Pittsburgh Penguins attempt comeback, fall to Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 -NHL Update
Evgeni Malkin brought Pittsburgh back into the matchup and within reach of tying it by one goal but Philadelphia’s Ilya Bryzgalov, managed to hold off the Penguins as Flyers took the match, 3-2, on Thursday night, December 8, 2011, at the sold out Wells
Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Philadelphia forward, Wayne Simmonds found Danny Briere open nearly midway through the opening period for his eighth goal of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, followed by Simmonds potting his own at the 8:42 mark of the second period
on a power play opportunity to extend the lead.
"It's always good to contribute offensively when you can," said Simmonds. "I thought I'd be getting opportunities, I just haven't been burying my chances. Tonight I had 2 points and that's a good start."
Veteran Philadelphia player, Scott Hartnell, added to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ woes as he added another for the Flyers nearly five minutes later to give them 3-0 lead, which would eventually turn out to be the decider.
"It takes time," Briere told NHL.com. "It doesn't happen overnight. Every game we're still learning about each other, little plays. We try to talk a lot, too. Try to find out where we're going to be and like to hang out on the ice. Tonight was a good game,
hopefully a step in the right direction. Have to keep going."
James Neal added Pittsburgh’s first and his 15th of the season nearly a minute after Philadelphia’s last by Hartnell, on a power play opportunity of their own.
After assisting their first of the night, Evgeni Malkin hoped to bring Pittsburgh closer to levelling it with his 10th of the season midway through the third and final period of regulation but as Bryzgalov blocked 13 of 14 attempts by the Penguins
in the last 20 minutes alone, the visitors could not find a way to get the puck in.
Philadelphia has one more at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday before taking off to a two-game road trip while the Pittsburgh Penguins will be visiting the New York Islanders on the same day.
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