Flyers cool off Pens, tie series

Knights, Jets take 2-0 lead

Novice 3 winners

PITTSBURGH, April 14, (AP): His team embarrassed by the defending Stanley Cup champions in a lopsided playoffopening loss, Philadelphia Flyers coach Dave Hakstol could have panicked. Instead, he doubled down.

No switching up the lines. No swapping the goaltenders. Nothing. Hakstol didn’t think changes were necessary. As ugly as getting blown out by Pittsburgh in Game 1 looked, it felt even worse. That was motivation enough. No personnel changes necessary. This was. Sean Couturier had a goal and two assists, Brian Elliott stopped 34 shots and Flyers cooled off the Penguins 5-1 on Friday night to even the first-round series at a game apiece.

Shayne Gostisbehere, Travis Konecny, Andrew McDonald and Nolan Patrick also scored for the Flyers. Two nights after getting crushed 7-0, Philadelphia responded by keeping Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in check and taking advantage of what few chances it produced against Matt Murray to beat the Penguins for the first time this season.

Game 3 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Patric Hornqvist scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal with just over 5 minutes left to avoid the shutout, but the Penguins looked ordinary for long stretches after looking unstoppable in the opener.

Pittsburgh outshot the Flyers 3520, a number that didn’t include a pair of shots that hit the post early or Crosby fanning on a wide-open net in the waning seconds of the second period. Elliott, pulled in the middle of the second period in Game 1, also stoned Crosby on a breakaway earlier in the second.

Matt Murray’s shutout streak dating to the 2017 Stanley Cup finals ended at 225:49 when Gostisbehere scored on the power play late in the first period. Murray finished with 15 saves to lose for just the third time in 17 home playoff starts in his career.

The Flyers struggled to sustain pressure on Murray but took advantage of what few opportunities they created. Philadelphia went on the power play late in the first period when Pittsburgh’s Zach AstonReese 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 to end the fourth-longest playoff shutout streak

Elliott

since 1990.

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 Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang and into the net 47 seconds into the second.

The Penguins began pressing but Elliott responded. Crosby broke in alone just past the game’s midway point but Elliott’s glove swallowed up the Pittsburgh captain’s backhand attempt.

Late in the second, Crosby needed to simply redirect the puck into the net while standing at the right post. Instead, it skittered straight across the goal mouth and out of harm’s way. Crosby smashed his stick over the crossbar in frustration.

When Konecny held off Chad Ruhwedel and chipped the puck over Murray’s glove 1:21 into the third the Flyers had control. Just over 18 minutes later they had their first victory Pittsburgh in 383 days to go home with the series even.

In Las Vegas, Erik Haula’s goal in double overtime gave Vegas a 2-0 lead against Los Angeles in their first-round playoff series.

With 4:37 left on the clock in the second overtime, Haula skated in on his own to beat goalie Jonathan Quick and send a towel-waving crowd of 18,588 into a frenzy.

Game 3 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series is Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Alex Tuch scored for expansion Vegas in regulation, and Paul LaDue had the Kings’ goal.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for the Golden Knights. Quick stopped 54 shots for the Kings.

Los Angeles played without star defenseman Drew Doughty, who served a one-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head on Vegas forward William Carrier during the Golden Knights’ 1-0 series-opening victory Wednesday.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Paul Stastny, Andrew Copp and Patrik Laine scored in the third period and Winnipeg beat Minnesota to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference series.

Defenseman Tyler Myers had a goal in the second period and also had an assist. Rookie Jack Roslovic, replacing injured Mathieu Perreault, had two assists in the game that ended with a series of fights.

Zach Parise had his second goal of the series when he deflected Mikko Koivu’s shot past Connor Hellebuyck to end the goalie’s shutout bid with 45 seconds left.

The goal came on the power play after Jets forward Brandon Tanev was called for hooking with 59 seconds left.

Hellebuyck made 16 saves. Devan Dubnyk stopped 39 shots for Minnesota.

Winnipeg won 3-2 on Wednesday night. Game 3 is Sunday at Minnesota.