James van Riemsdyk and Jeff Carter scored two goals each, Matt
Carle had a goal and two assists, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat
the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time in four games this
season by winning 7-4 on Thursday night.
Chris Pronger added a goal and an assist as the Flyers took
leads of 2-0 and 5-2 in winning for the second night in a row and
the sixth time in eight games, and against the opponent that
frustrates them the most. The seven goals were a Flyers' season
high and gave them 13 in two nights, as they beat Toronto 6-2 on
Wednesday.
The Penguins had won the first three games of the season
series and 10 of 13 against the Flyers -- and that didn't count
last season's Eastern Conference playoff series victory. Pittsburgh
had eliminated Philadelphia in the playoffs the last two seasons.
Sidney Crosby scored twice for the Penguins, his 25th and
26th goals, but the Penguins gave up too many odd-man rushes and
weren't strong enough in net to win. They lost their seventh in
nine games and now begin a five-game road trip that winds up with a
three-game western Canada swing.
The Flyers chased slumping goalie Marc-Andre Fleury less than
two minutes into the second period when Pronger scored from just
inside the blue line, putting them up 4-2. Fleury angrily threw his
stick down the runway that leads to the dressing room as he left
the ice and was replaced by Brent Johnson, who gave up van
Riemsdyk's second goal of the game 74 seconds later to make it 5-2.
Fleury allowed four goals on 15 shots while losing his fifth
in a row, with Carter and Carle scoring as Philadelphia converted
both of its power plays. Carle hadn't scored since Oct. 31 against
Carolina.
Flyers goalie Michael Leighton made 35 saves to beat
Pittsburgh for the first time in four career starts.
Crosby, held to two goals in his previous nine games, scored
midway through the second to get the Penguins back within two
goals, but Carter later got his 16th of the season and second of
the game to restore Philadelphia's three-goal lead at 6-3.
The Penguins' NHL-worst power play went 0 for 3. The Penguins
have 27 goals on a league-high 187 power plays (14.4 percent).
Evgeni Malkin, last season's NHL scoring champion, was held
without a goal for the seventh consecutive game although he had two
assists. He came in with five goals and seven assists in his
previous eight games against the Flyers.
Game notes
Penguins D Sergei Gonchar (foot) sat out a fourth consecutive
game. ... Penguins assistant coach Mike Yeo, hospitalized last
weekend during a Florida road trip, watched from the press box. ...
Carter also scored twice against the Penguins on Oct. 8. He has
five goals against Pittsburgh this season. ... Mike Richards added
an empty net goal, his 19th tally, with 32 seconds remaining.
