PHILADELPHIA, April 18 (UPI) -- Jordan Staal had a hat trick among eight consecutive Pittsburgh goals Wednesday and the Penguins avoided elimination with a 10-3 crushing of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia still has a 3-1 advantage in the penalty-filled opening-round playoff series and will try for the second time to close it out Friday when Pittsburgh hosts Game 5.
Wednesday's game did not feature the brawls that have marked the series and brought about multiple suspensions -- but there were 26 penalties called during the contest. There were five 10-minute misconduct penalties handed out and Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo was kicked out of the game late in the second period.
Philadelphia held a 3-2 lead with time running down in the first period, but Sidney Crosby tied it with 3:41 left and Stall put the Penguins in front for good with the first of his goals with 2:31 to play in the stanza.
Stall then scored the second and fifth of Pittsburgh's five second-period goals.
Both Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky gave up five goals on 18 shots for the Flyers, who have scored 23 goals in the series to 22 for the Flyers.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 22-of-25 shots for the Penguins.
