Flyers Beat Penguins 3-1, Clinch Playoff Spot
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Wayne Simmonds scored two goals, Steve Mason stopped 18 shots and the Philadelphia Flyers clinched a playoff berth with a 3-1 win over the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
The Flyers' win eliminated Boston, which lost to Ottawa 6-1 earlier in the day. The Bruins lost a tiebreaker to Detroit. Philadelphia will meet top-seeded Washington in the first round. The Penguins, who are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, will play the Rangers or Islanders.
Pittsburgh rested Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang and played without Evgeni Malkin for the 15th consecutive game because of an upper-body injury.
Penguins goaltender Matt Murray was injured in a collision with Brayden Schenn and left the game in the first period. Murray has started five straight games because Marc-Andre Fleury is out with a concussion.
Murray's mask flew off when Schenn banged into him, but he made the save on the backhander. Jeff Zatkoff replaced Murray for his first appearance since Feb. 20 and allowed a goal on the first shot he faced.
Also read: Ailing Ed Snider Providing Extra Motivation For Flyers
The Flyers took a 2-1 lead late in the second period when Shayne Gostisbehere ripped a slap shot that bounced off Simmonds' right arm and fluttered past Zatkoff for his 32nd goal.
Philadelphia couldn't take advantage during a five-minute power play in the third period, but Pierre-Edouard Bellemare later sealed it with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Making his 12th straight start, Mason gave the Flyers a boost with a sprawling, side-to-side glove save to rob Kael Mouillierat late in the first period.
Seconds later, Simmonds scored to tie it at 1-1. Jakub Voracek skated down the left side and sent a centering pass to a Simmonds streaking down the middle. Simmonds fought off a defender and slid it past Zatkoff.
Pittsburgh's Eric Fehr then hit the post in the final minute.
Nick Bonino gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the first on his ninth goal. He beat Mason with a wrister off a crossing pass from Carl Hagelin.
NOTES: Penguins LW Conor Sheary briefly went to the locker room after he was slashed in the second period, but he received an embellishment penalty on the play. Sheary returned to the ice. ... Philadelphia finishes the regular season at the New York Islanders on Sunday. ... The Flyers were 2-2 vs. the Capitals, but neither win came in regulation. ... Members of the national champion Villanova Wildcats' men's basketball were guests at the game, one day after the city honored them with a parade downtown.
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
