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First period

On January 13, 2009 the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Michel Therrien-coached Pittsburgh Penguins in a game the Pens won 4-2.

The two teams have met 93 times (regular + postseason) since then, and every one of those games featured Mike Sullivan or Dan Bylsma serving as the Pens’ head coach, until tonight.

First big Flyers chance is Matvei Michkov in a 2-on-1, and Michkov wrists the shot off Artūrs Šilovs and Mich got another chance to poke the rebound but neither went. Like seeing #39 take the shot and follow it. He’ll start scoring if he just keeps shooting.

Michkov set up another chance with a cross-ice pass to Nick Seeler about halfway through the period. Mich is looking sharp to start, and that can only mean good things for the Flyguys. Philly up 7-3 in the shot battle at the 10-minute mark is also a solid sign.

Not sure how Sam Ersson allowed a short side flutterer to get by him, but Justin Brazeau got to the outside of Travis Konecny just a bit and pushed a shot through Ersson to go up 1-0. Not a great first goal to allow.

Garnet Hathaway got called for a slash, a call that made Sunday’s officiating crew for Eagles/Giants look competent. Good kill, though. That’s 11 straight successful penalties nullified by Philly’s PK unit.

BOBBY BRINK! We’ve got another power play goal for the “second unit” as Trevor Zegras goes high-to-low to find Noah Cates in front, and when Cates turns around and generates a rebound, Brink is there to slam it home. Great stuff from a team that is now 4-for-11 over their last 3 1/3 games.

The Flyers were inches from a late lead, as Cam York rang a point shot off the post with about 10 seconds left. But 1-1 after one isn’t bad for what was a solid period for the Orange & Black. Aside from surrendering a weak goal, the Flyers were clearly the better team in the opening 20 minutes.

Second period

After a series of sloppy handles, Brink took a hooking penalty 37 seconds into the period to give the Pens’ an early advantage. This call was better than the first, but I still don’t have to like it.

Cates made a great play on the kill to intercept a pass high in the defensive zone, took it the length of the ice and found a streaking Travis Konecny in the middle but Šilovs made a great couple of saves against the short-handed Flyers.

Konecny didn’t take much longer to find the back of the net, though, as a Pens’ turnover as Brink came out of the box lead to a rush for the Flyers, and TK blasted this one by the netminder for the 200th goal of his career, and a two-point night so far for Brink.

Brink had a chance to make it 3 points less than halfway through the game, forcing a puck through center, nearly having a breakaway but still turning it into a rush chance, but he and Tyson Foerster just couldn’t connect. Brink has looked damn good to start the season. Feels like he does not want to be odd-man out when it comes to making space on the wing for Porter Martone, Alex Bump, Denver Barkey and the next wave of forward prospects.

Šilovs made another strong save against Michkov to keep it a 1-goal game as The Mad Russian got loose down low and took a forehand-backhand move across the crease, but Šilovs kept his left pad in front of Michkov to stone the snake-bitten sophomore. He’s going to break through soon!

Crosby draws a power play on a phantom high stick attributed to York, and halfway through the two minutes, the Flyers had accumulated a majority of the chances. That’s 13 straight penalties killed for Philly.

Philly will have 1:24 of power play time to start the 3rd, and this game could easily be 4- or 5-1 if not for Šilovs. Good showing for the Flyers, who are out-shooting the Pens by 10. But they’ve got to finish. I really don’t feel like doing another overtime postgame, dammit.

Third period

BIG SHOCK- The Flyers didn’t score on the carry-over power play. I hate those.

Outside of a 4th line shift where the Flyers were pinned, they’ve controlled most of the first seven or eight minutes of the third. Chances haven’t been as plentiful, but they’re out-skating the Pens consistently. But they badly need an insurance goal. Ersson hasn’t earned anywhere near the trust Vladar has early on.

Pittsburgh has been amping up the pressure the last few minutes, and nearing the 10-minute mark of the third, the Pens have had a few threatening shifts for the first time in a while.

Ersson made a big save on a rush chance for Pittsburgh, as the NHL’s assist leader, Evgeni Malkin, found Brazeau with a cross-ice feed but the Flyers’ goalie was there with a chest save. Ok, that’s one decent stop in the books for Erss, who came up huge late in his start against the Isles.

AAAAAAND OF COURSE!

A scrambly shift in the D-zone after a Michkov offensive zone turnover ends, ultimately, with a Crosby centering pass from behind the net hitting Seeler’s stick and body, the post, and Ersson himself before falling into the net. That’s just bad luck rearing its head after Philly couldn’t come up with a third goal on a series of chances over the last 30 minutes.

Malkin is headed to the box for a slash against Owen Tippett. Not the best penalty to take in that spot. PECOOOOOO!

Nothing doing on the power play, we’re still tied with 4:49 left. Ugh, this is going to be an annoying finish. I can just feel it.

Despite out-shooting the Pens by 10, we’re gonna get some 3v3 hockey.

Overtime

Will Michkov get a shift? The world is watching!

What is going on? Zegras is going to the box for a non-existent slash after Cates was clearly obstructed at the other end. Malkin appeared to score on the delayed call but the goal didn’t count because he jumped off the bench way too early.

Big kill and Noah Cates may have drawn a PENALTY SHOT?! Nope, just a hooking minor. OT PP with 1:46 remaining… LET’S GO!

And here come Michkov! Let’s see some of that magic from last season.

FOERSTER WINS IT IN OT!

Or was it offside?

NO GOAL! Zegras never got the puck all the way over upon entry and we play on. Another disallowed OT goal for the Orange & Black. Bastards.

Shootout

We’ve got a melee before the shootout and now I;m worried Zegras may get booted prior to the shootout…

Zegras & Crosby have both been deemed ineligible for their role in the scrum. This sucks.

TK & Rust both stopped in first round.

MICHKOV SCORES! Malkin also scores.

BRINK DEKES ŠILOVS ONTO HIS ASS FOR THE GO-AHEAD TALLY!

Ersson save ends it! BIG WIN, and a perfect win. The Pens still get a point to hurt their Gavin McKenna chances and still lose, despite the officials’ best efforts. HELL YEAH!