FLYERS 6, PENGUINS 4: Wayne Simmonds netted his fifth goal in four games to snap a tie early in the third period as visiting Philadelphia tallied four times in the session to move within one point of fourth-place Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference.
Jakub Voracek scored twice, All-Star Claude Giroux collected a goal and two assists and former Penguin Max Talbot added his career-high 19th tally in the testy affair. Rookie defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon also scored for the Flyers, who have won four of five meetings between the Keystone State rivals. Both teams have three games remaining in the regular season - including a rematch in the Steel City on Saturday.
Voracek's empty-net goal essentially sealed the outcome - and tempers flared shortly thereafter. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, who was later ejected, confronted Penguins coach Dan Bylsma at the benches after several skirmishes broke out on the ice.
Making his third straight start, Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 43 shots to improve to 5-0-0 in his career at Consol Energy Center.
Steve Sullivan tallied twice and James Neal netted his career-high 39th goal for the Penguins.
With the game tied at 2-2, Simmonds slammed home a brilliant feed from Giroux on the doorstep for his career-high 27th goal. Simmonds' tally at 2:35 was followed just over four minutes later by Voracek, who took a stretch pass and backhanded the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for his 16th goal.
After Neal gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead at 4:58 of the first period, Giroux trimmed the deficit to one after his wrist shot from the high slot trickled past Fleury for his 28th goal.
Talbot leveled the contest just 1:25 into the second period after he deflected Zac Rinaldo's wrist shot in the slot.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis extended his point streak to 14 games with an assist on Sullivan's first-period tally. ... Philadelphia has permitted the game's first two goals in six of its last nine contests. ... Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann exited the game in the first period with a knee injury. He did not return.
Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | |
Jakub Voracek 3 | Points | Steve Sullivan 2 |
Jakub Voracek 2 | Goals | Steve Sullivan 2 |
Claude Giroux 2 | Assists | Sidney Crosby 2 |
Wayne Simmonds 1 | Power Play Goals | Chris Kunitz 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Sergei Bobrovsky .915 | Save Percentage | Marc-Andre Fleury .800 |
Sergei Bobrovsky 43 | Saves | Marc-Andre Fleury 20 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Philadelphia | 26 | 6 | 1-3 | 4-5 | 35 | 33 |
Pittsburgh | 47 | 4 | 1-5 | 2-3 | 33 | 36 |