Penguins Routed 6-1 by Flyers, Stay Winless Since NHL Break

The Pittsburgh Penguins returned from the NHL's nearly two-week pause for the 4 Nations Face-Off with a schedule full of games they needed to win to stay in the playoff chase. Three games in, the results have gone the other way. On Tuesday, the rival Philadelphia Flyers beat them 6-1 at Wells Fargo Center.

It was Pittsburgh's third straight loss since the break (0-3-0) and its fifth in six games (1-4-1) when games before the pause are included. The Penguins have not been eliminated, but the window for a postseason push is closing quickly.

Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who stopped 32 of 38 shots and fell to 12-11-5, took responsibility afterward. "You put anybody else in the net tonight — I don't know if we win — but it (would not be) 6-1, I'll tell you that," he told reporters. "We've got to find a way to be better in net than them."

Philadelphia defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen opened the scoring 3:56 into the game, firing a one-timer through Nedeljkovic's legs for his fourth goal of the season. Noah Cates made it 2-0 at 12:19 of the second period with his 11th, a wrister off the post that beat the goaltender's blocker.

Pittsburgh briefly answered when Philip Tomasino scored his eighth goal 6:09 into the second period, slipping a backhander past Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson. Any hope of a close game faded at 11:55 of that period, when Tyson Foerster scored his 16th on a one-timer.

The Flyers then piled on late in the second. Cates scored his second of the night, and 12th of the season, at 18:55 by jabbing in a rebound. Just 10 seconds later, Bobby Brink collected his eighth goal when the puck deflected off his stick and glove and into the net, making it 5-1.

Owen Tippett added the final goal, his 17th, 6:08 into the third period. The score followed a series of Pittsburgh miscues in its own zone, and Tippett tapped in a pass from Sean Couturier while the Penguins were out of position.

Defenseman Erik Karlsson was blunt about the performance. "They competed harder, they shot the puck better than we did, played the puck better than we did, forechecked better than we did," he said. "Did everything better than we did."

Forward Bryan Rust returned after missing three games with an undisclosed injury and illness and was activated from injured reserve. Forward Boko Imama, who has missed four straight games with an undisclosed injury, took his place on injured reserve. Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk played after appearing to suffer a head injury in Sunday's 5-3 home loss to the New York Rangers. He, Noel Acciari and Karlsson are the only Penguins to have played all 60 games this season.

Karlsson's seven-game scoring streak, which included two goals and six assists, ended. Defensemen Ryan Graves and Vladislav Kolyachonok and forward Matt Nieto were healthy scratches.