Instant Replay: Flyers 5, Penguins 3

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BOX SCORE

PITTSBURGH -- R.J. Umberger grew up in East Pittsburgh. Plum Township, to be exact. He’s a 'Burgher, playing for the Flyers, who loves the Steelers and Pirates.
 
This is his second stint as a Flyer and on his first homecoming in orange and black this season, the 32-year-old forward scored his first goal of the season Wednesday night as the Flyers defeated the Penguins, 5-3, at the CONSOL Energy Center. His goal made it 3-2 at 6:53 of the third period.
 
The victory capped off a difficult three-game road trip that saw the Flyers collect four of six possible points. The only blemish was a blowout loss in Chicago on Tuesday.
 
The Flyers now have a 12-2-1 record (including postseason) at the CONSOL Energy Center since the building opened.
 
Matt Read also scored his first goal of the season, which ended up being the game-winner, to give goalie Ray Emery some breathing room in the final period.
 
Emery, who also beat the Stars on this trip, finished with 22 saves. Starter Steve Mason remains winless this season.
 
Notable goals
Pierre-Édouard Bellemare scored his first NHL goal at 13:18 of the opening period to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. Coming off a strong penalty kill in which he was on the ice with Sean Couturier, the latter gave Bellemare a lead pass into the Pens' end. Bellemare caught it off his stick and flicked the puck high over Marc-Andre Fleury’s shoulder.
 
Fleury has now lost his last four decisions against the Flyers.
 
Oldest Flyer first
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Bellemare, 29, is oldest Flyer to score his first NHL goal since Jiri Dopita, 32, on Nov 15, 2001.
 
Shots
The Flyers scored twice (Mark Streit, Bellemare) on their first five shots against Fleury.
 
Goalie report
Emery was spectacular during a 42-second sequence in the first period in which the Flyers were buried in their own end. He had four saves, two on Patric Hornqvist. A minute later, the Flyers scored their first goal off that momentum swing.

Emery also had a terrific pad stop on Evgeni Malkin in the third period.

Penalty kill
Pittsburgh’s first goal from Nick Spaling was essentially a power-play goal with Chris VandeVelde leaving the box seconds before it was scored.
 
Injuries
Zac Rinaldo suffered an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return.
 
Fights
Umberger and Simon Despres went at it in the first period after the latter buried Couturier with a shoulder up high that had Couturier straining his neck on the bench. Despres won the bout.
 
Scouts
There were 11 on hand for this game and it’s safe to say they didn’t all come to see the Penguins. Everyone knows the Flyers are in dire need of a defenseman, and that’s why so many clubs showed up.
 
Scratches
Braydon Coburn (left foot) missed his sixth consecutive game.

Vinny Lecavalier (left foot) and Blair Jones (healthy) were also scratches.
 
Up next
The Flyers have an off day on Thursday. They host Detroit at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.

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