Penguins Power Past Flyers as Special Teams Tell the Story in 5-1 Loss
The Philadelphia Flyers ran into a buzzsaw Monday night, falling 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena in a game where special teams made all the difference. Pittsburgh cashed in on three of their four power play chances, while the Flyers managed just one goal on seven opportunities with the man advantage. That disparity told the story of the night-and left the Flyers searching for answers.
Sidney Crosby, still playing like a man who missed the memo on aging, opened the scoring and never really let up. The Penguins captain tallied two goals, both on the power play, and was a force throughout. Tyson Foerster briefly gave the Flyers life with a 5-on-3 power play goal early in the second, but the momentum was short-lived-especially after Foerster exited with an upper-body injury not long after scoring.
From there, it was all Penguins. Bryan Rust and Thomas Novak added power play goals of their own, and former Flyer Kevin Hayes twisted the knife with a late tally in the third. The Flyers couldn’t generate consistent offense and struggled to manage the puck, finishing with 27 turnovers on the night.
Let’s break it down period by period.
First Period: Flyers Miss Early Chances, Crosby Strikes First
The Flyers came out with some jump. Bobby Brink had a couple of early looks, including a nice move around Kris Letang, but couldn’t find the net. Owen Tippett and Cam York created a dangerous 2-on-1, only to be denied by Tristan Jarry, who was sharp all night.
Philadelphia got the game’s first power play when Garnet Hathaway drew a slashing call on Blake Lizotte. It looked more like a spear than a slash, but either way, the Flyers couldn’t convert. They applied pressure late in the advantage, but no payoff.
Back at even strength, the Penguins made them pay. Crosby cleaned up a rebound off a Rust shot at 9:18, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
It was a classic Crosby goal-right place, right time, quick hands. Vladar couldn’t control the rebound, and the Penguins were off and running.
The rest of the period was choppy. Both teams struggled to find rhythm, but the Flyers were particularly sloppy with the puck. Seven turnovers in the first 20 minutes-five giveaways and two takeaways by Pittsburgh-led to multiple scoring chances for the visitors.
Shots: 8-8
Faceoffs: Flyers 9 - Penguins 8
Notables:
- Rodrigo Abols was perfect on draws (4-for-4), while Noah Cates struggled (1-for-6).
- Brink fired three of the Flyers’ six shots in the first six minutes.
- Hathaway brought the physicality, racking up five hits.
Second Period: Foerster Scores, Then Exits as Penguins Take Control
The middle frame started with promise. Travis Konecny rang one off the post, then drew a penalty from Erik Karlsson.
Moments later, Matvei Michkov earned another call, setting up a lengthy 5-on-3. The Flyers took advantage-Foerster ripped home a shot at 5:36 with Michkov crashing the back post.
Konecny and Trevor Zegras picked up the assists, and the game was tied 1-1.
But just as quickly as the Flyers had life, it was gone. Foerster left the game shortly after with an apparent upper-body injury while attempting a one-timer. Without him, the Flyers’ power play fizzled, and their momentum disappeared.
Pittsburgh went back to work on the man advantage. After Rodrigo Abols took a holding penalty, Crosby struck again just 18 seconds into the power play, restoring the Penguins’ lead at 2-1. Rust and Karlsson assisted.
Later in the period, Sean Couturier took a holding penalty of his own, and once again the Penguins made it count. Rust sniped one off the top of the post and in to make it 3-1. Malkin and Karlsson earned the helpers, and the Flyers were suddenly chasing a game that had been within reach minutes earlier.
A late Flyers power play was cut short when Emil Andrae was called for interference after breaking his stick on a shot attempt. It was that kind of night.
Shots: Flyers 6 (14 total) - Penguins 9 (17 total)
Faceoffs: Flyers 7 (16 total) - Penguins 10 (18 total)
Notables:
- Foerster logged 8:50 of ice time, scored once, and didn’t return after the injury.
- Cates rebounded in the faceoff circle, going 3-for-4 in the period.
Third Period: Flyers Push, Penguins Finish
The Flyers opened the third with a bit of fight. They successfully challenged a would-be Malkin goal for goaltender interference and generated some pressure on a power play drawn by Brink. But as had been the theme all night, they couldn’t convert.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, stayed efficient. After Michkov was called for slashing, Novak beat Vladar off the glove to make it 4-1.
Letang and Malkin assisted. Then, just over two minutes later, Kevin Hayes-yes, that Kevin Hayes-scored off a lead pass from Parker Wotherspoon to cap the scoring at 5-1.
The Flyers finished with a brief power play in the final seconds, but it was far too little, far too late.
Shots: Flyers 15 (29 total) - Penguins 11 (27 total)
Faceoffs: Flyers 9 (27 total) - Penguins 10 (28 total)
Notables:
- The Flyers finished with 27 turnovers, a number that speaks volumes about their puck management woes.
- Zegras led all players with six shots on goal. Crosby had five for Pittsburgh.
Postgame Takeaways:
1. Special Teams Set the Tone
This game was decided on the power play. Pittsburgh went 3-for-4.
The Flyers went 1-for-7. That’s your game right there.
The Flyers had chances-especially with the 5-on-3-but couldn’t build on the early success. Meanwhile, the Penguins were clinical.
2. Foerster’s Injury Changed the Game
Foerster’s goal was the Flyers’ lone highlight, and his exit left a noticeable void. Without his shot threat, the power play lacked bite, and the Flyers lost a key piece of their top-six rotation.
3. Crosby Still Has It
There’s no slowing down No. 87.
Two goals, five shots, and constant involvement. Whether it was finding soft spots in the zone or setting up teammates, Crosby dictated the pace every time he stepped on the ice.
4. Vladar Off His Game
Dan Vladar has been solid this season, but this wasn’t his night. He stopped 22 of 27 and struggled to control rebounds, especially on the opening goal.
The Penguins made him pay for every mistake.
5. Konecny Brings Energy, Needs More Help
Travis Konecny was active-two shots, an assist, and plenty of chirping-but after Foerster left, no one else stepped up offensively. The Flyers need more from their top six, especially in games where special teams are the difference.
The Flyers will need to regroup quickly. The effort was there in stretches, but the execution wasn’t. Against a team like Pittsburgh, that’s a recipe for a long night-and that’s exactly what they got.