Flyers End Pens' 12-Game Streak With 3-2 Win
PHILADELPHIA (KDKA) – One streak came to an end, but another was extended Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
The Penguins' 12-game winning streak was snapped by the Flyers by a 3-2 margin. However, Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to 19 games with two power play assists.
If you asked Crosby which streak he'd like to keep, he'd no doubt want the team winning streak.
Scott Hartnell scored the eventual game-winning goal with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game with Evgeni Malkin in the penalty box.
Malkin returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games with a knee injury and had two power play goals.
The Penguins had a chance to tie the game late. Darrol Powe was assessed a goaltender interference call at 17:34 of the third period, but the Penguins were unable to beat Brian Boucher for a third time.
Philadelphia outshot the Penguins 37-23 and now hold the top spot in the Atlantic Division by one point.
Claude Giroux opened the scoring at 12:32 of the first period. Marc-Andre Fleury went behind the net to play a puck and lost his stick.
Danny Briere picked up the loose puck and worked it back to the blueline for a shot. Fleury made the save, but Giroux pounced on the rebound.
The Penguins picked up the pace in the second period and Malkin's ninth goal of the year tied the game at 1-1.
Malkin fired a rocket of a one-timer over Boucher on a feed from Alex Goligoski at 8:23.
Nikolay Zherdev answered right back four minutes later. On a 2-on-1, Zherdev got Brooks Orpik to go down early. He skated around Orpik and fired the puck off the crossbar and behind Fleury to make it 2-1 Flyers.
Early in the third period, Malkin tied it up with his 10th goal of the season at 3:18.
Crosby passed the puck to Malkin, who had shifted over to the center point position. Malkin looked around and decided to unleash a slap shot that beat Boucher low to the glove side.
Pittsburgh won't have much time to dwell on the loss as they take on the New York Rangers at the CONSOL Energy Center Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
