The Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-2 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena had everything, such as milestones, emotion, and a post-overtime brawl that left both benches stunned. Flyers forward Trevor Zegras found himself at the heart of the commotion and later voiced frustration over a little-known NHL rule that left him ineligible for the shootout.
Did Trevor Zegras Just Expose One of the NHL’s Most Confusing Rules?
Zegras admitted postgame that he wasn’t aware that players who receive a misconduct at the end of overtime can’t participate in the shootout. “It’s a dumb rule,” he said with a laugh. The incident unfolded moments after overtime expired in the season’s first Battle of Pennsylvania.
What started with a slash from Tyson Foerster quickly escalated when Zegras yanked Noel Acciari’s helmet off and exchanged punches. The scene grew chaotic as players from both sides jumped in, including Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who left the bench to calm things down but was ultimately penalized as well.
Eight players, including Crosby and Zegras, were given misconducts. The call sidelined both stars for the ensuing shootout. The Flyers still managed to secure the win thanks to Bobby Brink’s slick goal.
Crosby has had an eventful week, setting franchise records for multi-point games and becoming the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,700 career points. But on this night, his achievements took a back seat to the emotion of a rivalry that felt alive again.
The Penguins weren’t pleased about Crosby’s exclusion from the shootout, though the NHL reportedly decided against further discipline, determining he entered the scuffle only after tensions had cooled. Some fans, however, suggested it was another case of preferential treatment.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet saw the late-game fracas differently, describing it as an example of team unity. “You eat together as a pack. If you’re the lone wolf, you’re done,” Tocchet said. “The pack lives.”
Zegras, new to the rivalry, said he simply reacted to seeing his teammate Foerster tangled up. “I just didn’t like that there was two (Penguins) on (Foerster),” he explained. “Not that I was going to go in there and try and fight (Acciari), but I thought that was the best way to get him off of (Foerster).”
His teammates backed the move. Foerster called it “pretty cool to see,” while defenseman Cam York said Zegras “plays better when he’s engaged physically.”
Tuesday’s Flyers-Penguins clash reminded fans that hockey thrives on both types: the calm that steadies a team and the spark that ignites it.
