PHILADELPHIA — For the third time in the last four games, an opponent badly outshot the Pittsburgh Penguins (7-2-2). However, for the third time in those games, the Penguins had a chance to win the game.

The Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-1) went to the shootout, as Philadelphia prevailed in a wild ending, 3-2 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Still, the shootout loss extended the Penguins’ points streak to six games.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tied the game midway through the third period with his eighth goal of the season when his backhand pass into the crease bounced off one defenseman, goalie Sam Ersson, and dropped behind the goal line with 8:03 remaining.

Each team had a game-winning goal waved off in overtime.

When the Penguins scored in OT, Evgeni Malkin jumped onto the ice too early during a delayed penalty, so referees quickly waved off his goal 49 seconds into the extra period (it’s not a too many men on the ice penalty when the play involves the goaltender coming off the ice and an extra attacker joining the play).

The Flyers’ potential game-winner by Tyson Foerster was nullified by an offside review with 24.4 seconds remaining.

However, Malkin also took a hooking penalty in the final two minutes of overtime, but a game-winning Tyson Foerster (4) beat Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs with 24.4 seconds remaining.

Of course, it was Crosby who tied the game. In 90 previous games, Crosby had 56 goals and 78 assists against the Flyers.

The Penguins were being outshot nearly two-to-one until a little third-period flurry made the shot clock a little more respectable.

No NHL offseason signing has been as productive as the Penguins’ Justin Brazeau. Midway through the first period, Brazeau took advantage of Anthony Mantha’s center drive and swept past defensemen on the left wing toward the net.

Brazeau (6) turned his shot from backhand to forehand close to the net and slipped the shot off Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson’s pad and inside the post for the first goal of the game at 10:16.

The first period was a relatively even swap of plays and zone time. Philadelphia outshot the Penguins merely 10-8 and added a few more scoring chances than the Penguins (9-6), too.

Late in the first, Penguins defenseman Matt Dumba took an interference penalty just inside the defensive blue line. Just 32 seconds later, Bobby Brink (3) chipped a rebound past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs at 17:25.

The Penguins’ second period more closely resembled a food coma from eating their way through the Amish desserts at the Reading Terminal Market. The sleepy Penguins period included just six shots on goal, and only one sequence in which the shots were less than one minute apart. They went three, four, and five minutes without a shot in the second.

Silovs made a handful of athletic saves in the second, including a couple on Philadelphia defenseman Cam York, and a great pad save on Matvei Michkov as the electric Russian winger cut across the slot at full speed.

However, early in the second period, the Penguins’ game quickly lost all energy and intensity following a lackluster power play.

Just nine seconds clear of the Penguins’ man advantage, Flyers top line right winger Travis Konecny (2) lit the lamp with a targeted wrist shot to the far post from the back of the circle at 2:46 of the second period.

It was the only goal as the Flyers peppered Silovs with 14 shots in the middle 20 minutes.

Silovs made 30 of 32 saves in regulation and 32 of 34 overall. Ersson faced only 22 in regulation, but stopped four more in overtime.

Penguins Notes

Rookie Harrison Brunicke was a healthy scratch. He has played seven NHL games and can play as many as nine before the Penguins must make a decision to return him to juniors or keep him in the NHL.

Rookie Owen Pickering was recalled Tuesday and inserted into the lineup as the third pairing beside Matt Dumba, who moved to his natural right side.

The Penguins had an overtime power play but failed to convert. So, too, did Philadelphia.

The end of overtime featured a small melee with Parker Wotherspoon being dragged away from Flyers winger Trevor Zegras. Foerster and Penguins winger Noel Acciari were quarreled. The ruckus appeared to be over as Acciari covered his teammate Wotherspoon on the ice. Still, Zegras reached down for a couple of punches to the back of Acciari’s head, and tempers quickly reheated.

Zegras, Foerster, Jamie Drysdale, and Owen Tippet were given misconducts at the end of overtime and were ineligible for the shootout.

Acciari, Shea, Wotherspoon, and Crosby were also given misconduct penalties for the incident.

Tags: Penguins recap Philadelphia flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby

Categorized: Penguins Postgame