Monday, March 23, 2009
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers used the power play to go a long way toward securing home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Simon Gagne and Scott Hartnell each scored a power play goal, and the Flyers beat Pittsburgh 3-1 on Sunday for the Penguins’ first loss in a month.
Philadelphia won its second in a row to open a two-point lead over Pittsburgh in the race for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage in the first round.
“They clicked on the power play, they won the power play and the special teams part of the game, which is a big factor,” Pittsburgh interim coach Dan Bylsma said.
Martin Biron made 27 saves, and Darroll Powe added an empty-net goal that Hartnell assisted on for the Flyers.
Kris Letang scored for Pittsburgh, which hadn’t lost since Feb. 22 at Washington. The team had been 8-0-2 in its past 10 and lost in regulation for only the second time in 17 games under Bylsma.
“Obviously, [the power play] was big tonight,” said Philadelphia coach John Stevens. “It goes us an early lead, which I thought was important. The penalty kill [also] did an outstanding job.”
Gagne’s 29th goal came 5:19 into the contest, when he fired home a loose puck from the left faceoff circle.
The Flyers made it 2-0 with another power play goal 2:54 into the second. Hartnell was credited with his 27th of the season when Jeff Carter’s shot from the right circle grazed off Penguins defenseman Mark Eaton and Hartnell into the net behind Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Penguins lead the league in victories when trailing after two periods (11), but a possible comeback was thwarted partly by Sergei Gonchar’s double-minor for roughing after time had expired at the end of the second period. Pittsburgh killed the Flyers’ four-minute power play at the start of the third but only managed seven shots in the period. The Penguins’ goal came midway through the period when Letang scored his eighth while on the power play off assists from Crosby and Malkin.