Photo Credit: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Flyers shocked a lot of people when they won the first three games in this Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The rebuilding Philadelphia hockey club found themselves in their own barn on a Saturday night in late April looking to pull off a sweep against their cross state rivals.
This series has been contentious, hard hitting, and full of the type of drama we’ve come to expect from these two teams come playoff time. In other words, it’s been a lot of fun. The stage was set, the fans were pumped, and the battle of Pennsylvania was about to resume on Broad Street.
A Flyers win would send them to the next round undefeated in the post season. Goalie Dan Vladar started the game in the Flyers net. It was a “game-time decision” after he was banged up in Game 3 and didn’t participate in the team practice on Friday. Pittsburgh looked to adjust their mojo by giving Stuart Skinner the night off and going with Aturs Silovs for the start.
Philly vs Pittsburgh
The Penguins were playing to keep their season alive. They came out with a renewed jump in their skates. Pittsburgh was doing a good job of keeping pucks in the Flyers zone. When the Flyers did enter the offensive zone the Penguins managed to keep the Flyers breaches brief.
The atmosphere in the building was electric and the excitement level high. The Flyers were slightly disjointed, nothing major, but their systems were breaking down a bit here and there. More than halfway through the opening period the Flyers had already been through their 1st man advantage and still had just one shot on goal.
Denver Barkey committed an absolutely accidental high sticking infraction against Samuel Girard giving the Penguins their first power-play of the night 14:19 into the opening period. Sidney Crosby used this opportunity to score his 1st goal of the series on a one-timer from the circle just five seconds into the man advantage.
Seconds later the captain almost struck again. Dan Vladar made and excellent side to side pad save on Crosby keeping the momentum from drastically shifting.
2nd Period
In the opening minute of the period Kris Letang questionably crushed Trevor Zegras into the boards behind the Pittsburgh net. Zegras looked shaken and it sure looked like boarding but play continued.
The puck made its way down to the other end of the ice. Flyers goalie Dan Vladar went behind the net to retrieve a puck as it wrapped around the boards. Vladar misplayed the puck when pressured by Richard Rakell. The puck squirted out in front of the net. Rakell dove to beat Vladar to the puck and guide it into the open net. Pittsburgh had taken a two goal lead just 1:03 into the 2nd period.
The Penguins kept the pressure on. They were swarming. At one point Christian Dvorak made a skate save stoppping the puck on the Flyers goal line. Things were dangerously closed to getting out of control.
All this activity in and around the Flyers net put a serious dent in the boisterous enthusiasm of the crowd.
Get a grip
Flyers Fans were on hold but you knew the place would explode if the Flyers could give them the opportunity. Then, as if right on que, Trevor Zegras put together a fantastic individual effort to maintain a prolonged possession in the offensive zone. Zegras then threaded the puck to Denver Barkey who had himself planted right in front of the net for the tap in. And just as anticipated the place exploded.
Barkey’s 1st
This was Barkey’s first goal of the NHL playoffs. Barkey plays a dedicated game and is always willing to take the heat that comes along with setting up camp right in front of the opposing team’s net. The game went to the second intermission with the Penguins ahead by just a goal.
Both teams came out in the 3rd period looking to take control of this game. The Flyers wanted their sweep. The Penguins were playing for their lives.
The Penguins took a two goal lead when Sidney Crosby made a soccer style play with his skate to get a loose puck off of the boards and kick it to Kris Letang. Letang fired a slapshot from the slot that sailed past Vladar 4:27 into the 3rd period.
Konecny’s 1st
The Flyers cut the lead back to one goal when Christian Dvorak passed from the corner to Travis Konecny who one-timed a rocket over the glove of Arturs Silovs. With 12:57 left in regulation the Flyers were within a goal. Konecney had his 1st goal of the series and the excitement in the building was fully restored.
Play was wide open at that point with both teams creating multiple chances. The Flyers were coming on strong but the Penguins were not laying back with their lead. Both teams were adamantly seeking that all important next goal which would either tie the game or put it out of reach for the Flyers. It was hard hitting full throttle NHL playoff hockey.
With just two minutes left in regulation the Flyers were looking for an opportunity to pull their goaltender for the extra attacker.An icing by the Penguins gave the Flyers a chance to set up for a faceoff in the Pittsburgh zone with 1:21 remaining on the clock. But this was not to be the night for a dramatic comeback and a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pens quickly gained control of the puck and hit Connor Dewar with a stretch pass. Dewar sunk the puck into the Flyers gaping open net with less then a minute left in regulation. As time ran out the final score was set 4-2 in favor of the visiting Penguins.
Travis Sanheim and Sidney Crosby came together at the boards and went down to the ice in a tangled mess as the horn sounded. The on ice officials jumped in as if something was happening. That seemed to trigger a response from both teams.
Brian Rust grabbed hold of Porter Martone, got his helmet off, and started pulling his hair. He was repeatedly grabbing and pulling his hair with his glove still on. It was absolutely bazar. Again I feel it’s necessary to tell you that I wish I was joking but I’m not.
What’s up with this team pulling helmets off? It’s become a running theme for a team that so often claims to be the perpetual victim of some form of what many now call scumbag hockey.
Keeping things baffling Trevor Zegras was the only player on the ice who was penalized. He was given a ten minute misconduct at 20:00 but the record doesn’t state exactly what he was found guilty of doing.
Next Up: The Penguins live to fight another day. The series returns to Pittsburgh for Game 5 Monday night in Pittsburgh 7:00 PM.
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