PITTSBURGH — In a thrilling overtime victory, Evgeni Malkin was the hero for the Pittsburgh Penguins with his second goal at 1:03 into the extra period, leading the team to a 5-4 comeback win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. Malkin played a critical role, equalizing the score in the third period and contributing two assists for the Penguins, solidifying his position as 13th in the NHL in assists for one franchise.
Erik Karlsson and Philip Tomasino also found the back of the net for Pittsburgh after the team initially lagged behind with a 3-0 deficit in the second period. Sidney Crosby further aided the team with an assist. Notably, when both Crosby and Malkin register points, Pittsburgh’s record is an impressive 400-92-49.
The Penguins faced an absence with Michael Bunting sidelined indefinitely following an appendix surgery. In net, Alex Nedeljkovic faced challenges, allowing three goals on 15 shots before being replaced by Joel Blomqvist, who delivered a solid performance with 21 saves.
Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov was on form with two goals and an assist. Owen Tippett continued his scoring streak with his fourth goal in three games, while Noah Cates also made it onto the scoresheet for consecutive games. Flyer’s goaltender Samuel Ersson faced a barrage of shots, saving 20.
The game took a physical turn when Garnet Hathaway of the Flyers left during the second period after a hefty center-ice collision with Bokondji Imama.
Insights from the game reveal that the Flyers were riding high with a three-game winning run that ended with this defeat. They had triumphantly outscored opponents 15-6 over the streak and secured points in five of their last six. Meanwhile, the victory was a crucial recovery for Pittsburgh, who had endured a four-game losing streak, including a disappointing 6-1 loss at Philadelphia on Tuesday, conceding 22 goals and scoring only nine.
A pivotal moment saw Malkin, on a two-on-one breakaway with Kris Letang, expertly evade a sliding Jamie Drysdale before netting a decisive shot past Ersson. Earlier in the encounter, Tomasino and Karlsson significantly reduced the gap with quick goals following Michkov’s initial lead for Philadelphia.
Statistically, the Penguins have maintained points in an impressive 10 consecutive home games against the Flyers, marking their second-longest point streak against any team.
Looking forward, both teams face off again on Saturday with Pittsburgh hosting Boston and Philadelphia heading to Winnipeg.
