SportsDirect Inc.
Recap: Penguins 10, Flyers 3
PENGUINS 10, FLYERS 3: Jordan Staal recorded his first career postseason hat trick as visiting Pittsburgh scored eight unanswered goals to emphatically stave off elimination by throttling Philadelphia in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Captain Sidney Crosby and Steve Sullivan collected a goal and two assists apiece and Evgeni Malkin netted his first two tallies of the series. Pascal Dupuis and defenseman Matt Niskanen scored and set up a goal for the fourth-seeded Penguins, who showed no signs of lacking firepower with 40-goal scorer James Neal serving his one-game suspension.
The Flyers tied a franchise record for most goals allowed in a playoff game – coincidentally, with the Penguins providing the opposition. Mario Lemieux had five goals and three assists in the 10-7 victory on April 25, 1989.
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia also set an NHL record for most goals (45) in the first four games of a postseason series. The Penguins will host Game 5 on Friday,
After Crosby leveled the contest at 3-3 late in the first period, Staal gave Pittsburgh the lead just 70 seconds later after wiring a shot from the slot.
Letang doubled the advantage at 3:07 of the second period after his one-timer from the left faceoff circle beat Ilya Bryzgalov. The Russian netminder was pulled after yielding five goals on 18 shots.
Staal netted his second goal and Pittsburgh’s third power-play tally just over four minutes later by wiring a shot past a screened Sergei Bobrovsky.
Sullivan and Dupuis put the game out of reach with their second-period tallies and Staal capped the hat trick with 3:57 left by wiring a shot just inside the post.
Defenseman Kimmo Timonen scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal and Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek also converted with the man advantage for the fifth-seeded Flyers.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 22 saves. … Neal was suspended for Wednesday’s contest after he belted rookie Sean Couturier during the third period on Sunday and then charged at Giroux. … Craig Adams served his one-game suspension for instigating a fight on Sunday. … Arron Asham, who is a former Flyer, was suspended four games following his brutal cross-check to rookie Brayden Schenn on Sunday. … Philadelphia hasn’t swept a four-game series since accomplishing the feat against the New York Rangers in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.
