Flyers cool off red-hot Penguins
> FLYERS 5 > PENGUINS 1 (SERIES TIED 1-1)
Sean Couturier had a goal and two assists, Brian Elliott stopped 34 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers cooled off the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Friday night to even the firstround series at a game apiece.
Shayne Gostisbehere, Travis Konecny, Andrew MacDonald and Nolan Patrick also scored for the Flyers. They bounced back from an embarrassing 7-0 loss in the opener to beat the Penguins for the first time this season. Game 3 is Sunday. Patric Hornqvist scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal with a little more than five minutes left to avoid the shutout, but the Penguins looked ordinary for long stretches after looking unstoppable in Game 1.
Matt Murray’s shutout streak dating to the 2017 Stanley Cup final ended at 226:49 when Gostisbehere scored on the power play late in the first period. Murray finished with 16 saves to lose for just the third time in 17 home playoff starts in his career.
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol made no changes to the lineup that was picked apart in the series opener, confident his team would respond the way it did during various parts of an occasionally turbulent season. That included staying with Elliott, who was pulled midway through the second period in Game 1 after giving up five goals on just 19 shots.
The Flyers struggled to sustain pressure on Murray, but took advantage of what few op- portunities they created. Philadelphia went on the power play late in the first period when Zach Aston-Reese was called for boarding and the Flyers — who didn’t even manage a shot on net during four power plays in Game 1 — needed just one to take the lead.
Gostisbehere sent a shot from the point that made its way through a Patrick screen, between Murray’s legs and into the net with 37 seconds left in the opening period.
It didn’t take the Flyers nearly as long to beat Murray again. Less than two minutes actually. Murray actually managed to get his right pad on Couturier’s shot from in front, but the puck popped up, caromed off Kris Letang and into the net 47 seconds into the second frame.