PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers managed to break their five-game losing streak by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night.
Travis Konecny contributed significantly to this victory with a goal and an assist. Other goal scorers for the Flyers included Scott Laughton and Garnet Hathaway, while goaltender Samuel Ersson made an impressive 32 saves throughout the match.
On the Penguins’ side, Erik Karlsson and Kevin Hayes each found the back of the net, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win. Goaltender Joel Blomqvist was credited with stopping 17 shots in the game.

The Penguins played without their star captain Sidney Crosby due to an upper-body injury, marking his second consecutive game missed after also sitting out during a recent triumph over the Rangers. Additionally, Evgeni Malkin was absent due to a lower-body injury, and Bryan Rust was placed on injured reserve just before the match.

This game was the last for both teams before a two-week hiatus in the NHL season, necessitated by the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Crosby is set to play alongside teammates Karlsson and Rickard Rakell for the Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan will lead the United States team, which is preparing to compete against Canada, Finland, and Sweden.
John Tortorella, the Flyers’ head coach, will be assisting Sullivan, with several Flyers, including Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Ersson participating in the event.

Takeaways:
For the Penguins, this two-week break is timely, giving them a chance to recuperate with Crosby, Malkin, and Rust unavailable due to injuries. Meanwhile, Andrei Kuzmenko, who was newly acquired from Calgary last month, brought a burst of energy to the Flyers and registered an assist during his inaugural game with the team.

Key Moment:
A pivotal moment occurred when Hayes pulled the Penguins closer, scoring with 14:18 remaining in the third period. Initially disallowed for goalie interference, the goal was confirmed upon video review after Sullivan challenged the ruling, keeping the final moments of the game intense.

Key Stat:
In terms of significant stats, Sidney Crosby had played in 229 consecutive games before missing the match on Friday.

Up Next:
The Flyers and Penguins are scheduled to return to the ice on February 22. The Penguins will host the Capitals, while the Flyers will take on the Oilers.