Down 2-0 and on the road, the Pittsburgh Penguins came into Philadelphia and unfortunately dug a bigger hole with a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. With the loss, the Flyers have taken a 3-0 series lead over the Penguins. Although Pittsburgh struck first, the Flyers were able to hold on, and a three-goal third period gave Philadelphia the lead they needed. With Game 4 once again in Philadelphia, it looks as though the Flyers may indeed sweep their rivals in the Penguins.
A Much-Needed First Period for Our Mid-Series Penguins and Flyer Recap
The first period of the contest had a different air to it than the first two games. The Flyers were able to establish dominance in both Games 1 and 2 previously. However, the Penguins tightened up their game right from the first whistle in this one. The Penguins outshot the Flyers 8-3 early. With a better focus on team defence, Pittsburgh’s blueliners were much quicker to head back towards their own zone to ensure goaltender Stuart Skinner was properly insulated.
Credit Image: © Jordan Teller/ISIPhotos via ZUMA Press Wire
This paid off dividends just 3:21 into the first period. The Flyers captain, Sean Couturier, gave chase and forechecked Penguins defender Samuel Girard. However, he got a stick in the feet of the mobile defender, sending him tumbling to the ice. On the ensuing power play, the Penguins’ top unit, headlined by a trio of future Hall of Famers, struck first. A beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play from Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust led to an Evgeni Malkin goal to get the Penguins on the board first. This was Pittsburgh’s first time holding a lead all series long. The rest of the period was fairly even, with the shots tied at 10 each at the end of it.
An Explosive Second Period
The second period of the game saw the Battle of Pennsylvania finally kick-off. Just five minutes in, Travis Konecny and Bryan Rust came together in a scrum. Between elbows, kicks, and shoves, both teams found themselves with a handful of players in the penalty box. 11 minor penalties were called during the bruhaha. It was the Penguins, however, that got the extra call against them. On the ensuing power play, Trevor Zegras would score on a one-timer for his first career playoff goal. Following a failed Penguins power play, Philadelphia would strike again. With tensions hot, the Flyers established the zone, and Rasmus Ristolainen would score five-hole on Skinner. This was Ristolainen’s first career playoff goal as well. Two minutes later, the eruption continued, as Nick Seeler beat Skinner from distance to make it a 3-1 Flyers lead. Philadelphia would hold this until the end of the second.
Third Period
For our Flyers and Penguins series recap, the time clock was a factor from the first whistle in the third period. The Penguins held their sticks very tight, and in looking for good plays, they once again fell short of making simple ones in order to pepper Daniel Vladar with good chances. At 5:11 of the third, Tyson Foerster would take a tripping call, giving the Penguins a critical power-play chance. However, Pittsburgh would once again fall to the same issues with overpassing, leading to an easy kill for the Flyers. Near the end of the power play, however, a dangerous looking fall seemed to hurt Vladar. Shortly thereafter, another penalty, this time by Matvei Michkov, led to a big Erik Karlsson goal. This looked like the opening the Penguins needed.
Until 11:12 into the third, where Anthony Mantha took an over-the-glass delay of game penalty. On the ensuing power play, Noah Cates scored a massive goal in front of the net, and the Flyers gained a 4-2 lead. The penalties didn’t stop there, as captain Couturier once again took a penalty, this time for hooking on Mantha. While Pittsburgh got a couple of good chances on it, the Flyers would kill the disadvantage off once again. That would be all she wrote, as Owen Tippett scored on an empty net to put the game away at 5-2.
Looking Forward to Game 4
With this Flyers victory, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in a deep hole. There isn’t much to be optimistic about, as anytime Pittsburgh has gained momentum, the Flyers have been able to respond quickly and shut the Penguins down. Look for an explosive Game 4, where tensions may come to a head for the Pittsburgh Penguins in an embarrassing series against their cross-state rivals.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
