Flyers get a point, but take a tough loss to Penguins in OT
AP Photo/Gene J. Puska
It was a weird, sloppy night of hockey in PPG Paints Arena. It was one where the Flyers took a tough 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first Keystone State match of the season.
Period 1
Teddy Blueger won the opening faceoff, and it was crucial. Just 16 seconds in, Mike Matheson fired one at the net, and Brock McGinn tipped it in past Carter Hart for a very early 1-0 lead.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph went to the box for interference at 6:40. The Flyers had to take advantage and tie this game up. But the Penguins, who lead the NHL with a 94.7 penalty kill percentage, killed with ease.
Oskar Lindblom was set up in the dead slot, but was robbed by Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. Travis Konecny also just stopped from the slot by Jarry.
Flyers got their shots and chances in the second half of the first period, especially from the third line, but that trio is still struggling to turn all their puck possession into goals, and the top two lines looked really discombobulated.
The Penguins got a goal 16 seconds into the game. Not much else happened. Flyers picked up the pace a bit towards the end of the period and ended up with 17 shots —somehow — but they’ll take a 1-0 deficit into the first intermission.
Period 2
Teddy Blueger won the opening faceoff to begin the second.
At around 3:30, the Flyers had their worst shift of the night. Everyone just kind of stood there and did nothing. The Penguins got three or four shots off that were shutdown by Hart, including a scramble in front. After the Flyers got the puck, they immediately turned it over and Hart had to stop a couple more shots from the Penguins before covering the puck. The defense just kind of was inexistent. Keith Yandle also just stood there doing nothing. It was horrible.
After, Claude Giroux was accused for tripping. A little bit of a weak call, I must say. During the Pens’ power play, Hart made another outstanding stop. Puck was passed to Hart’s blind side, and he dove out and made a huge stop. Flyers killed the power play, all in thanks to Hart — who kept the Flyers in this game.
Danton Heinen went to the box for for slashing. Thankfully, the Flyers tied the game. Konecny made a slick move to tie this game up at one.
Jake Guentzel fanned on the puck and recovered and fired one off the inside of the post and in at 11:46 to make this a 2-1 game. Jeff Carter screened Hart. The Flyers deserved to give it up with how this period was going.
The Flyers are, again, fortunate that a loose puck in front didn’t turn into something worse as the period winds down.
Pretty chaotic period on the whole, but the Flyers’ breakdowns have been more bad. They’re still in it trailing by just one goal, and somehow they’re outshooting the Penguins, but this hasn’t been a good showing by Philadelphia through 40. Process still has serious issues. 2-1 Pens after two.
Period 3
Teddy Blueger won the opening faceoff to begin the third and final period.
Flyers made a strong to start in the third period, just like they did two nights ago in Philadelphia against Arizona. Unlike then, however, they didn’t have the benefit of a tie game, they instead had to erase a one-goal deficit.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel went to the box for roughing. The Flyers killed off the penalty easily.
This was at least the third game this season where the Giroux-Sean Couturier-Konecny line hadn’t started looking as dominant as it should until the third period. It’s just, weird.
Brock McGinn went off for high sticking at 13:58. This was a huge opportunity for the Flyers to tie this game. But of course they did not. Flyers had just one shot on the PP. Horrible
Mike Matheson had a crucial turnover for Pittsburgh as time was clicking down. The third line finally broke through, and it was Scott Laughton. He took advantage of the turnover, and absolutely blasted one and tied this game up at two with 2:52 remaining.
Flyers secured a point with that late third period goal. Now, we went to overtime.
Overtime
Flyers started with Giroux, Joel Farabee, and Ivan Provorov in 3v3 OT.
Carter won the opening faceoff to begin OT.
Hart denied Guentzel in front with his leg pad for the first stop of OT.
Cam Atkinson found his way rolling right up to the net, but Jarry made a big stop.
Hart seemed to stop a wraparound by Kris Letang, but it looked like the puck just crossed the line. It was hard to tell if the puck was in because it was in the air. It was close, but the refs said it was in the net, and the Penguins won 3-2.
The good news: the Flyers do salvage a point out of this game and Carter Hart was incredible in net continuing to silence the doubters after his shaky season last year. The Flyers will look to rebound in Washington on Saturday night.
