Philadelphia, PA – In a thrilling contest at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Philadelphia Flyers emerged victorious against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout, securing a 3-2 win after a chaotic overtime. The Flyers (4-3-1) hosted the Penguins (7-2-1) in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
The Flyers and Penguins entered the 2025-26 season with moderate expectations after missing the playoffs and making coaching changes in the prior season. However, both teams have shown promise early in the season.
The game remained tight throughout, with the Flyers holding the Penguins to single-digit shots in the first two periods. Justin Brazeau scored for the Penguins about ten minutes into the game. Bobby Brink scored a goal and an assist for the Flyers. Travis Konecny also scored for the Flyers, marking his 200th career goal. Sidney Crosby, who has historically been a source of frustration for Philadelphia fans, scored an improbable third-period equalizer, threatening to negate the Flyers' dominance.
Overtime was filled with drama, including two overturned goals. Ultimately, the game proceeded to a shootout, where the Flyers prevailed. Sam Ersson, who started in goal for the Flyers, earned consecutive starts for the first time this season after helping the team secure a shootout victory against the New York Islanders on Saturday. He made 23 saves on 26 shots against the Islanders. Arturs Silovs started in goal for Pittsburgh, making 32 saves with a .941 save percentage.
Rick Tocchet, coach for the Flyers, acknowledged the rivalry between the two teams and the intensity that comes with it. He noted the Penguins were the hottest team in the league.
The Penguins recalled Owen Pickering before the game, and he played on the third defensive pair with Matt Dumba. Nick Deslauriers and Egor Zamula returned to the Flyers' lineup, while Nikita Grebenkin and Adam Ginning were out. No changes were expected to the Penguins lineup from their previous game.
With this win, the Flyers have won five of their last six games at home. The Flyers penalty kill has been strong this season. The Penguins have been strong offensively.
