Simmonds notches 200th career goal
PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers ended a three-game losing streak and moved closer in the playoff race by beating their old nemeses, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-0, at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night.
With the win, the Flyers inched to within five points of the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot. They have 13 games left and have to climb past three teams.
“You have to believe,” right winger Jake Voracek said.
Wayne Simmonds scored his 200th career goal and Steve Mason collected his second shutout in his last seven games as the Flyers beat the Penguins for the first time in three tries this season.
Never mind that Pittsburgh was a tired team, having just returned from a four-game Western Canada trip in which the Penguins traveled nearly 5,000 miles. Never mind that, because of the snow that diverted the team’s flight to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, the Penguins didn’t arrive in Philadelphia until Wednesday morning.
Blackhawks’ Anisimov sidelined by leg injury
Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a left leg injury.
Anisimov got hurt in the first period of Chicago’s 4-2 win at Montreal on Tuesday night. He had to be helped from the ice after Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov fell on the back of his leg in a corner behind the Chicago goal.
Coach Joel Quenneville said Anisimov was day to day after the victory against the Canadiens. He provided a longer timetable for Anisimov’s return on Wednesday.
Brad Marchand scored his league-leading 36th goal of the season and David Backes returned after getting hurt to score the game winner and the Boston Bruins defeated Calgary to end the Flames’ 10-game winning streak. Marchand is also tied with Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the top spot in the NHL with 76 points. Backes got tied up with Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and was taken into the corner boards 12 minutes into the game. He was favoring his leg as he was helped off the ice.