PITTSBURGH - Most of the Flyers arrived two weeks early to training camp. There was excitement in the air. The club was coming off a successful season and there was a feeling that they could make a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup.

It still may happen, but this isn't the start the Flyers had envisioned.

They did manage to pick up a point for their efforts in tonight's 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena.

The Flyers, now 0-2-1, had more chances in the overtime, but Pascal Dupuis took a pass on the left wing and fired from the circle to beat goalie Antero Niittymaki with 10.8 seconds left.

Jeff Carter and the sizzling Simon Gagne scored goals 21 seconds part in the final minute of the second period, enabling the Flyers to erase a 2-0 deficit.

The Flyers, who avoided their first 0-3 start since 1994, were 0 for 6 on the power play and are just 2 for 19 (10.5 percent) in that department this season.

The Flyers played two sound periods in their opener on Saturday. It was not enough to offset a 4-0 Rangers onslaught in the first period that triggered a 4-3 New York win.

On Monday, the Flyers again played two sound periods. It was not enough to offset a four-goal third period - including an empty-netter - that gave Montreal a 5-3 victory.

Detect a trend?

"I've seen some long stretches of us doing some really good things," Flyers coach John Stevens said before the game. "We just have to stretch it out for 60 minutes."

Niittymaki, who played superbly in relief of Marty Biron in the opener, continued to look sharp in tonight's first period.

Four minutes into the game, he made a big save on Miroslav Satan from point-blank range. About seven minutes later, Niittymaki kept the game scoreless by stopping Maxime Talbot on a shorthanded breakaway, and he made a difficult save on Petr Sykora from the slot with 71/2 minutes left in the period.

Stevens said Niittymaki was playing because it was the Flyers' second game in as many nights and not because Biron had a 6.32 goals-against average in his first two games.

Niittymaki has made a remarkably quick recovery from hip surgery. After tonight's first period, he had not allowed a goal in 63 minutes.

Stevens said he was not worried about Biron's play.

"I thought he was much better in Game 2, and hopefully that's something he can build on to get his confidence back at a high level," he said.

Niittymaki's confidence seemed to be soaring as he made several difficult saves during a Sidney Crosby-led flurry in the first six minutes of the second period.

The Flyers later had their third five-on-three power play in the last three games. This one was for 38 seconds and, like the other two, it failed to produce a goal.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who helped the Penguins defeat the Flyers in last season's Eastern Conference finals, made his best save on a drive by Braydon Coburn, and defenseman Rob Scuderi cleared the puck from the crease.

The teams each scored two goals late in the second period.

Brooks Orpik's power-play goal ended the scoreless goaltenders' duel with 5:48 left in the period. Forty-two seconds later, Matt Cooke beat Andrew Alberts to the puck behind the net and fed Mike Zigomanis, who scored from the slot to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

But the Flyers stunningly struck for two goals in the final minute of the period - 21 seconds apart - to forge a 2-2 tie.

Carter tried to feed Arron Asham on the left side of the goal, but the puck deflected off defenseman Hal Gill's stick and past a startled Fleury with 44 seconds left in the second period.

"It was a bit of a lucky one. [Scottie Upshall] made a good play of keeping it in," Carter said. "I was actually trying to throw the puck over to [Asham] for a tap-in, but it hit their D's stick and we'll take those."

Shortly thereafter, Danny Briere won a face-off in the left circle and got the puck to Coburn, who fed Kimmo Timonen at the point. Timonen's drive was deflected into the net by Gagne with 23 seconds remaining in the period. It was Gagne's third goal in three games.