PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Phil Kessel and Conor Sheary scored in a four-goal second period to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-1 win over the scuffling Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
Ryan Reaves and Tom Kuhnhackl also scored in the second to help the Penguins beat their in-state rivals again. Both teams started the night outside the Eastern Conference playoff standings.
Flyers goalie Brian Elliott, who made his 14th straight start, allowed the four goals on just eight shots in the second period and was yanked for Michal Neuvirth in the third.
The Penguins lost goalie Tristan Jarry to an injury in the second. Jarry, who had a 1.56 goals-against average and .943 save percentage over his last three games, appeared to take a stiff shot off his blocker hand and was checked by the team trainer. Matt Murray kept the Flyers scoreless the rest of the game.
The Penguins’ scoring burst came in just four minutes and they needed only 40 seconds during that span to score twice and take a 3-1 lead. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby had an assist on Kessel’s 17th goal, but the Penguins also got goals from fourth-liners Reaves and Kuhnhackl to break the game open. Reaves snapped a 1-all tie with his second and Sheary scored 40 seconds later for his 11th. Kuhnhackl got his second of the season to make it 4-1.
Reaves and Kuhnhackl each scored against Philadelphia’s top defensive pair, Robert Hagg and Travis Konecny, and the Flyers were unable to build on a huge road win at Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay.
Jamie Oleksiak made it 5-1 with a power-play goal in the third to seal just the Penguins’ fourth win over the last 11 games.
Jordan Weal scored his fourth of the season for the Flyers.
Notes
Penguins defensemen Kris Letang and Justin Schultz returned from injuries. Letang had missed the last three games and Schultz had missed 11 because of undisclosed injuries. … Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson received a huge ovation when he was introduced in the first period. … The Flyers’ bench door appeared to break in the third. … Oleksiak scored his first goal for Pittsburgh since he was acquired last month from Dallas. … Crosby has 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 29 career games at Philadelphia.
