Postgame 5: Flyers Fall to Pens in OT, 5-4

The Philadelphia Flyers concluded their 2024-25 season series against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-4 overtime loss at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday evening. The Flyers held leads of 3-0 and 4-2 but were unable to protect it.

Scoring his third goal against the Penguins in the last two games, Noah Cates (13th goal of the season) fired a shot from above the left circle that found the net for a 1-0 lead at 2:00 of the first period after hitting a skate. Bobby Brink, who had the initial entry, earned the primary assist. The other helper went to Egor Zamula.

Cam York was called for high sticking at 15:28. Samuel Ersson robbed Kevin Hayes of a power play goal at the doorstep with a spectacular left pad save. Later, Ersson made a similar stop on Blake Lizotte.

First period shots on goal favored the Flyers, 8-6. Philly won 10 of 18 faceoffs, with Scott Laughton going 4-for-5.

The Flyers made it 2-0 at 1:44 of the second period. Sean Couturier won an offensive zone draw and the Flyers scored shortly thereafter. Scoring his fourth goal in the three games since the 4 Nations Face-Off, Owen Tippett's shot (18th goal) from high in the zone deflected off Ryan Shea and went into the net. The assists were credited to Nick Seeler and Matvei Michkov.

At 6:13, the officials waved off a would-be goal that was ruled a high stick by Andrei Kuzmenko. However, Matvei Michkov (18th) scored one that counted at 7:23 as he used his quick hands near the net to stash a loose puck home. The assists went to Tippett and Rasmus Ristolainen.

Immediately after the Michkov goal, Penguins coach replaced goalie Alex Nedeljkovic in the net with Joel Blomqvist.

The Penguins drew within 3-1 at 9:05 as Philip Tomasino top-shelved a backhander from in tight. The assists were credited to Evgeni Malkin and Danton Heinen.

Pittsburgh struck again quickly at 9:35 as a shot by Erik Karsson (7th) found the net. The assist went to Sidney Crosby.

At 10:15, Garnet Hathaway fell in a heap after a hit by . Bokondji Imama. Imama was initially given an interference major. The penalty was reduced to a minor. Hathaway needed considerable assistance to leave the ice.

On the ensuing power play, Michkov scored his second goal of the game (19th of the season) as he measured a shot. Kuzmenko and Travis Konecny collected the apples as the Flyers made it 4-2.

Using Nick Seeler as a screen, Karlsson (second of the game, 8th of the season) scored on a wrist shot from the right circle above the dot at 18:17. The assists went to Matt Grzelczyk and Malkin as Pittsburgh drew back within 4-3.

Second period shots were 16-14 in Pittsburgh's favor (22-21 Flyers through 40 minutes.)

Malkin (11th of the season) top-shelved a shot at 2:30 of the third period to knot the score at 4-4 on his third point of the night. The assists went to Anthony Beauvillier and Ryan Graves.

The Flyers were unable to capitalize on a Tomasino tripping penalty at 6:41. The game remained tied. With about five minutes left in regulation, Ersson made a key save on Noel Acciari to keep the game tied. On the next shift, Karlsson drew iron.

The game went to 3-on-3 sudden death OT. At 1:01, on a 2-on-1 rush against Cam York, Malkin (12th of the season, second goal and fourth point of the game) ended the match on a low short side wrister off the post on a give-and-go with Letang.

Samuel Ersson took the overtime loss, making 20 saves on 25 shots. In relief of Nedeljkovic (12 saves on 15 shots), winning goaltender Blomqvist stopped 21 of 22 shots.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

74 Owen Tippett - 14 Sean Couturier - 39 Matvei Michkov

71 Tyson Foerster - 27 Noah Cates - 10 Bobby Brink

96 Andrei Kuzmenko - 21 Scott Laughton - 11 Travis Konecny

22 Jaob Pelletier - 25 Ryan Poehling - 19 Garnet Hathaway

8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim

24 Nick Seeler - 9 Jamie Drysdale

5 Egor Zamula - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

33 Samuel Ersson

[82 Ivan Fedotov]

Scratches: 44 Nicolas Deslauriers (healthy), 77 Erik Johnson (healthy), 35 Aleksei Kolosov (healthy).

PP1: Ristolainen, Konecny, Laughton, Kuzmenko, Michkov

PP2: Drysdale, Foerster, Cates, Brink, Sanheim

TURNING POINT

The goalie change by Pittsburgh and the closely spaced B2B goals by Tomasino and Karlsson changed the complexion of the rest of the game. Before that, the Flyers seemed to be headed for a sweep of the home-and-home set.

POSTGAME 5 ("5 THINGS" REVISITED)

1. Get an early jump on Penguins: In each of the last two meetings with the Penguins, the Flyers grabbed a quick lead in the first period. On Thursday, the Flyers did it again. Cates gave them a 1-0 edge just two minutes into the game. Phill also generated each of the first eight shots on goal in the game.

2. Different nights, different standouts: In last Saturday's game against Edmonton, Sean Couturier's line led the way offensively for Philadelphia. On Tuesday against the Penguins, it was the Noah Cates line that shined the brightest. In the return match in Pittsburgh, the players who've been the hottest offensively since the break -- Michkov, Tippett and Cates -- led the way offensively.

3. Between the pipes: Ersson was unable to duplicate his tidy performance from Tuesday's game beyond the first period. He didn't allow any "soft" goals on Thursday and made several key saves. However, this was a game where, ultimately, the Flyers allowed the Penguins to come back and win a game that should have been firmly under control. A save at 2-1 or at 4-2 would have loomed large.

4. Special teams/ 5-on--5: The Flyers went 1-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. With play at full strength, the Flyers' got outscored 4-3. The Pens scored the game winner at 3-on-3.

5. Behind enemy lines -- Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin: Malkin entered the game with 91 career points against the Flyers. He left with 95. Letang set up the winning goal.