleury, who was replaced by Jeff Zatkoff.
A goal by Brooks Orpik with 2:27 remaining in the first gave the Pens some semblance of hope to make the score 3-1.
The Pens got their first power play opportunity to begin the second period and two excellent scoring opportunities for Evgeni Malkin were thwarted by Steve Mason and the Flyers were able to kill it.
Matt Niskanen was able to continue the shift the momentum and give the Pens new life with a shot that beat Mason to make the score 3-2 at the 14:10 mark. The goal was assisted by Rob Scuderi and Jussi Jokinen.
Zatkoff’s clutch save on Simmonds kept the Pens within a goal midway through the 2nd, which he followed with another highlight reel save moments later on Sean Courturier.
The Flyers extended their lead on Matt Read’s 4th shorthanded goal of the season to make it 4-2, killing all momentum the Pens had gained, and taking the energy out of Consol’s crowd.
The Pens brought the game back to a one goal deficit with 3:39 remaining in the 2nd on a beautiful redirect by Jason Megna courtesy of a slick pass by Brian Gibbons.
The third started the teams trading blows with a prime opportunity for Gibbons and then big saves by Zatkoff that kept the score 4-3. A fourth power play opportunity gave the Pens a chance to tie things up early in the third but were unable to get one by Mason.
Sidney Crosby was not able to bury a breakout with an extra attacker on the ice with seconds left in the game, and then hit the post on a second last second attempt. the Pens came up just short of finding a way to fight back to tie the score.
The Flyers outshot the Pens 35-23.
The three stars of the game were:
1.) Wayne Simmonds
2.) Matt Read
3.) Jayson Megna
