Flyers Look Strong in Victory Against Rival Penguins

The Beginning of Wednesday’s rivalry matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins was not a familiar site for fans. The teams and their fans united as one to acknowledge the tragedies that took place in Ottawa earlier that day with the singing of the Canadian National Anthem, as well as the United State’s National Anthem. This display demonstrated each teams’ ability to set aside their dislike of one another, and come together during such a difficult time. Once the puck dropped, the familiar battle between in-state rivals continued.  

            The Philadelphia Flyers started off the 1^st period against the Pittsburgh Penguins the same way they approached Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks; not playing any defense whatsoever. They allowed way to many chances early, which eventually led to a goal off a wrist shot by Nick Spaling (1) to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead less than 4 minutes into the game. The Flyers took a little while to settle down but eventually evened up the score with a slap shot from Mark Streit (2) that went off Evgeni Malkin and found its way in the back of the net with 10:40 left in the period. After gaining the momentum, the Flyers eventually took the lead off a beautiful tip-in goal from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (1^st NHL goal). The Flyers would go into the locker after the 1^st period leading the Penguins 2-1.

            The Flyers remained dominant throughout the second period, outshooting the Penguins 17-6. The only issue was that none of their 17 shots found the back of the net, and one of the Penguins six shots did when Paul Martin scored the equalizer off a face-off win. The score would stay at a 2-2 tie for the remainder of the 2^nd period.

            The gameplay throughout the 3^rd period was a lot more even than in the second. However, the Flyers were better where it counted, getting goals from R.J. Umberger (1) and Matt Read (1) before the midway point of the period making score 4-2 in the Flyers favor.  With a little under three minutes left in the game, Marcel Goc (2) gave Flyer fans a small sense of doubt as he scored to make it 4-3. With less than one minute left to play in regulation, Sean Courtier scored his 3^rd goal of the season removing all doubt that the Flyers would not be able to hold on, giving them a 5-3 lead and their 2^nd win of the season.

            With last night’s victory, the Flyers were able to improve their record to

2-3-2, giving them 6 points in this early season, which puts them only 2 points away from the division leaders (Islanders, Capitals, and Rangers). Although it has been a rough start, the Flyers are far from doomed and look to start their first winning streak of the season when they faceoff against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at home.