Empty Thoughts: Flyers 7, Penguins 2

Observations from the Penguins’ 7-2 loss to the Flyers:

First things first, backup goaltender Casey DeSmith, who got the start, was pulled after two periods due to an undisclosed injury.

Any prolonged absence by him would be significant given the drop-off on the Penguins’ organizational depth chart. Journeyman Max Lagace, who hasn’t played an NHL game since February of 2019, would presumably be in line to take over as the backup should DeSmith be sidelined for any period of time.

As for the game, it was ugly.

Trying to dissect this one would be like trying to perform an autopsy on roadkill.

In terms of goal differential, it was the Penguins’ worst loss of the season, eclipsing an 8-4 road setback against the New York Rangers on April 6.

It was also the seventh game they’ve allowed five or more goals this season with three of those contests taking place within the hostile boundaries of Philadelphia.

Thankfully for the Penguins, they won’t face the Flyers in the postseason as their cross-state rivals were formally eliminated from playoff contention on Thursday.

The Penguins should count their blessings for that.

Of the seven teams the Penguins have played this season — thanks to the NHL’s pandemic restrictions — no team has scored on them quite like the Flyers.

In fact, the Flyers have averaged just over a goal per game more against the Penguins than any other East Division squad:

For whatever reason, the Flyers can consistently pull the Penguins into run-and-gun affairs, especially near the shores of the Delaware River. Any notion of defensive structure by the Penguins gets abandoned by the attraction of trading goals. It’s fun to watch — depending on what team you’re rooting for — but not very conducive to winning on a consistent basis.

When the Keystone State’s teams meet up, it’s probably safe to bet the over.

“We just gave up way too much,” Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson said via video conference. “Our start was bad in the first period. We got lured into a chance-for-chance game with them. We know we’ve got to be better than that.

“We all know that’s not going to cut it in the playoffs moving forward.”

What happened

The Flyers opened the scoring 5:58 into regulation. Pushing play into the offensive zone on the left wing, Flyers forward Joel Farabee chucked a wrister on net from the half wall. DeSmith made the initial save but allowed a rebound that clunked off the end boards and deflected to the right of the crease. Flyers forward Kevin Hayes corralled the bouncing puck and snapped a quick wrister that appeared to be denied by a sprawling, desperate DeSmith who batted the puck away with his glove. Play continued until a television stoppage during which off-ice officials reviewed the sequence and ruled the puck had crossed the goal line before DeSmith cleared it. Hayes was credited with his 12th goal of the season off of assists from Farabee and forward Jakub Voracek.

It became a 2-0 contest through more conventional means at 14:08 of the first period with a power-play goal. Taking a pass at center point of the offensive zone, Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere surveyed for a shooting lane and whacked a slapper that sailed through a phalanx of arms, sticks and legs as well as past DeSmith’s glove for his ninth goal. Assists went to forwards Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux.

The Flyers took a three-goal lead shortly after that at the 15:12 mark. Corralling a rim on the left half wall of the offensive zone, Flyers forward Sean Couturier sent it back to the end boards where Konecny deflected the puck off the near side of the cage to the left circle where Giroux claimed possession and ripped a wrister past DeSmith’s glove hand on the far side for his 15th goal. Konecny and Couturier tallied assists.

A botched line change by the Penguins allowed the Flyers to claim a four-goal lead 7:50 into the second period. As Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen casually made their way to the bench — which is on the far side of the ice for second periods — Gostisbehere took advantage of the vacant ice and snapped a stretch pass from behind his own net for forward Scott Laughton at the offensive blue line. Pushing play through the right circle, Laughton drew in Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman and fed a pass to rookie forward Wade Allison, trailing on the sequence. Leaning down Allison snapped off a wrister that squirted between DeSmith’s left arm and ribs for his second career goal. Assists went to Laughton and Gostisbehere.

The Penguins got on the scoreboard 2:30 into the third period with a power-play score. Malkin fed a pass from the high slot to defenseman Kris Letang above the right circle. From there, Letang slid a hard pass to the right of the net where forward Sidney Crosby tapped a dazzling redirection that slipped over the left shoulder of goaltender Alex Lyon on the near side for his 21st goal. Letang and Malkin netted assists.

It became a two-goal game at 8:24 of the third late on another power-play opportunity. From the right point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman John Marino lobbed a wrister toward the cage. Penguins forward Jason Zucker, battling Flyers defenseman Justin Braun for position above the crease, reached out to deflect the puck over Lyons’ right shoulder on the far side for his eighth goal. Marino and Kapanen recorded assists.

Any threat of a comeback was trampled by the Flyers who finished the game with three unanswered goals.

At 11:37 of the third, Farabee collected his 17th goal. After Voracek won a puck battle against Penguins defenseman Cody Ceci in front of the Penguins’ bench, Voracek slipped a pass along the wall to Farabee. Facing minimal resistance from the right wall, Farabee made his way to the net and put a forehand shot past Jarry’s blocker on the far side. Assists went to Voracek and defenseman Travis Sanheim.

The Penguins pulled Jarry in a vain attempt to make it a competitive contest but yielded another goal, this time to Giroux at 17:39 of the third. There were no assists.

The lopsided nature of this contest was punctuated at 18:55 of the third. Off a give-and-go sequence with Farabee, Hagg uncorked a wrister from the slot that toasted Jarry’s glove for his second goal. Farabee and Voracek had assists.

Statistically speaking

• The Flyers dominated shots, 45-27.

• Konecny led the game with seven shots.

• Forward Teddy Blueger led the Penguins with five shots.

• Letang led the game with 25:19 of ice time on 27 shifts.

• Defenseman Ivan Provorov led the Flyers with 23:51 of ice time on 32 shifts.

• The Flyers dominated faceoffs, 47-22 (68%).

• Couturier was 18 for 20 (90%)!

• Giroux was 11 for 14 (79%).

• Penguins forward Jeff Carter was 10 for 20 (50%).

• Crosby had a really rough game on the dot going 4 for 19 (21%).

• Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman led the game with four blocked shots.

• Gostisbehere and Braun each led the Flyers with three blocked shots.

• DeSmith recorded the loss after making 33 saves on 37 shots.

• Jarry made five saves on seven shots.

• Lyon made 35 saves on 37 shots.

Randomly speaking

• Malkin returned to the lineup after missing 23 games due to a suspected right knee injury. It’s difficult to say he had a strong game, even if you account for the assist he had as well any possible rink rust from such a long layoff.

His lackadaisical effort on his line change — along with Kapanen — kind of punctuated this game for the entire team.

Malkin logged 14:07 of ice time on 23 shifts, recorded three shots on four attempts and was 6 for 17 (35%) in the faceoff dot.

• Malkin replaced Jared McCann on the top power play and that change clearly paid off as he helped set up Crosby’s goal.

For all the talk of the Penguins’ success on the power play with McCann in recent weeks, the Penguins haven’t been that successful over the past week with the man advantage. In their previous four games, they were 0 for 9 with the power play.

• With Malkin back, the Penguins changed up their bottom three lines. Malkin skated with Zucker at left wing and Kapanen on the right wing. Meanwhile, Carter centered the third line with McCann on the left wing and Frederick Gaudreau, who was promoted from the fourth line, on the right wing.

The fourth line was composed of Zach Aston-Reese on the left wing, Blueger at center and Colton Sceviour.

It’s probably safe to assume none of those changes had their desired effects.

• The Penguins’ top line of Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Rust had a very rough game. According to Natural Stat Trick, they generated five shot attempts and allowed 20 shot attempts against while primarily going against the Flyers’ top line of Giroux, Couturier and Konecny in five-on-five situations.

• Speaking of Crosby, his goal snapped a three-game scoreless streak, his longest such streak of the season.

• Judging either DeSmith or Jarry in this contest would be unfair given how much duress they were under.

• With defenseman Mike Matheson sidelined on a week-to-week basis, Friedman got back into the lineup for the first time since March 4. Primarily paired with Ceci, Friedman logged 13:02 of ice time on 21 shifts and had two shots on three attempts.

The chemistry Matheson and Ceci have developed as the second defensive pairing over the course of the season has been apparent to the naked eye. The drop-off in terms of cohesion between Ceci and Friedman was fairly clear. If the Penguins hope those two are going to be a steady duo, they need to get on the same page.

• Given his talent and and the success he experienced earlier this season, it’s tempting to wonder if left-handed P.O Joseph deserves a chance at cracking the lineup during Matheson’s convalescence.

• Matheson’s absence snapped a 23-game streak for the Penguins in which they dressed the same six defensemen. Considering how much their blue line was beat up in the early portions of the season, that’s a pretty good run.

• For what it’s worth, Friedman formally identified the injury he suffered March 4 as a concussion. To this point, the team merely used the nugatory “upper-body injury” description with regard to his ailment.

• Just looking at the Flyers on paper then seeing them in how they usually light things up against the Penguins, it’s a head-scratcher as to why they’re not a better team. This is a deep roster with lots of skill, particularly up front. There are some holes on defense and obviously goaltending is always a big question mark given starter Carter Hart’s regression this season, but this team is too talented to not be a playoff contender.

• Even if this was a rout, don’t dismiss how well Lyon played. He had to make some tough saves, including one of the best in the NHL this season at 9:29 of the first period when it was still a one-goal game. Off a rebound from a screened wrister by Kapanen, he reached back to scoop out a loose puck from rolling into the cage while Zucker fell on top of him.

A goal there and this is potentially a very different game.

• This has nothing to do with this game, but arguably the brightest moment connected to Pittsburgh hockey on Monday took place a few hours north in Buffalo.

Sabres goaltender Michael Houser, a 28-year-old native of Youngstown, Ohio, who grew up in Wexford playing for the former Pittsburgh Hornets youth program, recorded a win in his first career start. A nine-year professional who has primarily played in the ECHL during his career, Houser was given a start due to the Sabres’ various issues, particularly with regards to all their injuries in net, and led his team to a 4-2 home win against the New York Islanders by making 34 saves on 36 shots.

Historically speaking

• With a roughing minor at 17:52 of the second period, Malkin recorded his 984th career penalty minute and surpassed forward Troy Loney (982) — one of the toughest players in franchise history — for second place on the franchise’s career penalty minutes list. Only power forward Kevin Stevens (1,048) has more.

• Gaudreau appeared in his 100th career game. That’s no small thing for a player who has had taken the long road in getting back to the NHL.

Publicly speaking

• With a rematch looming on Tuesday, Voracek summed this game up pretty well for both teams:

“We were just faster than them I think. Obviously, (the Penguins are) one of the best teams in the league but it happens to every team. Sometimes, you just don’t have the legs. We were just faster, fresher than them. That’s why we won the game. I’m sure they’re going to come out way harder and way more prepared in (Tuesday’s) game. But sometimes, especially in this season, you just don’t have it. They didn’t have it, we did. That’s why the score was like that. (Tuesday’s) game is going to be way, way different.”

• Pettersson spoke about how the Penguins have played so well with depleted lineups compared to their effort on Monday:

“When we’ve had guys out of the lineup, you see how we play. We play tight as a five-man unit with speed. … We’ve got to find our way back to that. … When we play hard and we defend, we create our own offense. That’s something that we’ve got to find our way back to.”

• Sullivan on the game:

“I just don’t think we were on our game. I don’t think we were skating. I don’t think we were playing the game that we’ve played here for a long time that’s brought us success. When we’re at our best, I think we’re a team that plays on its toes. There’s an element of simplicity associated with our game that gives us a chance to be successful and makes us hard to play against. I just didn’t think we were on our game tonight.”

• Zucker gave an upbeat assessment of Malkin’s return:

“I thought (Malkin) was good. He was good with the puck. He made some nice plays. … It’s always tough getting back into it after that long of a time off. He didn’t seem like he missed any time. He was making great plays. He was heads-up with the puck as he always is.”

Visually speaking

• Game summary.

• Event summary.

• Highlights:

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