The Philadelphia Flyers took the ice for an early puck drop as all 32 NHL teams were in action, marking the first meeting of the season between the Flyers and their cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins entered the matchup on the second half of a back-to-back after defeating the St. Louis Blues 6–3 the night before. Despite playing less than 24 hours earlier, Pittsburgh showed no signs of fatigue and came out with speed and energy from the opening faceoff.
Justin Brazeau struck first for the Penguins, beating Flyers goaltender Sam Ersson, who earned his second consecutive start. Philadelphia responded late in the first period when Noah Cates set up Bobby Brink on the power play to even the score at 1–1, slipping the puck past Arturs Silovs.
The intensity ramped up as both teams battled for momentum. In the second period, Travis Konecny broke the tie with a sharp snapshot, marking his 200th career NHL goal. His milestone tally gave the Flyers a 2–1 lead heading into the final frame.
As expected,
That’s where Sam Ersson shined. Known for his strong shootout performances, he allowed just one goal while Brink and Matvei Michkov each scored to secure the Flyers’ second straight shootout victory on home ice.
The win not only marked back-to-back victories for Philadelphia but also showcased significant improvement from last season, especially against Metropolitan Division opponents.
After the game, Konecny reflected on his milestone:
“It’s a nice milestone to reach,” Konecny said. “I got a nice picture with all the guys in the room afterward because you can’t get to that if you don’t have great teammates helping you.”
Sean Couturier, who assisted on Konecny’s goal, made the moment even more special as Konecny noted that Couturier is now his longest-tenured teammate.
Ersson also spoke about his back-to-back shootout wins, saying,
“Two big wins for the team and for myself, so it’s always nice. Yeah, it’s a good feeling.”
Despite the loss, Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs didn’t use the team’s schedule as an excuse:
“We’re playing back to back. It’s a bit harder, energy-wise, for guys to be 100% all the time, and I think it’s important to be there for them.”
The Flyers return to action Thursday night when they host the Nashville Predators
