PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Flyers faced a disappointing defeat on March 25, 2024, as they lost 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena. A significant factor in the loss was the Flyers’ penalty kill, which struggled to contain the Penguins’ power play, allowing a season-high three goals.
The Flyers entered the game with one of the top-ranked penalty kills in the league, but they could not hold off Pittsburgh’s potent offense. Sidney Crosby, who has long been a thorn in the Flyers’ side, opened the scoring with one of those power-play goals. At 9:18 in the first period, Crosby capitalized on a rebound from Dan Vladar, marking the 58th and 59th goals of his career against Philadelphia, adding to his impressive total of 137 points against them.
Adding to the Flyers’ woes, their top scorer, Tyson Foerster, left the game in the second period due to an upper-body injury and did not return. Despite an early five-on-three power-play goal from Foerster, the Flyers struggled to maintain momentum. Crosby quickly responded with another power-play goal at 8:08 in the second, followed by Bryan Rust‘s goal at 15:52, extending the Penguins’ lead.
Head coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, stating, “The penalty kill has been good all year but it struggled tonight. They get a lot of shots in the middle, and that’s when you usually score power-play goals. We have to clean up the PK and the structure part of it.”
The players echoed Tocchet’s sentiments. Veteran forward Sean Couturier remarked on the success of the penalty kill throughout the season, but admitted, “Tonight we didn’t have it. They picked us apart.” Noah Cates also expressed confusion over the penalties taken, suggesting the team must learn from the experience.
The Penguins, whose power play is ranked second in the NHL, continued to exploit the Flyers’ weaknesses. Thomas Novak scored on the power play at 13:52 in the third period, bringing the score to 4-1. Kevin Hayes added a late goal, but it was not enough to change the outcome.
This loss ended the Flyers’ three-game winning streak and highlighted the need for improvement in their penalty-killing unit. Vladar, who had only allowed more than two goals in five of his previous 15 games, faced heavy pressure throughout the match.
Tocchet achieved a personal milestone with his 300th NHL win just prior to this game, and his team’s winning percentage of .646 remains one of the highest of his career if it continues through the season.
The Flyers will look to bounce back as they continue their six-game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres on March 27, 2024. In roster news, defenseman Adam Ginning cleared waivers and was assigned to Lehigh Valley.
As the Flyers regroup, they will need to address the issues on their penalty kill to remain competitive in the upcoming games.
