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Flyers' Claude Giroux not disciplined for 'hit' in Game 2 vs. Penguins

Flyers captain Claude Giroux received no disciplinary for his so-called hit on Pittsburgh's Kris Letang in Friday's playoff game. "I thought it was a pretty high hit," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said after the Flyers' 5-1 win.

Captain Claude Giroux, shown taking a shot during Thursday’s practice, did not receive disciplinary action for his so-called hit on Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang during the Flyers’ 5-1 win Friday. The Flyers evened the series at one win apiece.
Captain Claude Giroux, shown taking a shot during Thursday’s practice, did not receive disciplinary action for his so-called hit on Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang during the Flyers’ 5-1 win Friday. The Flyers evened the series at one win apiece.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK

The NHL did not take disciplinary action Saturday on Claude Giroux's "hit" on Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang in the Flyers' 5-1 win Friday over the host Penguins in Game 2.

With 13 minutes remaining in the second period, Giroux was bumped by Sidney Crosby. Giroux bounced off the Penguins captain, and his lower back or butt made contact with a crouching Letang, who went sprawling to the ice. Giroux then went over to Letang and appeared to check that he wasn't injured seriously.

No penalty was called on the play.

Letang appeared to get struck in the face, and he clutched his bleeding left hand as he skated off the ice. He returned in the third period and played 7:13.

Letang was the only Penguins player not at Saturday's practice. The Penguins called it a maintenance day, and he traveled with the team for Sunday's 3 p.m. game at the Wells Fargo Center.

After the game, Crosby said he didn't like Giroux's so-called hit.

"He hit him high," Crosby said. "I'm sure the league will look at it, but I thought it was a pretty high hit."

The league did look at it but said no hearing was forthcoming.

"It happened quick," Giroux said on Saturday. "I saw it at the last minute, and I was off-balance and braced myself. I'm glad he came back."

Home-ice disadvantage?

The Flyers will try to feed off the Wells Fargo Center crowd on Sunday, but of the 16 teams that made the playoffs, only Los Angeles had fewer home points (49) than the Orange and Black (50) in the regular season.

The next two games are at the Wells Fargo Center.

"There's obviously going to be a bunch of momentum swings throughout the series," winger Travis Konecny said. "We just have to take advantage of ours right now. It's probably a little bit better in our favor coming home here. We have a lot of momentum coming back with our fans. We just have to make sure we channel our energy the right way — not too high and not too low. Play that way."

Konecny said the team wants to "still be excited and use the fans to [its] advantage, but not get too out of hand running around and wasting a lot of energy."

In many home games this season, Giroux said, "we tried to do a little too much and tried to make the extra play. We just have to keep it simple. Kind of play a grinding game."

The Penguins are 15-6-2 in their last 23 regular-season games at the Wells Fargo Center.

Breakaways

At 19, Nolan Patrick became the fourth teenager in Flyers history to score a playoff goal, joining Danius Zubrus (four in 1997), Peter Zezel (1985), and Sean Couturier (2012) on Friday. … Eleven players participated in the Flyers' optional skate on Saturday, including regulars Oskar Lindblom, Scott Laughton, Matt Read, and Travis Sanheim.