Even though we haven’t hit the halfway point of this kooky season, they were calling this a playoff series in the Flyers’ locker room. Three games in five nights, all in Pittsburgh, was going to be a nice measuring stick.
Verdict: There’s still work to do.
The Flyers lost two of these games in regulation after Saturday’s 4-3 decision. Not a lot of time for analysis, though, as the Capitals await for a game Sunday night.
It was a see-saw game that was tied three times until Jared McCann scored on a rebound midway through a third period largely controlled by Pittsburgh.
Travis Konecny, Kevin Hayes, and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for the Flyers.
Flyers coach Alain Vigneault went with goaltender Brian Elliott for the second time in three games. One, he deserved the start. Two, it allows him to play Carter Hart on Sunday. Hart plays better at home, and there will be fans in the house for the first time all season.
Elliott was adequate, giving up a soft goal to Zach Aston-Reese from a bad angle at the end of the second period. He also was fortunate the Penguins missed a couple of empty nets.
But he atoned with a sterling save on Jake Guentzel midway through the third period. The goal by McCann was an effort goal, which the Penguins had more of in the final period.
It’s a shame these two teams won’t meet again until April 15, because the animosity seemed to rise throughout the three-game set.
Joel Farabee was back in the lineup after a one-game stay on the COVID-19 protocol list.
Farabee was taken awkwardly to the boards by Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson, which raised the temperature a bit. Farabee wasn’t able to get a piece of Matheson in the ensuing scrum, so he traded some facewashes with Evgeni Malkin.
The Flyers’ penalty kill, which has been better lately (10 of 11 in the last four games), let the Flyers down twice in the first period. Malkin crossed up Elliott with an Allen Iverson-like move for a wide-open wraparound goal.
The PK leaked again as the Penguins went cross-ice twice before Bryan Rust buried his second goal in three games. Can’t let teams pass through your penalty kill.
The Flyers play the Capitals three times in the next seven days, which could be trouble. Washington’s power play is fifth-best in the NHL.
