Flyers Can’t Finish Rally, Fall to Penguins

The opportunity was there for the Flyers on Sunday afternoon. A win over the Penguins would not only help them gain on the Devils – who had already lost on Sunday afternoon – in the playoff race, but essentially bury the Penguins in the playoff picture as well.

The Penguins were going to be the more rested team, having not played since Thursday while the Flyers virtually emptied the tank in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Rangers. They nearly emptied the tank against the Penguins two, but after erasing two deficits, they could not overcome the third.

The Penguins held off the Flyers late in a wild 7-6 loss on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, capping a weekend with back-to-back regulation losses.

The Flyers got on the board right away just 2:11 into the game. A distance shot by Scott Laughton deflected off Travis Sanheim and in for his seventh goal of the season.

The Penguins answered back at 9:38. Sidney Crosby scored on a rebound for his team-leading 32nd goal of the season to even things up at one.

With 2:45 remaining in the period, the Penguins took the lead. Bryan Rust deflected a Marcus Pettersson shot past Cal Petersen for his 17th of the season to make it 2-1.

Through 20 minutes, shots were 11-8 Penguins.

Just 55 seconds into the second period, the Flyers got the game tied up. Tyson Foerster was able to finish from the doorstep for his 12th goal of the season to make it 2-2.

The Penguins got the lead back at 11:15 on a power play. Rust let go a wrist shot from the top of the right circle for his second goal of the game to make it 3-2.

Moments later, the Penguins would be back on the power play. Nick Deslauriers was in the box for roughing after a scrum that followed a big hit from Jansen Harkins on Jamie Drysdale. Drysdale immediately exited the game favoring his left shoulder and did not return.

The Penguins took advantage again to extend the lead to two. Emil Bemstrom, just acquired by the Penguins on Thursday, scored from in close to make it 4-2 with his sixth of the season and first as a Penguin.

But the resilient Flyers found another gear before the period was over and tied the game up with a pair of goals in 63 seconds. First, Sanheim scored his second of the game with a slapshot off a face-off to cut the lead to one with 3:27 remaining in the period.

Seconds later, Sanheim was in the penalty box for interference, and the league's second-ranked penalty kill made their mark. Laughton was able to score into an open net after a Noah Cates wraparound attempt for his eighth goal of the season and the team's 14th shorthanded goal, evening things up at four.

Through two periods, shots were 22-16 Pittsburgh.

After the Flyers failed to convert on a power play, the Penguins regained the lead at 6:41. Off a turnover, Evgeni Malkin set up Drew O'Connor from along the goal line to make it 5-4.

Less than two minutes later, the Penguins added another goal from along the goal line as Crosby set up Rickard Rakell for his sixth of the season to make it 6-4.

The Flyers had an answer again just 1:32 later. Cam York scored off a rush for his seventh of the season to cut the lead to one again.

The Penguins restored the two-goal lead with 4:47 remaining as Kris Letang fluttered a shot past Petersen to make it 7-5.

On a power play, the Flyers got the lead back down to one with 2:02 remaining. Foerster scored his second of the game on a nice passing play to make it 7-6.

That was as close as the Flyers could get, as the comeback fell short once again, leaving them empty-handed on the weekend.

Petersen made 25 saves on 32 shots in the loss. Tristan Jarry made 15 saves on 21 shots in the win.

Laughton and Foerster each had three points for the Flyers. Sanheim, York, Olle Lycksell, and Sean Couturier each had two. Crosby had a goal and three assists. Rust had a three-point game. Rakell, Letang, and Pettersson each had two points.

The Flyers are back in action on Tuesday night to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Travis Sanheim (7) (Scott Laughton, Olle Lycksell) 2:11
• PIT Sidney Crosby (32) (Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell) 9:38
• PIT Rust (17) (Marcus Pettersson, Crosby) 17:15

2nd Period

• PHI Tyson Foerster (12) (Owen Tippett, Sean Walker) 0:55
• PIT Rust (18) PP (Erik Karlsson, Crosby) 11:15
• PIT Emil Bemstrom (6) PP (Reilly Smith, Kris Letang) 13:38
• PHI Sanheim (8) (Sean Couturier) 16:33
• PHI Laughton (8) SH (Noah Cates, Cam York) 17:36

3rd Period

• PIT Drew O'Connor (9) (Evgeni Malkin, Valtteri Puustinen) 6:41
• PIT Rickard Rakell (6) (Crosby, Pettersson) 8:38
• PHI York (7) (Lycksell, Foerster) 10:10
• PIT Letang (7) (Unassisted) 15:13
• PHI Foerster (13) PP (Couturier, Laughton) 17:57

Game Statistics

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.