The Pittsburgh Penguins’ rivalry with the Philadelphia Flyers is rarely boring. And the latest edition of the cross-state battle was no exception.
Shootout goals by forwards Matvei Michkov and Bobby Brink gave the Flyers a 3-2 home win Tuesday at the venue now called Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The teams were without some of their more skilled players during the shootout as a result of a fracas at the end of the overtime period that resulted in a number of misconduct penalties.
For the Penguins, forward Sidney Crosby was ineligible for the shootout, and the Flyers operated without talented forwards Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett and Trevor Zegras.
Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs made 32 saves on 34 shots in regulation and overtime, then stopped one of three shootout attempts as his record slipped to 3-1-2.
“We put (Silovs) in some tough situations,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said to reporters in Philadelphia via audio provided by the team’s media relations department. “But he held strong.”
The Penguins took the game’s first lead when forward Justin Brazeau scored his sixth goal of the season 10 minutes, 19 seconds into regulation.
Off a short-area pass from linemate Anthony Mantha, Brazeau barged his way into the offensive zone on the left wing. Encountering little resistance, Brazeau glided through the near circle with the puck on his backhand. Upon arrival at the cage, he flipped to his forehand and fanned a bit on a wrist shot that wound up clunking off goaltender Samuel Ersson’s skate and slipping into the cage on the near side. Mantha and defenseman Matt Dumba had assists. It was Dumba’s first point with the Penguins since joining the club via trade in July.
Justin Brazeau – Pittsburgh Penguins (6) pic.twitter.com/XNUKZC0uq5
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) October 29, 2025
Brink tied the score with his third goal during a power-play sequence at 17:25 of the first period.
Accepting a pass above the right circle of the offensive zone, Zegras slipped the puck down low to the right of the crease. Flyers forward Noah Cates accepted the offering and fended off a check from Karlsson before trying to jam in a forehand shot. Silovs made the initial save with his right leg but allowed a rebound, which Brink cleaned up with a forehand shot from below the hashmarks. Cates and Zegras recorded assists.
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The hosts took their first lead at 2:46 of the second period via forward Travis Konecny’s second goal this season and the 200th of his career.
After successfully killing a Penguins power play, Flyers forward Sean Couturier claimed a loose puck in the neutral zone, then offloaded it to Konecny charging up the right wing. Advancing to the top of the near circle, Konecny released a wrister to the far side, toasting Silovs’ right leg. Assists were claimed by Couturier and Brink.
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Crosby’s team-leading eighth goal tied the score at 11:57 of the third period.
Taking a pass in Philadelphia’s left circle, Penguins rookie forward Filip Hallander attempted a forehand shot but Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler blocked the puck with his stick, causing it to carom off the end boards. Crosby claimed the rebound behind the cage and tried to flick a backhand pass to Hallander above the crease. Seeler got his stick on the puck again but wound up deflecting it off his right shoulder and into the cage. Crosby was credited with the goal off assists by Hallander and linemate Bryan Rust.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 29, 2025
Foerster appeared to score during a power-play sequence at 4:35 of overtime, but a league-initiated video review deemed the sequence to be offside.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) October 29, 2025
In addition to Crosby, Penguins defensemen Ryan Shea and Parker Wotherspoon as well as forward Noel Acciari were assessed misconduct penalties for a fracas after overtime expired. Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale also received a misconduct penalty.
TREVOR ZEGRAS AND TYSON FOERSTER JUMP PARKER WOTHERSPOON AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. THIS IS THE BATTLE OF PENNSYLVANIA.#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/u2x4tHF4Ma
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) October 29, 2025
Forward Evgeni Malkin scored the Penguins’ lone shootout goal. Rust and rookie Ville Koivunen, a rookie, did not convert their shootout attempts.
“It’s not the greatest feeling to lose in a shootout,” Silovs said. “But I think getting (a) point is crucial.”
Notes:
• Earlier in the day, the Penguins recalled rookie defenseman Owen Pickering from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League and he made his season debut at the NHL level, opening the contest on the third pairing. Pickering logged 13:12 of ice time on 20 shifts.
• Crosby (872 penalty minutes) surpassed defenseman Bryan “Bugsy” Watson (871) for fifth place on the franchise’s career penalty minutes list.
• Penguins rookie forward Ben Kindel appeared in his ninth game. Should he dress in one more NHL contest, the first year of his three-year entry-level contract will be tolled.
• Penguins rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke was a healthy scratch for the third time in four games. Another junior-eligible player, Brunicke has appeared in seven games this season.
• Penguins veteran defenseman Connor Clifton and forward Philip Tomasino were also healthy scratches.
