Giving Flyers goaltender Antero Niitymaki a much deserved rest, Robert Esche returned to the Flyers line-up. Despite the Flyers attempts to toss the game away, Esche made save after save, 32 in all, to help the team win its first game after dropping the last four. R.J. Umburger scored early in the first period for the Flyers and the tally was almost all the Flyers would need. Jeff Carter added another late in the third period and all seemed to be going well for the team. Then the Flyers fell apart and Esche had to save the day.

Colby Armstrong scored for the Penguins with just under four minutes remaining in the game and the Pens pushed hard to tie the game back up. Rookie sensation Sidney Crosby had an excellent chance to tie the game up but Derian Hatcher made an amazing sprawling play that dislodged the puck from Crosby and killed the Pens chances of winning. Crosby was held without a point in the game. Another young Penguins sensation, goaltender Marc Andre Fleury, kept his team in it till the very end. Defenseman Joni Pitkanen returned to action also but played sparingly in the second and not at all in the third, reports were that he had injured his groin. Newcomer Petr Nedved had an assist on Umburger’s goal.