Flyers fall to Penguins again
PITTSBURGH - In the not-too-distant past, the Flyers used to own the Pittsburgh Penguins. Times have changed. The streaking Penguins continued their domination of the Flyers this season with a 6-2 victory Sunday at the Consol Energy Center.
PITTSBURGH - In the not-too-distant past, the Flyers used to own the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Times have changed.
The streaking Penguins continued their domination of the Flyers this season with a 6-2 victory Sunday at the Consol Energy Center.
Pittsburgh, which ended an eight-game losing streak in the series earlier this year, has won all three meetings against its bitter rivals this season, outscoring the Flyers, 14-6, and outshooting them, 119-79.
"Go home, Flyers!" the fans chanted late in the mismatch.
"We're just coming up flat against them," goalie Steve Mason said.
The Flyers remain in the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, but they missed a chance to extend their one-point lead over Boston. They also lost an opportunity to tie the New York Islanders for the top wild-card position.
"It's a little bump in the road right now; we just have to look at it and get better," captain Claude Giroux said.
Eric Fehr scored two goals, including an empty-netter, for the Penguins, who increased their winning streak to six games, equaling a season high. Pittsburgh has won 12 of its last 13 games and has at least five goals in each of its last four contests.
"They're more on the go," winger Jake Voracek said. "They fly by you, and they play very good defensively."
The Penguins locked up the win on a goal they scored after Tom Kuhnhackl knocked a falling-down Andrew MacDonald into the wall headfirst. While MacDonald was on the ice, motionless, play was allowed to continue and Fehr scored from in front with 10 minutes, 17 seconds left.
MacDonald went to locker room for medical attention. The Flyers said they would not have a medical update until Monday.
"What I did see of it, I thought it was a penalty," said rookie coach Dave Hakstol, now 0-3 against the Penguins. "It's hard to play with a two-goal deficit, especially on the road."
If MacDonald is sidelined, defenseman Evgeny Medvedev figures to return to the lineup.
The Flyers, who have a game in hand on Boston, had their three-game winning streak snapped. They have a key game Wednesday in Detroit, which is third in the Atlantic Division but could fall into the wild-card hunt.
The Flyers have four games left (two at home, two away) in five nights, while Boston has three games left, all at home.
"We know who's around us, Detroit and now Boston," said Voracek, who later added, "If we win three games out of four, we're going to be in."
Wayne Simmonds, atoning for a turnover that led to Pittsburgh's third goal, took a drop pass from Giroux and fired a wrist shot over Matt Murray's shoulder to get the Flyers within 3-1 with 41.2 seconds left in the second period.
It was Simmonds' 29th goal, tying his career high, and it ended Murray's shutout streak at 122:06. The rookie goalie (28 saves) started back-to-back games for the first time in his NHL career because Marc-Andre Fleury is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion.
The Flyers gained little momentum from Simmonds' goal. The Penguins made it 4-1 when a deflected shot caromed to a diving Carl Hagelin, who knocked the puck into the net with 15:46 remaining in the game.
Voracek cut it to 4-2 when he deflected Shayne Gostisbehere's shot past Murray with 11:56 to go.
Midway through an evenly played second period, Patric Hornqvist gave the Penguins a 3-0 lead. Hornqvist's shot/pass was blocked by MacDonald, but he picked up the carom and beat Mason (33 saves) to the glove side.
Pittsburgh spent most of the opening period in the Flyers' defensive end and built a 2-0 lead on goals by Sidney Crosby (backhander on a power-play rebound) and Beau Bennett late in the stanza.
"They started quicker than we did," said Hakstol, whose team had not allowed a first-period goal in its last eight games. "That's the one area we'll address."
The Flyers had an 11-1-1 record at the Consol Energy Center before losing two games here this season.
"There's no excuses," Mason said after the Flyers' fourth regulation loss in their last 19 games. "They played yesterday as well. They found a way to get it done, and we didn't."
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