Philadelphia won because second-period faceoff dominance and a 58.2% faceoff rate created the possession foundation for three unanswered goals that Pittsburgh never recovered from.
β‘TURNING POINT
Cates' power-play goal at 12:30 of the third restored a two-goal lead at 4-2 at the exact moment Pittsburgh had generated momentum off Karlsson's earlier man-advantage strike. That cushion made Pittsburgh's required comeback mathematically steep enough that Tippett's empty-net insurance goal sealed it entirely.
πWHY PHI WON (ranked by impact β most decisive first)
1
Faceoff Control: 58.2% faceoff rate (32 of 55) β Philadelphia won the puck battle at every draw, generating clean zone entries and limiting Pittsburgh's ability to establish offensive-zone time after the first period.
2
Second-Period Territorial Dominance: Three goals in 6:00 of game time in the second period flipped a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead β Pittsburgh's structure collapsed under sustained puck pressure.
3
Takeaway Differential: PHI 7 takeaways vs. PIT 2 β Philadelphia converted turnovers into transition opportunities that directly extended their period of control.
πWHY PIT LOST (ranked by impact β biggest failure first)
1
Puck Security: 12 giveaways against 2 takeaways β Pittsburgh handed Philadelphia repeated transition chances, directly enabling the second-period three-goal run.
2
Special Teams Efficiency: 2/13 on the power play (15.4%) β thirteen man-advantage opportunities produced only two goals, leaving the deficit unaddressed despite sustained pressure.
3
Physical Presence: Hits 27 vs. PHI 44 β Pittsburgh conceded the physical battle decisively, surrendering puck battles along the boards and ceding momentum in the defensive zone.
Three Stars
Sean Couturier1st
PHI, C
0G 2A 2P+/- +2TOI 16:37
Both assists came at even strength, with Couturier feeding the second-period goals that broke the game open and erased Pittsburgh's lead.
Trevor Zegras2nd
PHI, C
1G 1A 2P1 PPGTOI 15:53
Zegras scored the equalising power-play goal and set up Cates' decisive third-period strike, directly bookending Pittsburgh's two chances to seize control.
Rasmus Ristolainen3rd
PHI, D
1G 0A 1P+/- +1TOI 24:33
Ristolainen's even-strength goal was Philadelphia's second of three unanswered in the second period and his ice time led all skaters, anchoring the defensive structure that held Pittsburgh to two goals.
