Flyers reliant on power plays

The 5-2 loss was Pittsburgh’s third straight.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kimmo Timonen had a goal and three assists, and the Philadelphia Flyers took advantage on four power plays in beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Saturday night.

Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul, Danny Briere, and Scott Hartnell also scored for the Flyers, who built a 3-0 lead in the first 26 minutes.

Hartnell’s goal, his first with the Flyers, was scored into an empty-netter. Mike Richards added three assists.

Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar scored for Pittsburgh, which dropped its third straight game. It is the Penguins’ worst pointless streak since they lost three in a row last December.

The Flyers, beaten all eight times they faced Pittsburgh last season, defeated the Penguins 3-1 in their first meeting this season in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Philadelphia’s Martin Biron stopped 29 shots. He was yanked after allowing four goals on 15 shots in less than 23 minutes of a 4-1 loss at New Jersey on Thursday. Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves for Pittsburgh.

Timonen was given credit for his first goal with the Flyers after his shot bounced off the right post at 1:31. Pittsburgh’s Mark Eaton then inadvertently banked his clearing attempt off Fleury into his own net.

Knuble made it 2-0 at 7:51 with a rebound after Timonen hit him with a shot that bounced out to Briere, who sent the puck back to the net with Knuble swatting it in.

Lupul scored at 5:40 of the second period by deflecting Richard’s one-timer from the point. Malkin cut Pittsburgh’s deficit to 3-1 with a shot from the right circle after taking a cross-ice pass from Ryan Whitney. Malkin extended his point streak to 10 games.

Sidney Crosby had an assist on the goal to extend his career-best, point streak to 16 games.

Gonchar scored through a screen from just inside the blue line with 0.2 seconds left in the second period to get the Penguins closer, but Briere picked up a loose puck and scored at 7:54 of the third to give the Flyers breathing room.

Notes

Fleury played in his 150th NHL game. The Flyers played the first of four straight home games following an eight-game road trip. Briere hit the left post on a power-play attempt midway through the first period. Flyers RW Stefan Ruzicka was given a game misconduct after a second-period fight with D Darryl Sydor.