Game 1 - Philadelphia Flyers @ Pens 0-7 - Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Sidney Crosby had a natural hat trick to help the Penguins to a 7-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PPG Paints Arena. Crosby scored once in the second period and twice in the third. The hat trick was his third in 149 Stanley Cup Playoff games, tied for most in Penguins history with Mario Lemieux, who did it in 107 games.
"We executed. We capitalized on our chances," Crosby said. "I think there is always areas you need to improve on. … You have to get better with each game regardless of the score."
"A win is a win," Murray said. "We'll take it, obviously, but in the playoffs, it doesn't matter if you win 7-0 or 1-0 in overtime"
"That's one of the toughest ways to start a playoffs series, obviously," Gostisbehere said. "But we knew it wasn't going to be easy. The last time I checked, they got to beat us four times. Obviously, they beat us 7-0. It really hurts. It's obviously embarrassing, but it's only 1-0 in the series, and there's a lot of hockey to be played."
After Guentzel scored at 7:50 of the second, Crosby backhanded a Brian Dumoulin shot out of midair to make it 5-0 at 9:01.
Crosby scored at 7:41 and 10:42 of the third period to make it 7-0.
Scott Laughton had Philadelphia's best chance, when he was left alone to the right of an open net with the Penguins leading 1-0 at 8:20 of the first period. After whiffing on his first shot attempt, Laughton got a hold of the second but was denied when Murray reached back for a glove save.
* Murray stopping Laughton at 8:20 of the first period.* Crosby's goal at 9:01 of the second period.* Penguins forward Derick Brassard had one assist in 13:44 in his return after missing the final five games of the regular season because of a lower-body injury. … Philadelphia has allowed at least five goals in each of its five games against Pittsburgh in the regular season and playoffs. … The seven-goal loss is tied for the second-largest for the Flyers in the playoffs. They lost 10-3 to the Penguins in Game 4 of the first round on April 18, 2012. Their largest loss was 8-0 to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of the first round April 21, 2001. … The seven-goal win is tied for the second-largest for the Penguins in the playoffs. They've won by seven four previous times, with the most recent coming in a 7-0 win against the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 21, 2017.
"It was one of the worst games I've been a part of. … They had their chances to score, and they went in. They made plays in tight areas, and we just have to find an answer coming next game." -- Flyers captain Claude Giroux
"[Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin], sometimes we marvel at what they do out there with their talent level and their instincts." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
After Guentzel scored at 7:50 of the second, Crosby backhanded a Brian Dumoulin shot out of midair to make it 5-0 at 9:01.
Scott Laughton had Philadelphia's best chance, when he was left alone to the right of an open net with the Penguins leading 1-0 at 8:20 of the first period. After whiffing on his first shot attempt, Laughton got a hold of the second but was denied when Murray reached back for a glove save.
"It was one of the worst games I've been a part of. … They had their chances to score, and they went in. They made plays in tight areas, and we just have to find an answer coming next game." -- Flyers captain Claude Giroux"[Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin], sometimes we marvel at what they do out there with their talent level and their instincts." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
Game 2 - Philadelphia Flyers @ Pens 5-1 - Friday, April 13, 2018
Brian Elliott made 34 saves for the Philadelphia Flyers in a 5-1 win against the Penguins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PPG Paints Arena.
Elliott allowed five goals on 19 shots and was pulled at 9:01 of the second period in a 7-0 loss in Game 1. Sean Couturier had a goal and two assists, Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny each scored his first playoff goal, and Ivan Provorov had two assists for Philadelphia.
"Said it coming in, nobody really is giving us a serious chance in this series," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "I don't know if anybody still will. But I know this; we just got it down to a five-game series and we introduced ourselves into this series tonight."
Matt Murray made 15 saves for Pittsburgh. His postseason shutout streak ended at 225:49 when Shayne Gostisbehere's shot from the point on a power play went through a screen and under his arm to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 19:23 of the first period.
"I thought we carried the momentum for the most part," Murray said. "We had a lot of zone time. We just, for whatever reason, couldn't get on the inside and they were able to capitalize on their chances, and they got saves and we didn't. Again, we played really well, I thought. It just comes down to execution."
Couturier made it 2-0 when his shot deflected into the air off Murray's stick before going off Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and into the net 47 seconds into the second period.
"You can't hesitate whether to stop it or one-time it with how much time was left," Crosby said. "Still, those ones you have to find a way to put it in regardless. If I find a way to put that one in, it's 2-1. It's a different game. So that one and the breakaway was the big turning point in the game. We just have to stay with it. That's the way the playoffs work. You play good, generate chances, and sometimes it doesn't go your way. So we gave ourselves a good chance tonight."
Konecny made it 3-0 at 1:29 of the third period, skating past Chad Ruhwedel before scoring glove side. Patrick extended it to 4-0 with a power-play goal at 5:10, scoring into an open net off a no-look pass through the crease from Couturier. Patric Hornqvist scored 17 seconds later to cut it to 4-1 before Andrew MacDonald scored into an empty net to make it 5-1 with 16 seconds left.
* Konecny's goal at 1:29 of the third period.* Elliott's save on Crosby at 12:30 of the second period.* Patrick's goal at 5:10 of the third period.* Letang left the game at 7:00 of the second period after taking a hit from Giroux in Philadelphia's zone. He returned for the third period. … The Flyers went 2-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. … Pittsburgh is 1-for-8 on the power play in the first two games of the series after leading the NHL in the regular season (26.2 percent).
"For all you doubters out there, there you go." -- Flyers captain Claude Giroux on goaltender Brian Elliott
"We just couldn't seem to find the back of the net. We had some high-quality chances. We hit a couple of posts. We had a breakaway. So it wasn't like we didn't have scoring chances. We did. We just couldn't seem to find the back of the net in tonight's game." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
Matt Murray made 15 saves for Pittsburgh. His postseason shutout streak ended at 225:49 when Shayne Gostisbehere's shot from the point on a power play went through a screen and under his arm to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 19:23 of the first period.
Couturier made it 2-0 when his shot deflected into the air off Murray's stick before going off Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and into the net 47 seconds into the second period.
"You can't hesitate whether to stop it or one-time it with how much time was left," Crosby said. "Still, those ones you have to find a way to put it in regardless. If I find a way to put that one in, it's 2-1. It's a different game. So that one and the breakaway was the big turning point in the game. We just have to stay with it. That's the way the playoffs work. You play good, generate chances, and sometimes it doesn't go your way. So we gave ourselves a good chance tonight."
Konecny made it 3-0 at 1:29 of the third period, skating past Chad Ruhwedel before scoring glove side. Patrick extended it to 4-0 with a power-play goal at 5:10, scoring into an open net off a no-look pass through the crease from Couturier. Patric Hornqvist scored 17 seconds later to cut it to 4-1 before Andrew MacDonald scored into an empty net to make it 5-1 with 16 seconds left.
* Konecny's goal at 1:29 of the third period.* Elliott's save on Crosby at 12:30 of the second period.* Patrick's goal at 5:10 of the third period.* Letang left the game at 7:00 of the second period after taking a hit from Giroux in Philadelphia's zone. He returned for the third period. … The Flyers went 2-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. … Pittsburgh is 1-for-8 on the power play in the first two games of the series after leading the NHL in the regular season (26.2 percent).
"For all you doubters out there, there you go." -- Flyers captain Claude Giroux on goaltender Brian Elliott "We just couldn't seem to find the back of the net. We had some high-quality chances. We hit a couple of posts. We had a breakaway. So it wasn't like we didn't have scoring chances. We did. We just couldn't seem to find the back of the net in tonight's game." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
Game 3 - Pens @ Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 - Sunday, April 15, 2018
The Penguins scored two goals in five seconds in the second period of a 5-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Wells Fargo Center. The Penguins tied the record for fastest two goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings scored two in five seconds against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 11, 1965. Evgeni Malkin scored on a one-timer off a pass from Kris Letang on a 4-on-3 to make it 3-0 at 6:48. On the ensuing face-off, Sidney Crosby knocked the puck between the skates of Flyers captain Claude Giroux and skated into the Philadelphia zone before sending a backhand pass to Brian Dumoulin, who scored five-hole on Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott at 6:53 to extend the lead to 4-0.
"[Jake Guentzel] poked it forward and then I saw [Dumoulin] coming in late on the rush," Crosby said. "Tried to find him there. I don't know where he shot it, but he made a great read jumping up on the play and giving us numbers there."
Pittsburgh leads the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 is at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Crosby had a goal and three assists, Malkin had a goal and an assist, and Matt Murray made 26 saves for Pittsburgh. Crosby has 171 points (61, 110 assists) in the playoffs, one behind Mario Lemieux for first in Penguins history.
"We've got a couple days so it's good to get this one," Crosby said. "Now, we come back having that first one played here, got a feel for it, and that should help us here going into Game 4."
Travis Sanheim scored, and Elliott made 21 saves for Philadelphia. Crosby scored on a wraparound to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 10:25 of the first period.
"It's an indication of how competitive he is," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think he thrives in that environment. I think he has a comfort level in that environment. When the stakes are high, if we're in an away building and they're important games, Sid tends to play his best. And he's done that, certainly from my experience here, time and time again."
Derick Brassard made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 2:48 of the second period, scoring on a one-timer from low in the left circle.
Sanheim scored on a shot from the point at 13:42 of the second to cut it to 4-1. Justin Schultz scored a power-play goal at 7:08 of the third period to make it 5-1.
* Murray's save on Nolan Patrick 1:14 into the first period.* Malkin and Dumoulin scorning five seconds apart in the second period.* It was Crosby's third four-point postseason game in the NHL. He also did it against the Ottawa Senators on April 20, 2010, and again against Ottawa on April 11, 2008. He has 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 20 playoff games against the Flyers. … Malkin's assist on Schultz's goal was his 100th in the NHL playoffs. … Murray is 9-1 in games after a Penguins loss in the playoffs. … Flyers forward Sean Couturier led all players with 26:18 of ice time, but only 11:13 was at even strength.
"Just his makeup. He's such a battle-tested guy. He has a real quiet confidence about him. He knows he's good and if a game doesn't go the way he wants it to go, he always responds the right way." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan on goaltender Matt Murray
Pittsburgh leads the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 is at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Crosby had a goal and three assists, Malkin had a goal and an assist, and Matt Murray made 26 saves for Pittsburgh. Crosby has 171 points (61, 110 assists) in the playoffs, one behind Mario Lemieux for first in Penguins history.
"We've got a couple days so it's good to get this one," Crosby said. "Now, we come back having that first one played here, got a feel for it, and that should help us here going into Game 4."
Travis Sanheim scored, and Elliott made 21 saves for Philadelphia. Crosby scored on a wraparound to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 10:25 of the first period.
"It's an indication of how competitive he is," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think he thrives in that environment. I think he has a comfort level in that environment. When the stakes are high, if we're in an away building and they're important games, Sid tends to play his best. And he's done that, certainly from my experience here, time and time again."
Derick Brassard made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 2:48 of the second period, scoring on a one-timer from low in the left circle.
Sanheim scored on a shot from the point at 13:42 of the second to cut it to 4-1. Justin Schultz scored a power-play goal at 7:08 of the third period to make it 5-1.
"Just his makeup. He's such a battle-tested guy. He has a real quiet confidence about him. He knows he's good and if a game doesn't go the way he wants it to go, he always responds the right way." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan on goaltender Matt MurrayGame 4 - Pens @ Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 - Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist to become the all-time scoring leader for the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 5-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Wells Fargo Center.
Crosby's goal gave him 173 playoff points (62 goals, 111 assists), passing Mario Lemieux for most in Penguins history. Crosby has played 152 postseason games; Lemieux played 107.
"A lot of his records aren't going to be touched, so the fact that I can be close to him and around that one, I've been fortunate enough to play in a number of playoff games, which helps a lot, but it's nice to be a part of that," Crosby said.
Matt Murray made 26 saves for his second shutout of the series. He made 26 saves in a 7-0 win in Game 1. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each had a goal and an assist.
Elliott allowed three goals on 17 shots in 28:04.
Flyers center Sean Couturier missed the game because of a lower-body injury sustained during practice Tuesday. There was no timetable given for his return. He leads Philadelphia with three points (one goal, two assists) in the series.
Malkin scored a power-play goal at 4:33 of the first period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead, and the game turned when Kessel finished a 2-on-1 break with Malkin at 14:37 to make it 2-0. The goal came after the Flyers had 2 1/2 minutes of sustained pressure.
Murray did his part too, similar to how he played when the Flyers outshot the Penguins 11-4 in the first period of Game 3 but didn't score a goal.
"They had that one extended shift in the first period, and I thought Matt made a couple of big saves for us," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "I also thought when we had the power play and [Travis] Konecny comes out of the penalty box, the breakaway save (with 42 seconds remaining in the first) is a big save for us. When you get those types of saves, it certainly helps your team's chances of winning."
Outside of that push in the first period, the Flyers failed to generate much.
"I don't think we did a very good job of getting through the neutral zone to establish any kind of forecheck," defenseman Andrew MacDonald said. "They seemed to be smothering us there, breaking up plays, preventing us from getting in. It's hard to generate a lot when you're not getting in the offensive zone much."
Kris Letang scored from the left face-off circle at 8:04 of the second to put the Penguins ahead 3-0. The goal gave him 72 playoff points (19 goals, 53 assists), tying Larry Murphy for most by a Penguins defenseman. Crosby scored his NHL-leading fifth of the series on a wraparound to make it 4-0 at 10:56 of the second. Riley Sheahan scored at 15:46 of the third to make it 5-0.
* Kessel's goal at 14:37 of the first period.
* Murray stopping Konecny at 19:18 of the first period.* Crosby's goal at 10:56 of the second period.* The first four games of the series have been decided by at least four goals, the third time that's happened in NHL history (Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks in 1995 Western Conference Semifinals; Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks in 1946 NHL Semifinals). … The Penguins have scored at least five goals in seven of eight regular-season and playoff games against the Flyers.
"We know it's going to be a tough and desperate team that we're facing. I think you always look to match that urgency, that desperation to get that fourth one. We understand that. We expect a tough game at home, so we have to be ready for that." -- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby
"We've faced adversity throughout the whole season, we've had our ups and downs. This is certainly a big down. But it seems like when we have our backs against the wall, it's the most we've responded." -- Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald
"A lot of his records aren't going to be touched, so the fact that I can be close to him and around that one, I've been fortunate enough to play in a number of playoff games, which helps a lot, but it's nice to be a part of that," Crosby said.
Matt Murray made 26 saves for his second shutout of the series. He made 26 saves in a 7-0 win in Game 1. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each had a goal and an assist.
Flyers center Sean Couturier missed the game because of a lower-body injury sustained during practice Tuesday. There was no timetable given for his return. He leads Philadelphia with three points (one goal, two assists) in the series.
Malkin scored a power-play goal at 4:33 of the first period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead, and the game turned when Kessel finished a 2-on-1 break with Malkin at 14:37 to make it 2-0. The goal came after the Flyers had 2 1/2 minutes of sustained pressure.
"They had that one extended shift in the first period, and I thought Matt made a couple of big saves for us," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "I also thought when we had the power play and [Travis] Konecny comes out of the penalty box, the breakaway save (with 42 seconds remaining in the first) is a big save for us. When you get those types of saves, it certainly helps your team's chances of winning."
Outside of that push in the first period, the Flyers failed to generate much.
"I don't think we did a very good job of getting through the neutral zone to establish any kind of forecheck," defenseman Andrew MacDonald said. "They seemed to be smothering us there, breaking up plays, preventing us from getting in. It's hard to generate a lot when you're not getting in the offensive zone much."
Kris Letang scored from the left face-off circle at 8:04 of the second to put the Penguins ahead 3-0. The goal gave him 72 playoff points (19 goals, 53 assists), tying Larry Murphy for most by a Penguins defenseman. Crosby scored his NHL-leading fifth of the series on a wraparound to make it 4-0 at 10:56 of the second. Riley Sheahan scored at 15:46 of the third to make it 5-0.
* Kessel's goal at 14:37 of the first period.
* Murray stopping Konecny at 19:18 of the first period.* Crosby's goal at 10:56 of the second period.* The first four games of the series have been decided by at least four goals, the third time that's happened in NHL history (Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks in 1995 Western Conference Semifinals; Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks in 1946 NHL Semifinals). … The Penguins have scored at least five goals in seven of eight regular-season and playoff games against the Flyers.
"We know it's going to be a tough and desperate team that we're facing. I think you always look to match that urgency, that desperation to get that fourth one. We understand that. We expect a tough game at home, so we have to be ready for that." -- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby "We've faced adversity throughout the whole season, we've had our ups and downs. This is certainly a big down. But it seems like when we have our backs against the wall, it's the most we've responded." -- Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald
Game 5 - Philadelphia Flyers @ Pens 4-2 - Friday, April 20, 2018
Sean Couturier scored a tiebreaking goal with 1:15 left in the third period, and the Philadelphia Flyers avoided elimination with a 4-2 win against the Penguins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at PPG Paints Arena. Couturier shot from inside the blue line, past a screen from Scott Laughton, to give Philadelphia a 3-2 lead. Couturier, who leads the Flyers with four points (two goals, two assists) in the series, did not play in Game 4 on Wednesday because of a lower-body injury sustained in practice.
"The elimination game is probably the hardest game of them all," Murray said. "I thought we had a pretty good game today and we just have to stick to our mindset. Keep on our toes and keep doing what we need to do."
Michal Neuvirth made 30 saves for the Flyers in his first start since Feb. 16.
"I felt all right. I was battling all 60 minutes," Neuvirth said. "We had a great first period, then took some penalties in the second. But we finished strong and we were really happy with the win. … I like playing in the playoffs, like facing the pressure, but it's only one game and we came here to win a hockey game. We did that. Now we have to win the next one."
"I don't think we got dominated by any stretch," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We had opportunities to put more pucks at the net. I didn't think we did it."
* Couturier's goal at 18:45 of the third period.
* Neuvirth's save on Crosby with 52 seconds left in the third period.
* Rust's goal at 12:00 of the second period.
* The Flyers have outscored the Penguins 9-3 in their two wins. They've been outscored 17-1 in their three losses. ... Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist (upper body) missed a second straight game and is day to day. ... Crosby has five goals and five assists, the third time he has had at least 10 points in a playoff series. ... Neuvirth was 2-1 with an 0.67 goals-against average and .981 save percentage when he last started for Philadelphia in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, against the Washington Capitals in the 2016 first round.
"[Couturier] being in the lineup gives a boost to everybody just because of what he means to our hockey team. At the end of the day, it comes down to going out and doing the job. He did that." -- Flyers coach Dave Hakstol
"I think [urgency] came in the second. I don't think it was there in the first. We took a while to get into it, and even with that, we had a great second. Unfortunately we give up that goal [to Filppula] late." -- Penguins captain Sidney Crosby
Game 6 - Pens @ Philadelphia Flyers 8-5 - Sunday, April 22, 2018
Jake Guentzel scored four goals, and the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference Second Round with an 8-5 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the first round at Wells Fargo Center. The Penguins, who won their ninth straight series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, will play the Washington Capitals or Columbus Blue Jackets next. The Capitals lead the series 3-2.
"You get that excitement, a little nerves in you," Guentzel said. "This is what you want to play in. You grew up dreaming about this. It's definitely fun."
Guentzel's four consecutive goals came in a 13:52 span in the second and third periods to give the Penguins a 7-4 lead.
"He has the ability to play his best when the stakes are the highest," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We've got a number of guys on his team [that can do that] … and I think Jake is one of those guys."
Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby each had a goal and two assists, and Matt Murray made 21 saves for Pittsburgh. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin did not play because of a lower-body injury he sustained in a 4-2 loss in Game 5.
"All of our injuries throughout the course of the playoffs are day to day, so we'll update on a daily basis." Sullivan said.
Sean Couturier had a hat trick and two assists, and Michal Neuvirth made 20 saves for Philadelphia. Couturier said he played the final two games of the series on a torn MCL in his right knee after missing Game 4 (a 5-0 Pittsburgh win).
"The decision was on me," Couturier said. "I had the support of the staff, the organization and the medical team. They helped me a lot. We had a lot of treatments. It definitely got better over the days, but it wasn't the ideal situation."
"I just think [Guentzel] always plays best when the game is on the line," Hornqvist said. "He's been through a lot this year, and he always has a great response when things don't go his way. … He just raises his game. It's incredible to do what he did today, scoring four goals. He was the difference."
Couturier cut it to 7-5 on a rebound in front of the crease at 17:07. Bryan Rust scored an empty-net goal to make it 8-5 at 19:29.
"Looked like we were in control of the game and they got two quick goals there and I'm not too sure (what happened)," Flyers forward Claude Giroux said.
Couturier gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 2:15 of the first period. Crosby scored on a rebound off Kris Letang's shot from the point to tie it 1-1 at 6:30.
Carl Hagelin scored for Pittsburgh at 7:17 to make it 2-1 before Andrew MacDonald tied it 2-2 at 15:48.
Couturier scored 40 seconds into the second period to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead. Scott Laughton beat Murray short side from the left circle at 12:14 to make it 4-2.
* Guentzel's goal 30 seconds into the third period.* Murray's save on Shayne Gostisbehere at 12:08 of the third period.* Guentzel's two goals in 10 seconds in the third period.* Guentzel is the third player in NHL history with four consecutive goals in a playoff game, joining Tim Kerr (Flyers; Game 3 of the 1985 Patrick Division Semifinals) and Newsy Lalonde (Montreal Canadiens; Game 2 of the 1919 Final). He is the first player to score four goals in a playoff game since Jean-Gabriel Pageau of the Ottawa Senators against the New York Rangers in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Second Round. … Hagelin left the game with 10:17 remaining in the second period after a hit by Giroux. Sullivan had no update after the game. … Crosby is the fourth player with 60 multipoint playoff games, joining Wayne Gretzky (103), Mark Messier (77) and Jari Kurri (60). … Couturier's hat trick was the second of his career in the playoffs. He also did it against the Penguins in Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference First Round.
"By no means are we satisfied. We're going to try to get some rest here and be ready for our next opponent." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan
"Early in the series we didn't play our best. Today we let a two-goal lead slip. Shouldn't happen in the playoffs, but we'll learn from it and come back better next year." -- Flyers forward Sean Couturier
Guentzel's four consecutive goals came in a 13:52 span in the second and third periods to give the Penguins a 7-4 lead.
"He has the ability to play his best when the stakes are the highest," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We've got a number of guys on his team [that can do that] … and I think Jake is one of those guys."
Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby each had a goal and two assists, and Matt Murray made 21 saves for Pittsburgh. Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin did not play because of a lower-body injury he sustained in a 4-2 loss in Game 5.
"All of our injuries throughout the course of the playoffs are day to day, so we'll update on a daily basis." Sullivan said.
Sean Couturier had a hat trick and two assists, and Michal Neuvirth made 20 saves for Philadelphia. Couturier said he played the final two games of the series on a torn MCL in his right knee after missing Game 4 (a 5-0 Pittsburgh win).
"The decision was on me," Couturier said. "I had the support of the staff, the organization and the medical team. They helped me a lot. We had a lot of treatments. It definitely got better over the days, but it wasn't the ideal situation."
"I just think [Guentzel] always plays best when the game is on the line," Hornqvist said. "He's been through a lot this year, and he always has a great response when things don't go his way. … He just raises his game. It's incredible to do what he did today, scoring four goals. He was the difference."
Couturier cut it to 7-5 on a rebound in front of the crease at 17:07. Bryan Rust scored an empty-net goal to make it 8-5 at 19:29.
"Looked like we were in control of the game and they got two quick goals there and I'm not too sure (what happened)," Flyers forward Claude Giroux said.
Couturier gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 2:15 of the first period. Crosby scored on a rebound off Kris Letang's shot from the point to tie it 1-1 at 6:30.
Carl Hagelin scored for Pittsburgh at 7:17 to make it 2-1 before Andrew MacDonald tied it 2-2 at 15:48.
Couturier scored 40 seconds into the second period to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead. Scott Laughton beat Murray short side from the left circle at 12:14 to make it 4-2.
* Guentzel's goal 30 seconds into the third period.* Murray's save on Shayne Gostisbehere at 12:08 of the third period.* Guentzel's two goals in 10 seconds in the third period.* Guentzel is the third player in NHL history with four consecutive goals in a playoff game, joining Tim Kerr (Flyers; Game 3 of the 1985 Patrick Division Semifinals) and Newsy Lalonde (Montreal Canadiens; Game 2 of the 1919 Final). He is the first player to score four goals in a playoff game since Jean-Gabriel Pageau of the Ottawa Senators against the New York Rangers in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Second Round. … Hagelin left the game with 10:17 remaining in the second period after a hit by Giroux. Sullivan had no update after the game. … Crosby is the fourth player with 60 multipoint playoff games, joining Wayne Gretzky (103), Mark Messier (77) and Jari Kurri (60). … Couturier's hat trick was the second of his career in the playoffs. He also did it against the Penguins in Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference First Round."By no means are we satisfied. We're going to try to get some rest here and be ready for our next opponent." -- Penguins coach Mike Sullivan"Early in the series we didn't play our best. Today we let a two-goal lead slip. Shouldn't happen in the playoffs, but we'll learn from it and come back better next year." -- Flyers forward Sean Couturier
No comments:
Post a Comment