Penguins overcome rough start for big win against the Flyers

The Pittsburgh Penguins did exactly what they said they couldn’t do in their game against the archrival Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

They let the Flyers push their buttons and took stupid penalties in the process.  The Penguins took five penalties in the first period, three of them by James Neal, after which the Flyers scored two out of three times on the power play.

March 7, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) celebrate his goal with teammates center Evgeni Malkin (71), defenseman Kris Letang (58) and center Sidney Crosby (87) against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Jakub Voracek continues to be a thorn in the side of the Penguins as he continued his hot scoring streak against them. He opened the scoring with a power play goal that just trickled through the five hole of Marc Andre Fleury. The goal was his 11th of the season. The Penguins didn’t wait long to answer. Just 45 seconds later Chris Kunitz scored on a power play of their own tying the game at one. The goal was his 13th of the season.

That would be all the good news the Penguins would get in the first period as the Flyers would dominate the period scoring three more times and holding the Penguins to only four shots in the period. Zac Rinaldo would score his third of the year getting an easy tap in after a rebound came off of Fleury’s pads. Kimmo Timonen also scored his third of the year a slap shot thap appeared to go right off of Deryk Engelland and off the post and pass Fleury. That goal marked the sixth straight game in which the Penguins have allowed three or more goals.

With eight seconds left in the period  Voracek would add his second power play goal of the period and his 12th of the season giving the Flyers the lead at intermission 4-1.

Whatever head coach Dan Bylsma said at intermission he is going to want to remember and use at a later date because the Penguins looked like a total different team in the second period. Just like the Flyers dominated the first period the Penguins dominated the second with three goals and holding the Flyers to three shots.

Pascal Dupuis opened the scoring in the second with his eighth goal of the season cutting the Flyers lead to 4-2. Then Beau Bennett made a great individual play to get the puck to Neal in the corner and Neal knew just what to do with it. Throwing the puck to the front of the net it hit a Flyer and pass goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. The goal was Neal’s 15th of the season. And capping off the comeback to tie the game at four was Tyler Kennedy with his third of the year.

Going into the third period the Penguins did not take their foot of the gas. Kunitz would score his second of the game and 14th of the season just 18 seconds into the period. At the time nobody knew that that goal would be enough to win, but the Penguins would play a solid defensive period and would walk out of Philadelphia with a very big come from behind win.

The Penguins would look for another victory on Saturday when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.