Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers - Game 1 (PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Updated start time: 8:25 p.m. ET
Penguins' projected lines and pairings:
Forwards
Egor Chinakhov - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Tommy Novak - Rickard Rakell - Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Soderblom - Ben Kindel - Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Defensemen
Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard - Kris Letang
Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton
Goaltenders
Stuart Skinner (starter)
Arturs Silovs (backup)
Flyers' projected lines and pairings:
Per Siobhan Nolan of THN - Philadelphia Flyers:
Forwards
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone
Matvei Michkov - Noah Cates - Denver Barkey
Tyson Foerster - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett
Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Emil Andrae
Goaltenders
Dan Vladar
Samuel Ersson
First period
Let's see if this thing starts at 8:25.
- Well, the puck DID drop at 8:25, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were here to give the "It's a Hockey Night in Pittsburgh" opener. Good stuff.
Also, it is very, very loud. Deafening. "Flyers suck" chants already ringing.
- Flyers have already hit the post once, and fisticuffs are already being thrown. Flyers to the box, as Ristolainen gets an early penalty for roughing. Penguins to the game's first power play.
- PP looks a bit disjointed early on. A few chances on shots from the point, and an Egor Chinakhov chance off the rush.
- Rakell throwing around the body quite a bit early on. Already two or three hits from him, and we're six minutes into this game. Lots of physicality in general.
- Letang goes to the box for tripping at 6:37. Still no score. Flyers to the power play after the TV timeout.
- Well, the Flyers appeared to have scored the first goal of the game on their power play, but it was waived off. Can't make a beeline straight into the goaltender, squeak the puck through, and expect not to get called. Usually, that is.
Other than blip, the Penguins' PK is back - just as Blake Lizotte is back. Great stuff from the PK unit.
- Sidney Crosby rips of Jamie Drysdale's helmet. No call. Drysdale continues to play, which is... not allowed.
And after the refs convene, Crosby is called for roughing. But, not sure why Drysdale isn't also penalized there for continuing to play without his lid, unless I'm missing something here.
Well, never mind. Drysdale is called for interference at 11:16, along with Crosby's roughing. We'll play four-on-four for two minutes.
- Just over seven minutes left in the first, and the Penguins are being outshot, 10-4. It doesn't necessarily feel that way (not entirely, anyway), but Philly has controlled the majority of even-strength play in this opening period.
- Malkin, Chinakhov, and Mantha are out there for a straggled shift together. Generated a few chances. Around six minutes to play in the first.
- Nice stick by Connor Clifton with 2:40 left to prevent a high-danger opportunity for Philly in the slot. Skinner (Stuuuuuu) makes a save shortly afterward on a perimeter shot.
About a minute earlier, Soderblom created a chance for himself off the rush. He took a pass and gained the zone down the right side, and he did a little toe drag and put a pretty heavy shot on goal from the top of the right circle. I continue to be impressed by this guy's puck skills and the way he uses his reach.
- END OF FIRST PERIOD -
Score: 0-0 | Shots: Pittsburgh 5, Philadelphia 10
Second period
- The Penguins just put up a stat on the video board that Pittsburgh is 12-1-3 in its last 16 games against the Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. That's a pretty glaring disparity.
- Penguins have been far too sloppy in this one, and that trend continues into the second period. Skinner makes a breakaway save on Trevor Zegras a minute and 20 seconds into the middle frame, and a minute later, Evgeni Malkin whiffs on a pass at the right point and gives it away to Noah Cates, who turns it back for a chance against (another save by Skinner).
Nice job by Ryan Shea to get back on that play and put some pressure on Cates to shoot, essentially taking away the pass.
- Pens registered their first shot on goal in the second with a few ticks under 14 minutes to go in the middle frame. Flyers have simply been the better hockey team up to this point. Penguins are passing up far too many opportunities to get pucks to the net.
- Skinner ANOTHER breakaway save, this time on Owen Tippett, with 11:38 to go in the second. The Penguins are really playing with fire here. Philly is catching their blueline cheating a bit.
- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Jamie Drysdale (1), from Trevor Zegras and Denver Barkey. 1-0 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh (9:19).
- Flyers were bound to break through eventually. Drysdale just throws a puck to the net from the right circle, and it finds its way through traffic and past Skinner.
- Sanheim goes for interference. Knocked Crosby down, and he slid into the post. He's okay, but teammates take exception. Rust, Clifton, and Chinakhov all getting mixed up. Penguins to the power play at 10:38. They trail, 1-0.
- The Penguins have tried to enter the attacking zone three different times on this power play and have failed each time. Whistled down. They can't get anything generated. The man advantage is a mess so far tonight.
- Nice stick play by Wotherspoon in the d-zone to break up an odd-man break, as Cates had Barkey breaking to the net. This was after an o-zone turnover by Chinakhov.
- GOAL (PITTSBURGH): Evgeni Malkin (1), from Tommy Novak and Rickard Rakell. 1-1 tie (15:51).
- What a pass by Novak there. The Penguins were getting some chances in tight on Vladar, and he puts a perfect no-look backhand pass from the goal line right on the tape of Malkin, who was waiting for it in the right circle. Beautiful play.
The Penguins needed that one. The building was being drained of life with the Flyers' lead and the way the home team had been playing up that point. This gave them some much-needed momentum.
- An Anthony Mantha blast hits Soderblom in front, and he is being tended to by trainers on the Penguins' bench. Not sure where he got hit, but it looked like he was favoring one of his legs heading to the bench.
- Mantha then goes to the box for cross-checking on the same shift. Flyers to the power play late in the second (18:48).
- Skinner has been outstandng in this one. He needs more support in the final frame.
- END OF SECOND PERIOD -
Score: 1-1 | Shots: Pittsburgh 10, Philadelphia 16 | Goals by Jamie Drysdale (PHI) and Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
Third period
- Penguins still had 45 seconds to kill off on the Mantha minor to begin the third. They not only kill it off, the PK earned a glorious shorthanded chance just before time expired. Connor Dewar almost tipped on in at the goal mouth.
This PK is literally just a different animal altogether with Lizotte in the picture.
- Soderblom has got some great hands. Used his frame to power his way to the net for a chance (16:55) there, too. Really like his game tonight.
- Anthony Mantha goes for high-sticking at 3:48. Flyers to the power play. Offensive zone penalty by Mantha there.
- Lizotte with a pickpocket and a clear on the PK. There he is again.
- A "F--- you, Philly" chant rings through the arena. The proud people of Pittsburgh are letting this team have it right now.
- Another Malkin turnover at the offensive blue line. Breakaway for Denver Barkey. Skinner comes up big again, and Karlsson kind of pressures him, too. Way too careless with the puck right now.
- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Travis Sanheim (1), from Rasmus Ristolainen and Christian Dvorak (10:02). 2-1 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.
- Sanheim puts one home from the slot. Nice move around a few guys on that one, too. Penguins really just haven't had it all night.
- GOAL (PHILADELPHIA): Porter Martone (1), from Travis Konecny (17:23). 3-1 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.
- Just a snipe by Martone. Nothing you can really do about that one. The Penguins have a tall mountain to climb in the last three and a half here if they're going to claw their way back into it.
- GOAL (PITTSBURGH): Bryan Rust - PPG (1), from Malkin and Karlsson (18:59). 3-2 Philadelphia over Pittsburgh.
- END GAME -
Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2 (Philadelphia leads series, 1-0)
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