Flyers defeat Penguins, take 3-0 playoff series lead; wild fight leads to multiple penalties

After a first period that saw the Penguins take a 1-0 lead and several scrums raise the tensions, things were nicely poised for an entertaining second period.

Talk about the understatement of the year.

Game 3 quickly gave way to complete chaos, afs Bryan Rust tackled Travis Konecny and ripped his helmet off behind the net at 4:33. What followed was either a scene out of Slap Shot, or an ode to the Broad Street Bullies, as every player on the ice found a dance partner, while the refs tried to separate a raging Konecny and Rust.

The Flyers’ penalty kill has been one of the stories of the series, going a perfect 7-for-7 in Games 1 and 2. But the dam finally broke early in Game 3.

After Sean Couturier was whistled for an offensive zone tripping penalty, the Penguins power play, which ranked seventh during the regular season, quickly capitalized through Evgeni Malkin.

There was a bit of misfortune to the play, as Luke Glendening’s stick broke after he got in the way of an Erik Karlsson bomb from the point. Glendening rushed to the bench to try and retrieve a new stick but the Penguins quickly made him pay for that decision, as Sidney Crosby, positioned at the right point, fired a hard diagonal pass to Bryan Rust at the left post, before Rust completed the tic-tac-toe sequence with a one-touch feed to Malkin at the back door for a tap-in.

Just minutes away from the arena, at Skinny Joey’s, fans were getting ready for playoff hockey in the most Philly way possible: shooting goals to earn a free cheesesteak. 

“Well, we're always looking to give back to the community,” said Joe Perry, co-owner of Skinny Joey’s. “You know, cheesesteaks are expensive, like all the other food is expensive. Flyers are in the playoffs. Perfect opportunity for everybody to come here, take 1, 2, 3 shots to try to win a free cheesesteak. 

“You know, Joey's big on giving back to the community. His father was giving back in the 70s. Joey's been doing it since the 80s.”

Cam York said he is good to go.

The confirmation comes a day after coach Rick Tocchet said he was a little banged up.

“I think last game, he took a shot in the ribs,” Tocchet said. “I don’t know what part of the game, and it was a laser, and he’s hurting a little bit. And he’s stuck in there and playing the minutes that he’s playing.”

Flyers fans are revved up for Game 3 against the Penguins on Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the first taste of playoff hockey at home since 2018.

The team is trying to walk the line between feeding off the crowd’s energy and not getting too carried away with excitement.

“We know that they’re going to be buzzing and crazy tonight, so we’ve got to feed on the energy, but in the right way,” Cam York said Wednesday. “Our team has been defend-first mentality all year, so I don’t think we’re going to get out of position or anything like that.”

The Flyers-Penguins series jumps to TNT Wednesday night, where fans will hear a familiar voice on the broadcast.

Brian Boucher, the former Flyers goaltender turned NBC Sports Philadelphia analyst, will be in the booth for TNT tonight alongside Jody Shelley and play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert.

The game will also air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with Scott Hartnell taking Boucher's place alongside Jim Jackson.

Porter Martone has been a revelation for the Flyers since turning pro three weeks ago, and that has carried over to the playoffs where the 19-year-old has goals in his first two games. But Martone’s coming out party — and his role in helping the Flyers make the playoffs — almost never happened this season.

On March 28, Michigan State led Wisconsin 3-1 with 5 mins left in the NCAA regional finals. If the Spartans had won, they would have advanced to the Frozen Four, which would have meant two more weeks without Martone for the Flyers. That timeline would have prevented Martone from turning pro and joining the Flyers until there were either just two or three games left in the NHL season.

Instead, Wisconsin mounted a furious comeback and beat Michigan State 4-3 in OT. Martone would sign with the Flyers the next day and make his debut that Tuesday in Washington. The rookie went on to tally four goals and 10 points in nine games to end the regular season, and the rest is history, as the Flyers clinched their first playoff appearance in six seasons.

Keith Primeau scored in the early hours of the morning, in the fifth overtime, to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2000. Jeremy Roenick eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs from the 2004 playoffs, and they wouldn’t win a series for the next 19 seasons.

But those memorable moments happened on the road. On the precipice of the Flyers playing their first Stanley Cup playoff game in front of the hometown fans in exactly eight years, The Inquirer spoke with former players and coaches — on both sides of the equation — about what it’s like to play postseason hockey in Philly.

These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Tonight’s Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins is the first playoff hockey game in Philadelphia since 2018. While the wait is nearly over, 7 p.m. still feels like a long way away. So let’s pass the time. How many players who have played for both the Flyers and Penguins do you think you can name?

First off, let’s set some ground rules. We’re not going to have you name all 90, otherwise we’ll be here until Game 7. We’re limiting it to non-goalies who have skated in at least 500 games for the Flyers and Penguins combined.

To make it a little easier, we’ll give you a clue for each player. And because we're feeling generous, we'll even spot you the first name ...

This won't be the Flyers' first playoff appearance since the arrival of Gritty, but it will be their first time playing at home. That's because the last time the Flyers were in the postseason — the only time since Gritty's 2018 debut — came in the COVID-19 bubble in Toronto during the 2019-20 season.

The Flyers won their first-round series before falling to the New York Islanders in seven games, but Gritty was locked out. He still made his presence known with off-ice shenanigans, like taking out a billboard or making an ill-destined trip to Toronto, Ohio (not Ontario). But this time, the orange ball of fur and chaos will be inside the arena.

And he had a message for fans.

As Noah Cates said before the Flyers grabbed yet another game at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ home, with a 3-0 win, “It’s a series, and it’s a war.”

It’s not a one-and-done game, and the Flyers must be prepared for Sidney Crosby and Co. to come out with revenge on their minds when the Eastern Conference first-round series shifts to Philly on Wednesday.

Here are four points of emphasis the Flyers must carry over, especially with the Penguins sure to push even harder in Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Sabres and Bruins tied 1-1

Morgan Geekie bounced in a shot from beyond center as part of Boston’s three-goal second-period surge and the Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 to even their first-round playoff series at 1 on Tuesday night.

Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and Pavel Zacha also scored. David Pastrnak had two assists to give him five points in the series and tie Bobby Orr for eighth on the Bruins career playoff list with 92 points.

Midway through the third period of what would become Dan Vladař’s first career playoff shutout, the Flyers were caving in.

They still led by 2-0 after the second period, but the vaunted Pittsburgh offense was jumping, heavily outshooting the Flyers and finally getting into its cycle offense.

“They were pressing us,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “For about three or four minutes, [before] we got to the timeout. They were coming in waves at us.”

The entrance ramp to I-95 North and the exit ramp from I-95 South on Front Street in South Philadelphia are closed for construction for the next month.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation closed the ramps on Tuesday to allow crews to widen roadways and make improvements as part of an ongoing $56.1 million I-95 repair project, according to the agency. The ramp is scheduled to remain closed until May 21.

Drivers that need to access I-95 North will be directed to use Oregon Avenue and turn left onto Columbus Boulevard to access the ramp to I-95 North. Drivers can exit I-95 South at either of the two closest exits, Exit 17 at Broad Street or Exit 20 at Columbus Boulevard and Washington Avenue.