Flyers score six goals, but it’s not enough in a loss to the Penguins

PITTSBURGH — It wasn’t pretty. They all won’t be. But this one certainly wasn’t.

Yes, the Flyers tried to come back multiple times, but after an emotionally charged loss against the New York Rangers on Saturday, John Tortorella’s team was handed a 7-6 loss by their Keystone State rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Sunday.

The loss stung even more as the Flyers lost Jamie Drysdale to an injury in the second period. The defenseman was trying to play the puck and had his head down in the neutral zone when he got trucked by the Penguins’ Jansen Harkins. Drysdale clutched his left shoulder on the ice before going straight to the locker room with his arm hanging at his side. He did not return and Tortorella did not have an update after the game.

Nic Deslauriers challenged Harkins and was handed a two-minute minor for roughing. On the ensuing power play, the Penguins took a 4-2 lead on an Emil Bemstrom goal.

But the Flyers — aka the comeback kids — evened things up with two goals in 63 seconds. Travis Sanheim stepped into a faceoff win by Scott Laughton to cut it to one before Laughton scored his second of the game, a shortie off a wraparound attempt by Noah Cates.

Pittsburgh again sprung out to a two-goal lead in the third period on goals scored at the goal line by Drew O’Connor and Rickard Rakell that beat Cal Petersen, who was making his first start since Feb. 10.

Yet, once again, the Flyers tried to come back. Trailing the play, Cam York took a pass from Olle Lycksell and scored his eighth of the season before the Penguins got an insurance goal from Kris Letang. Tyson Foerster then potted his second of the game, a power-play goal, to cut it to a one-goal lead with 2 minutes, 3 seconds left in regulation. The Flyers got close but could not finish the comeback.

» READ MORE: John Tortorella has a young Flyers team rolling. How? By changing his ways.

The Flyers’ fourth line got things going in the first period. Following an offensive-zone faceoff, they kept the pressure on and, although he won’t get an assist, Nic Deslauriers kept the puck in at the blue line with his glove. They kept going and Lycksell, recalled from Lehigh Valley on Sunday, took a cross-check as he got the puck to Laughton near the point for a shot that gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead.

But before the horn sounded at the end of the first, the Penguins took a 2-1 lead on a rebound goal by Sidney Crosby and a nifty deflection in front by Bryan Rust. Foerster scored 55 seconds into the second period to tie things at 2 before Rust and Bemstrom gave the Penguins their first two-goal lead.

Egor Zamula was a healthy scratch. ... Laughton extended his point streak to seven games (two goals, six assists).

The Flyers host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday (7 p.m. on NBCSP).