The Philadelphia Flyers captured a 3-2 road victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, securing an early advantage in their first-round playoff matchup with a 1-0 series lead.
Porter Martone, just 19 years old and appearing in only his tenth NHL contest, delivered a pivotal insurance goal with 2:37 remaining to put Philadelphia ahead 3-1 in this Battle of Pennsylvania clash. His timely scoring proved essential when Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust responded with a goal in the final minute of play.
Philadelphia received additional scoring from Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale in what marked the organization’s return to postseason play after a six-year absence. Goaltender Dan Vladar turned away 15 shots in his first playoff appearance, making a crucial stop on Anthony Mantha’s close-range attempt in the game’s final moments.
Pittsburgh veteran Evgeni Malkin tallied his 68th career postseason goal while also setting up Rust’s late marker. Stuart Skinner recorded 17 saves for the Penguins. The teams will meet again Monday night in Pittsburgh for Game 2.
In other first-round action, Minnesota dominated Dallas 6-1 behind Matt Boldy’s two goals and one assist. Kirill Kaprizov contributed a goal and two helpers while Joel Eriksson Ek found the net twice for the Wild, who haven’t advanced past the opening round since 2015. Rookie netminder Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves in the victory.
Carolina blanked Ottawa 2-0 as Frederik Andersen stopped all 22 shots he faced for his sixth career playoff shutout. Logan Stankoven scored once and assisted on another goal for the Hurricanes, who overcame an sluggish beginning to win their series opener in Raleigh.
