BOX SCORE
After twice falling behind 3-0 in less than a week, then having to rally from that hole, the Flyers tried something different Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center.
This time, they put three markers on the board early against their cross-state archenemy, the Pittsburgh Penguins, then had to hang onto dear life for a 3-2 victory.
After being average so often this season, Ilya Bryzgalov finally proved the difference in net, stealing a win with a collection of tough saves among the 27 shots he faced. He had an ice bag on his left knee and was limping after the game.
Because of him, the Flyers sit atop the Eastern Conference with 37 points as Florida shut out Boston, 2-0.
With consecutive intense games, back-to-back with travel and tired legs, the Flyers deserved the win and got it
It was kind of tough and they were rested, Jaromir Jagr said. We kind of jumped on them. We scored three quick goals and survived.
NHL
Thats our team. We have a 3-0 lead or were losing 3-0. Figure it out. You always have to find a way to win hockey games even if you are losing.
Evgeni Malkins 10th goal eight minutes into the final period reduced the Pens deficit to 3-2 after he wristed one from the circle.
The Pens were minus Sidney Crosby and the Flyers were without Chris Pronger, but it was every bit a tough-as-nails hockey game just the same.
Its a pretty good test but we cant stop here, Claude Giroux said. We had a good start to the season and we have to keep on winning games and working hard as a team. We have a lot of things to work on, but overall were playing good right now.
Thats four straight Ws for coach Peter Laviolette and six wins in seven games that have seen the Flyers rise from fourth place to first overall in the East.
Theres a physical toll as well as an emotional toll just to get back into a game when youre down two or three goals and you come back to win, Laviolette said, talking about the Buffalo win and then coming back to face the Penguins.
In one sense, were fortunate it was the Penguins tonight because it automatically builds things back in for you. We kept the guys away this morning to keep them rested and I thought the jump was just terrific. I really liked the way we attacked the game.
And the resiliency at the end, it wasnt our best last 10-12 minutes but the guys really fought for it.
Max Talbot, who played in Pittsburgh last season and had high emotions going into this one, seemed drained.
We had a comeback win in Buffalo and showed a lot of character, he said. Tonight, we showed a lot of character by just holding onto the lead.
Weve seen some wacky deflections this season and nearly all of them have been against the Flyers. For once, the double trouble favored them.
Early into the game, Danny Briere pulled up in the zone with the puck to survey the situation, then fired. The puck hit Pens D-man Robert Bortuzzos thigh, then hit Brooks Orpiks knee, changing directions again before going right into the net at 6:38.
That was Brieres eighth goal and first in six games. Incidentally, Laviolette confirmed that Brieres diminished ice time at Buffalo was because of a lingering cold that had him run down.
Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury did an outstanding job to keep it that way as the Flyers had numerous quality scoring chances, including a blown open net from Scott Hartnell.
At the other end, Bryzgalov, who didnt look good at Buffalo, was sharp as a tack that period, especially handling angled shots such as the one he faced at the post against Malkin early during a Pens power play before Briere scored.
I wasnt sure it was Malkin, Bryzgalov said. I saw the Pittsburgh player on the back door and Matt Cooke was not in a shooting position and wanted to pass the puck. I was prepared to push across for Malkin.
Even better were the Flyers penalty killers, erasing a 4-on-3 and 5-on-3 deficit, then somehow surviving two broken sticks to Talbot and Kimmo Timonen that briefly made it 5-on-1 and somehow resulted in Chris Kunitz picking up a cross-checking penalty.
The Flyers resurgent power play has truly made a difference lately. They scored their sixth goal in four games at 8:42 of the second period with brilliant, tic-tac-toe passing.
Giroux, doing some pirouettes with the puck to avoid the Pens penalty killers, ragged it long enough to laser a pass across the slot to Jakub Voracek. He got Fleury to commit, then dished it quickly back to the left post where Wayne Simmonds buried it.
That was Simmonds second goal in three games after going seven games without a sniff at the net.
I thought Ive been getting opportunities but havent buried my chances, Simmonds said. Tonight, I got one and its a good start.
Bryzgalov got a bonus goal five minutes later to make it 3-0 as Andrej Meszaros lugged the puck up ice through traffic, then crossed it to Hartnell.
Doing his infamous Hartnell Down maneuver, he scored falling into the post, giving him four straight games where hes scored.
Hartnell has a hot hand right now with seven goals in nine games.
He gave credit to Bryzgalov for giving the Flyers a chance.
Yeah, seemed like we were trying to get the puck out and they were keeping it in, Hartnell said. Malkin seemed to have the puck on a string there for a while. But Bryz made some great saves for us and definitely came up huge there in the third period.
Before the second periods end, the Penguins got a power-play goal from James Neal, who lofted the puck like he was trying to scale a bunker below the circle on a perfect pass from Malkin at 14:40.
That goal awakened the Penguins, who were all over the Flyers the next several minutes but Bryzgalov withstood the challenge.
No matter what the score is, Jagr said. we find a way to win.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net.