Penguins Offense Explodes in Win Over Flyers
Goaltending was optional in the final battle of the year between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers squared off for the final time of the 2023-24 season, and it was a crucial contest for both teams. The Flyers were hoping to keep their standing in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while the Penguins were looking to get back in the hunt.
A win for the Penguins would give them ample opportunity to get right back in the hunt, and they had everything leaning in their favor heading to puck drop.
First Period
Despite the must-win occasion and the pregame momentum for the Penguins, the Flyers tallied first. The Flyers jumped on a turnover and beat Tristan Jarry cleanly over the glove. The Penguins needed a save in that situation and were stuck playing from behind.
There aren’t many curtains in life, but Sidney Crosby putting up numbers against the Flyers is as close as it gets. The Penguins’ first line put up a good effort, and a loose puck found its way to Crosby, who directed home the tying goal.
The game wouldn’t be tied for long as the Penguins fought their way to a lead. Bryan Rust deflected a shot from Marcus Pettersson to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. It was another significant shift from the first line, which they capped off with another point for both Rust and Crosby.
That would be all she wrote in the first period as the Penguins recovered nicely from an early gaffe.
Second Period
It didn’t take long into the second frame for the Flyers to knot the score at two. A missed assignment from Erik Karlsson left Tyson Forester alone in front of Jarry. Forster got Jarry to bite on a move and take an easy tally.
The Penguins were assessed a weak four-minute major for high sticking, but a Flyers penalty into the second half of the call opened up a 4-on-4 opportunity. Neither team could take advantage, moving the game forward tied at two.
A later power play chance was beneficial for the Penguins at a crucial time. Rust placed a perfect shot over Peterson to give the Penguins their second lead of the game.
Jansen Harkins added some intensity to the contest with a massive hit against Jaime Drysdale. The hit drew a crowd of Flyers to ambush Harkins, giving the Penguins another power play opportunity. The Penguins took full advantage and saw the first goal from Emil Bemstrom in a Penguins uniform.
However, the Flyers wouldn’t go down without a fight, as a shot off a face-off was ripped straight past Jarry. Not much later, a horrendous effort on another power play chance gave the Flyers a wide-open net to re-tie the game.
With the score tied at four, things were going to be desperate for the Penguins in the third period. Not only did the Penguins need a win, they needed to win in regulation to keep themselves alive in the hunt.
Third Period
The Penguins have 20 minutes to keep their season alive. They killed off an early Evgeni Malkin penalty and cashed in for another lead. Rust took a bump that caused some sort of injury; as he went to the locker room, Malkin set up Drew O'Connor for the Penguins' fifth goal of the contest.
Heading into this contest, Rickard Rakell had not scored in 15 games, with only five goals in the entire season. He chose a perfect time to find the back of the net again and give the Penguins a 6-4 lead. Crosby assisted on the goal for his fourth point of the night.
Goaltending appeared optional, however, as the Flyers scored to keep things interesting. Jarry's struggles to make a timely save continued with the Flyers scoring to keep within a goal.
Kris Letang got in on the action with a harmless shot that took a bounce before finding its way past Peterson. The Penguins carried a 7-5 lead heading into the final five minutes of regulation, yet it didn't feel like the game was close to being over.
The Flyers are one of two teams in the NHL with a worst power play than the Penguins, and they managed to keep things interesting with a late power play goal. Only down by one, the Flyers pulled their netminder for the extra attacker.
The Penguins held on, but just barely to seal a vitally important two points in the standings.
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