Erik Karlsson has been fine in his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But management didn’t move heaven and earth during the summer to acquire the All-Star defenseman simply for fine.

The Penguins want great, spectacular or special from the future Hockey Hall of Famer.

On Monday, it might have been generous to label Karlsson as any of those things, but he was good enough to help his team get an important 4-1 win on the road against the rival Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Karlsson had the game-winning goal and also played a role in the opening score.

Similar levels of triumph have been limited for Karlsson. At least to the levels anticipated upon his celebrated arrival via trade in August.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said following a practice session in Cranberry on Sunday. “His impact on our ability to generate offense is significant. Having said that, I think there’s another level to it also. His body of work in the league suggests that.”

Karlsson had a role in the opening goal on a power-play opportunity only 45 seconds into regulation.

Taking a pass at the right point of the offensive zone, Karlsson maneuvered towards the center point and then offloaded the puck to the left wall for forward Sidney Crosby. From there, Crosby dished a cross-ice pass to the top of the left circle for forward Jake Guentzel, who fed it low to the right of the crease for forward Evgeni Malkin. With his back to the net and goaltender Carter Hart, Malkin slipped a deft, blind backhand pass across the blue paint for forward Rickard Rakell, who slammed in a forehand shot for his fifth goal of the season. Malkin and Guentzel had assists.

Karlsson’s seventh goal of the season came at 7:37 of the first period.

Off the left half-wall of the Flyers’ zone, Penguins forward Jeff Carter slammed Flyers forward Nicolas Deslaurier to the ice, freeing a puck for Penguins forward Jansen Harkins to claim possession. From the left circle, Harkins snapped off a wrister that appeared to go wide to the far side. The puck clunked off the right corner boards and wound up at the right point where Karlsson corralled it. Surveying his options, Karlsson snapped a wrister past a phalanx of bodies and over Hart’s left shoulder on the near side. Harkins and Carter claimed assists.

The Flyers got on the scoreboard when forward Owen Tippett scored his 13th goal on a power-play sequence at 14:55 of the opening frame.

Accepting a pass at the center point of the offensive zone, Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula sauntered down the slot then dished a pass to the right circle for Tippett, who ripped a wrister past a kneeling block attempt by Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson and the glove of goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic on the near side. Zamula and forward Joel Farabee tallied assists.

A rare goal by defenseman Chad Ruhwedel – his first of the season – gave the Penguins a two-goal lead 8:07 into the second period.

Pushing the puck up the left wing of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves forced a pass to the slot that Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen deflected with his stick. The puck bounced above the hashmarks where Penguins forward Bryan Rust was able to deflect to the high slot. Settling the puck, Ruhwedel snapped a wrister by Flyers forward Scott Laughton and Tippet then through Hart’s five hole. Assists went to Rust and Graves.

Malkin scored his 15th goal 4:29 into the third period to put the visitors up by a field goal.

Off a neutral zone steal by Malkin, forward Drew O’Connor pushed the puck into the offensive zone on the right wing, spun off a check from Zamula and fed the puck to Malkin rushing through the right circle. From below the faceoff dot, Malkin lasered a wrister past Hart’s blocker on the far side. The lone assist went to O’Connor.

Starting for the third time in five games, Nedlejkovic improved his record to 8-3-2 after unofficially making 36 saves on 37 shots.

“We’ve been playing really well as of late and it makes it easy, makes it fun,” Nedeljkovic said to the Associated Press in Philadelphia. “That’s how you want to play.”

The Penguins improved to 1-0-2 this season against the Flyers.

“They were the better team,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said to the AP. “We weren’t good enough in either end.”

Notes:

• Ruwhedel’s most recent goal before Monday came during a 4-3 home win against the Washington Capitals on March 25, 2023:

• In 73 career games against the Flyers, Malkin has 88 points (30 goals, 58 assists).

• Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea and forward Radim Zohorna were healthy scratches.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)