Wednesday night's game was no joke and no fluke. The Flyers simply have the Pittsburgh Penguins number.
For the third time this season, the Flyers handed the Penguins a loss in what may be one of their best games of the season, a 4-1 win at Consol Energy Center, a building where the Flyers have won 11 of 13 regular season games.
For whatever reason, the Flyers seem to put their best foot forward when in Pittsburgh.
"I wish we had more games here," head coach Craig Berube said. "We get excited and play well against the Penguins. They're one of those teams that bring out the best in us. We feel pretty comfortable in this building that's for sure."
The Flyers used contributions for various secondary players. Vincent Lecavalier scored for the first time since Jan. 3, snapping a 27-game goalless drought to tie the game late in the first.
"It felt good inside. I was happy to get that," Lecavalier said. "It was a great play by [Bellemare]. It's just good for confidence. The rest of the game, you feel good out there and everything's a little bit better."
Brayden Schenn also starred in the game. Schenn scored the go-ahead goal at 12:43 of the second. He added a second goal 49 seconds into the third on the power play. The two goals brough Schenn's season total to 16.
"It's not an easy barn to play in," Schenn said. "Obviously, they have great fans and are a great team. For whatever reason, we come in here and seem to do well. It was a solid team effort from the goalie out."
Perhaps the most unlikely of goal scorers was Carlo Colaiacovo, whose first goal as a Flyer and first of the season gave the Flyers a commanding three-goal lead.
Colaiacovo has played in 28 games this season, picking up seven points. But the defenseman has been used heavily of late after being signed as an extra depth defenseman. In his 28 games, Colaiacovo is a plus-one on the season.
"Colaiacovo has played really good hockey for us," Berube said. "He's a guy that came in here, guys got hurt and he got a chance to play and he's made every opportunity of it. He's good at moving the puck and he's good at getting up on the play."
It is the type of secondary scoring the Flyers needed all season that came in a game too little, too late.
"Looking at our season, we needed more secondary scoring," Berube said. "We didn't have enough of it this year."
After another victory in the Battle of Pennsylvania, one game remains in the season series, Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. For the Flyers, it is one last chance to at least hand their biggest rival another defeat.
For the most part, it can be a heated rivalry, but Wednesday's game was a much milder chapter. Sunday could be very different.
"These teams don't like each other, but some games get a little more rough than others," Schenn said. "We have them again Sunday and I'm sure they're not going to be happy about this. Expect a good one."
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
