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Recap: Flyers 8, Penguins 5
FLYERS 8, PENGUINS 5: Claude Giroux collected three goals and three assists for a franchise-record six points and rookie Sean Couturier also netted a hat trick as visiting Philadelphia outslugged Pittsburgh to seize a 2-0 lead in its Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Jaromir Jagr scored to snap a tie midway into the third period and fellow former Penguin Max Talbot added a shorthanded marker for the Flyers, who have won all 17 previous series in their history when holding a 2-0 lead.
Philadelphia hosts Game 3 on Sunday.
With the game tied at 5-5, Jagr collected a rebound off defenseman Pavel Kubina’s point shot. The veteran fended off Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy and wristed a shot which beat Marc-Andre Fleury at 9:13 of the third period for his 78th career postseason goal.
Couturier capped his hat trick after converting a 2-on-1 rush with 1:49 left and Giroux completed his three-goal night by scoring into the empty net in the waning moments of the contest.
Chris Kunitz scored twice, captain Sidney Crosby collected a goal and an assist and defenseman Paul Martin and Tyler Kennedy also tallied for the Penguins.
After Kennedy gave Pittsburgh a 5-4 edge just 1:06 into the third, Couturier answered just 17 seconds later after taking advantage of Lovejoy’s turnover before tucking the puck past Fleury.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Keith Primeau netted the last Flyers postseason hat trick, doing so against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004 … Crosby’s quick strike tied a franchise record to start a postseason game, set by Greg Malone in 1981. His 32nd career goal tied Hall of Famer Ron Francis for fourth place all-time in Penguins history. … Pittsburgh has dropped five straight postseason games at Consol Energy Center, dating back to last year’s conference quarterfinal series against Tampa Bay. … The Penguins have outscored Philadelphia by a 6-1 margin in the first period of this series.
