Taking a look back in Flyers’ history, we travel back six years ago as special teams played a key role in the defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Just like the Flyers of now, the team was surging at this point back in 2014. The team had just moved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Their latest win had come on the back end of a home-and-home set against the Pittsburgh Penguins. So, let’s take a look back to March 16th, 2014.
The Flyers were coming off a 4-0 win over the Penguins the night before. Matt Read scored twice, once shorthanded, as Steve Mason registered the 25-save shutout. Scott Hartnell and Vincent Lecavalier collected the other two goals.
They kicked things off early the next day. Brayden Schenn scored his 17th of the season just over two minutes into the game. Wayne Simmonds potted two power-play goals in the period as well. That would end the afternoon for Marc-Andre Fleury after just 13:14. He made 12 saves on 15 shots. He was replaced by rookie Jeff Zatkoff.
Brooks Orpik put the Penguins on the board late in the first. Matt Niskanen, a Penguin at the time, followed up a goal of his own almost six minutes into the second. Special teams powered once again as Read scored a shorthanded goal eight minutes into the second. The short-handed tally was his second in two days and third goal of the weekend.
While Jayson Megna would cut the lead to one goal with under four minutes in the second, that was the closest the Penguins would get. Sidney Crosby would come close to tying it in the final seconds as he hit the post off a pass from Evgeni Malkin. The Flyers would hold Crosby scoreless in both games.
Steve Mason would stop all 11 shots in the final period to help the Flyers hang on for the win. He only allowed three goals on 48 shots during the weekend sweep.