The Flyers are now 12-2-1 overall at the Consol Energy Center, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, since its opening. Five different Flyers found the back of the net tonight, including Pierre-Edouard Bellemare with his first NHL goal, which is why I wrote half the title to this recap in French. Vive Pebbles!
We all sort of got that 'oh no, not again' feeling after Nick Spaling beat Ray Emery on a just-released power play 3:50 into the game, giving the Penguins a 1-0 lead. That feeling didn't last long though. Mark Streit scored 9 minutes into the game from the point. Evgeni Malkin appeared to deflect it in to make it 1-1.
At the 13:18 mark 29 year-old rookie from France Pierre-Edouard Bellemare received an excellent lead pass from Sean Couturier and flicked it past Marc-Andre Fleury for his first ever NHL goal. Bellemare has shown more hustle than anyone not on the first line this season so it was good to see him get rewarded.
Pascal Dupuis evened it at 2-2 with his second goal of the year halfway through the second period.
R.J. Umberger, a native Pittsburgher, stuck it to his hometown fans with his first goal of the year to make it 3-2. Umberger also assisted on a goal and got into a fight to defend Couturier, thus giving him a Gordie Howe hat trick.
Matt Read made a video game-esque move two minutes later. Couturier threaded the needle with a pass across the offensive zone that Read caught on the fly in front of Fleury. Read deked left and backhanded it over Fleury top shelf.
Marcel Goc gave the Penguin fans a little hope, scoring with 2:57 left to bring it within one, but after pulling Fleury, Sean Couturier was able to hit the empty netter to make it 5-3, the final score.
Zac Rinaldo left the game with an upper body injury in the first period.
Ray Emery's record this season is 2-0-1. Steve Mason's is 0-3-1. Hopefully that changes and Mason gets some more confidence. For now, it seems that Razor needs a few more starts than usual. He had a save that may very well have saved the game for the Flyers, deflecting what should have been an easy goal for Malkin with his leg.
The Flyers return to Philadelphia Saturday night to play the Red Wings at 7:00.
-Ben Lebo
Follow us on le Twitter: @BroadStBeat (BattreRueBroad)
At the 13:18 mark 29 year-old rookie from France Pierre-Edouard Bellemare received an excellent lead pass from Sean Couturier and flicked it past Marc-Andre Fleury for his first ever NHL goal. Bellemare has shown more hustle than anyone not on the first line this season so it was good to see him get rewarded.
Pascal Dupuis evened it at 2-2 with his second goal of the year halfway through the second period.
R.J. Umberger, a native Pittsburgher, stuck it to his hometown fans with his first goal of the year to make it 3-2. Umberger also assisted on a goal and got into a fight to defend Couturier, thus giving him a Gordie Howe hat trick.
Matt Read made a video game-esque move two minutes later. Couturier threaded the needle with a pass across the offensive zone that Read caught on the fly in front of Fleury. Read deked left and backhanded it over Fleury top shelf.
Marcel Goc gave the Penguin fans a little hope, scoring with 2:57 left to bring it within one, but after pulling Fleury, Sean Couturier was able to hit the empty netter to make it 5-3, the final score.
Zac Rinaldo left the game with an upper body injury in the first period.
Ray Emery's record this season is 2-0-1. Steve Mason's is 0-3-1. Hopefully that changes and Mason gets some more confidence. For now, it seems that Razor needs a few more starts than usual. He had a save that may very well have saved the game for the Flyers, deflecting what should have been an easy goal for Malkin with his leg.
The Flyers return to Philadelphia Saturday night to play the Red Wings at 7:00.
-Ben Lebo
Follow us on le Twitter: @BroadStBeat (BattreRueBroad)