The Flyers were in Pittsburgh Thursday night to play the 2nd game of a home-and-home against the Penguins. The Flyers came in having won their last three games and the Penguins having lost their last three. The Metropolitan Division is hanging tight and the Flyers have this opportunity to wedge themselves closer to the pack while pushing the flailing Penguins more solidly into the basement.
The history of these two teams is long and storied. You can downplay the current tension of the cross state rivalry all you want. But you can also bank on the fact that fans who purchased tickets for tonight’s game in Pittsburgh remember exactly what’s gone down in the past and it still runs hot for them. They certainly got their money’s worth tonight.
Philly vs Pittsburgh (again)
Samuel Ersson got the start between the pipes for the Flyers tonight and by the end of the 1st period he had given good reason for that decision. Noah Cates who has been on a tear drew first blood just two minutes into the match. Cates blew a wrist shot past Alex Nedeljkovic from the top of the slot. Brink and Zamula picked up the assists. The Flyers lit Nedeljkovic up for six goals on Tuesday night in Philly. Cates was responsible for two of those goals.
Ersson had two huge saves in the final moments of the period. A huge crazy legged pad save at the right post to stone former Flyers Kevin Hayes on the power-play. Then an almost identical save on Penguins captain Sidney Crosby as he attempted to go forehand to backhand point blank only to be blanked by the Flyers netminder.
7 Goal Period
Owen Tippett reopened the score sheet 1:44 into the 2nd period. Tippett picked up a rebound that banked off the back dasher and fired a slap shot off of the skate of Ryan Shea and into the Pittsburgh net. Seeler and Michkov picked up the assists.
Andrei Kuzmenko appeared to score on a deflection 6:13 into the period only to have the goal waved off due to a high stick after being reviewed in Toronto.
The Flyers undaunted by the call found the net again less than a minute later at 7:24. Matvei Michkov picked up a rebound at the goal line and made a skilled series of moves to pull the puck back out front and put it behind the Penguins goaltender. Tippett and Ristolainen picked up the assists. 3-0 Flyers
…Finally
At that point Penguins netminder Alex Nedeljkovic finally got the hook. Nine goals in four and a half periods and he was surpprised and angered by the decision. He smashed his stick over the crossbar and was still yapping in protest on his way up the tunnel. Joel Blomqvist took over in the Pittsburgh net.
Turning Point
The change in personnel seemed to get the Penguins going. An egregious turnover in the Flyers zone led to Philip Tomasino with the puck in front of the net with all the time and space in the world to finally pick Samuel Ersson apart. Tomasino had also scored the Penguins lone goal in the previous match-up. 3-1 Flyers
Just 37 seconds later Erik Karlsson beat Ersson with a blast from the point. 3-2 Flyers
Garnet Hathaway
There is nothing in the rule books about a blind sided hit. Halfway through the period Garnet Hathaway delivered a clean and routine hit to Noel Acciari who had possession of the puck. Bokondji Imama immediately blind-sided Hathaway and totally rung his bell. Hathaway never had possession, went down like a ton of bricks, and laid motionless on the ice while the officials discussed the penalty.
Hathaway was not responsive at first but was eventually assisted off of the ice and obviously went right up the tunnel. It’s unsettling to see an athlete as strong as Hathaway in that diminished state. In the end Imama was given a two minute minor for interference much to the dismay of Flyers coach John Tortorella. Torts was very vocal about his opinion as play resumed. As I said there is no enhanced penalty for that type of interference. Perhaps there should be. The initial hit did not involve the head so no major penalty was called. Hathaway hit the ice without being able to protect himself.
If you can receive a major penalty for a high stick if it draws blood, it may make sense that you could also receive a major penalty if you knock a player out by steamrolling him when he is nowhere near the puck.
Make em pay
Fifty seconds into the power-play Andrei Kuzmenko made a nifty backhanded pass to Matvei Michkov who beat Joel Blomqvist long side. Not only did this goal help to avenge the hit on Hathaway but it also put Michkov into a tie for first in the NHL rookie scoring race with 44 points. 4-2 Flyers
Erik Karlsson scored his second goal of the night with a shot from the top of the circle that beat Ersson just over the pad but under the glove to bring this game to within one goal at the end of a seven goal 2nd period. 4-3 Flyers
Evgeni Malkin tied the score at four just 2:30 into the 3rd period. Malkin used Travis Sanheim to shield Ersson’s visibility as he fired a perfectly placed shot around the Flyers defensman.
Things started to get a bit chippy as the score leveled out. The Flyers got a break and a power-play when the officials seemed to miss Nick Seeler punching the helmet right off the head of Vincent Desharnais. The Flyers had several strong chances during and after the man-advantage but could not make it count.
OT
This game was going to overtime with Michkov and Karlosson both looking for the hattrick but it was Evgeni Malkin’s 2nd goal of the game that decided this contest. Malkin was coming in with Kris Letang on a 2-on-1 break with Jamie Drysdale coming back on defense. Drysdale went down to block the passing lane. Malkin held onto the puck and waited for Drysdale to go drifting by before firing a wrister blocker side to end the game 1:03 into overtime. 5-4 Penguins
Extra Credit: The Flyers ended the month of February by scoring 16 goals in their last three games. They started the month by setting a franchise record of going three full games without scoring a single goal. They will skate into a very busy and challenging month of March at hockey .500 with a 26-26-8 record. They are currently 6 points out of a wild card spot.
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