PITTSBURGH ― It’s never easy beating a team three times. It’s definitely not easy doing it in three of four games.
The Flyers had their chances to skate away with a third win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in February after taking a 3-0 lead but ended up falling 5-4 in overtime on Thursday inside PPG Paints Arena.
Evgeni Malkin scored short side to end the Flyers’ three-game winning streak. The Black and Orange did, however, extend their point streak to four games.
Things started well. After scoring two goals against the Penguins on Tuesday night, Noah Cates completed the hat trick on Thursday. Able to skate out three-on-two after Egor Zamula went down on one knee to make a nice block deep in the Flyers zone, Cates snapped a shot from the high slot. The goal ties Cates’ career high of 13 set in 2022-23.
The Flyers had a few more chances in the first period. Matvei Michkov fed Sean Couturier on a two-on-one and then Travis Konecny had a chance with Scott Laughton getting a rebound on net.
During all of this, the Penguins didn’t muster much.
Pittsburgh’s first shot was recorded 12 minutes, 30 seconds into the period — to the sound of Bronx cheers. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was wiped off the board and listed as a missed shot by Philip Tomasino. The official first shot came with 5:20 left when Sam Ersson used his paddle to turn aside a Kris Letang shot — and the fans saluted again.
Then Ersson had some action. He made a save on a long slap shot by Sidney Crosby that seemed to handcuff him, giving former Flyers forward Kevin Hayes a big juicy rebound at the right post. But Ersson, one of the NHL’s top goalies since the holiday break, popped out the pad just in time. He also robbed Crosby alone in front, and on his deadly backhand, with a fitting 68 seconds — the number Jaromír Jágr wore for the Penguins and Flyers — left in the period.
Entering the game, the Flyers have been outscored 74-57 in second periods this season. After scoring three on Tuesday, they popped in another three on Thursday. But it was a scratch, because so did the Penguins.
Owen Tippett extended his goal streak to three games with his 18th of the season. He fired in the puck after Nick Seeler’s point shot caromed off the end boards and the half wall to him above the right face-off circle. The Flyers thought they took a 3-0 lead on a goal by Andrei Kuzmenko, but it was called off due to a high stick.
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Just over a minute later, Kuzmenko’s countryman Michkov made it 3-0 when he tucked the puck around the left post after Alex Nedeljkovic went out too far. That goal chased Nedeljkovic — with some flare as he broke his stick and slammed the bench door — and seemed to spark the Penguins.
Tomasino, who scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal on Tuesday, was all alone in front and beat Ersson on the backhand. Thirty seconds later, it was Ersson’s 4 Nations Face-Off teammate for Sweden, Erik Karlsson, scoring on a point shot off a faceoff.
The Flyers would take a 4-2 lead on a power-play goal by Michkov, through a screen by Laughton. His second of the night moved him past Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks into first place among rookies with 19 goals.
But it came with a cost. Garnet Hathaway laid a big yet clean hit on Noel Acciari, and was then hit by Penguins forward Bokondji Imama. Hathaway appeared to get knocked out after he hit his head on the ice from the dirty, blindsided hit that was away from the puck.
Coach John Tortorella was irate as the play was reduced from a five-minute major to a minor for interference. Hathaway was assisted off the ice and did not return. The Flyers reported he was being evaluated.
The Penguins then scored a pair to tie things up at 4-4. Karlsson notched another late in the second period, and Malkin scored his first of the night early in the third.
Breakaways
With his two goals and an assist on Tippett’s goal, Michkov is now the NHL’s points leader among rookies with 44 points. He is now one point ahead of Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens. … Tortorella coached his 1,607 NHL game, tying him with Al Arbour for sixth all-time in NHL games coached. … With an assist, Seeler tied his career high of 14 points set in 2022-23. … Defenseman Egor Zamula has an assist in three straight games. … Ersson allowed five goals on 25 shots. The Flyers poured 37 shots on Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist.
Up next
The Flyers head north to Manitoba to face the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night (7 p.m., NBCSP). The Jets are atop the NHL standings and had an 11-game winning streak snapped on Thursday.