Flyers Hang On for Game 1 Win Over Penguins

Defensive play has been the calling card for the Philadelphia Flyers all season. In Game 1 of their playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, two defensemen made their mark offensively.

The Flyers were able to hang on down the stretch, securing a 3-2 win in Game 1 on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

How It Happened

The first period was physical, as the Flyers out-shot Pittsburgh, 9-5, in the opening 20 minutes. Both teams had power plays and were unable to score.

At the midpoint of the second period, the Flyers broke the ice and opened the scoring. Jamie Drysdale scored through a screen after taking a pass from Trevor Zegras at 9:19 to make it 1-0.

Pittsburgh answered back at 15:51 to close a prolonged shift in the offensive zone. Evgeni Malkin came off the bench and tied the game at one. Shots were 16-10 Flyers through two periods.

At the halfway point of the third period, the Flyers took the lead back. Travis Sanheim made a nice move to get into the slot and fired a shot to make it 2-1.

With 2:37 left in the third, the Flyers added some insurance as Porter Martone fired a shot past Stuart Skinner for his first of the playoffs to make it 3-1.

Bryan Rust scored with 1:01 left to cut the lead to one, but the Flyers held on in the final seconds to secure the win.

Box Score

1st Period

No Scoring

2nd Period

PHI Jamie Drysdale (1) (Trevor Zegras, Denver Barkey) 9:19
PIT Evgeni Malkin (1) (Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell) 15:51

3rd Period

PHI Travis Sanheim (1) (Rasmus Ristolainen, Christian Dvorak) 10:00
PHI Porter Martone (1) (Unassisted) 17:23
PIT Bryan Rust (1) (Malkin, Erik Karlsson) 18:59

By the Numbers

Shots: Flyers: 20, Penguins: 17
Power Play: Flyers: 0-for-3, Penguins: 0-for-2
Faceoffs: Flyers: 40.8%, Penguins: 59.2%
Goalies: PHI Dan Vladar: 15 saves on 17 shots, PIT Stuart Skinner: 17 saves on 20 shots

Key Performers

⭐ Travis Sanheim — The Flyers have leaned on Sanheim for big minutes, and he did it at both ends of the ice. Physical, steady, and came through with a big play for the go-ahead goal to put the Flyers ahead for good.

⭐⭐ Porter Martone — The 19-year-old is completely unphased. His first playoff game and he delivers a clutch goal that proves to be the game-winner with an outstanding shot. And it's only his 10th game since making his NHL debut.

⭐⭐⭐ Evgeni Malkin — Malkin scored to tie the game and assisted on Pittsburgh's other goal late in the third. On a night when the Penguins were largely held at bay, Malkin was able to break through.

The Takeaway

So much for a lack of experience. The Flyers took the challenge head-on and answered the bell with a Game 1 powered primarily by strong defensive play and sticking to the details of their game. Two timely goals in the third proved to be the difference, and Dan Vladar held up his end of the deal in goal, coming up with a late save to secure the win. The Flyers will face a tougher test in Game 2, but have already announced their presence in this series with this opening statement.