(PHOTOS) Matt Cooke tipped in a Sergei Gonchar shot during a power play at 18:13 of the third period to give the Penguins a 2-1 victory against Philadelphia today at the Wachovia Center.

The power play that led to the winning goal was set up when Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen shot the puck over the glass at 16:50 of the final period.

Brent Johnson, a surprise starter in goal for the Penguins, gave up a soft one during a Philadelphia power play at 5:18 of the opening period. Flyers forward Jeff Carter knocked the puck off the back of the net, then chipped it off Johnson’s right leg and into the net to make it 1-0.

That marked the 15th time in its past 16 games that Philadelphia opened the scoring.

The Flyers had an apparent goal by Mike Richards wiped out at 13:23 because play had been whistled dead before he flipped a rebound into a mostly open net so that Evgeni Malkin and Simon Gagne could be penalized for a scuffle going on away from the play.

Because Gagne was assessed a double-minor, the Penguins not only had a Philadelphia goal taken away, but ended up with a power play that was used to generate the tying goal.

Gonchar scored it at 14:33, beating Flyers goalie Ray Emery with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line for his eighth of the season.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Sidney Crosby received assists.

Crosby nearly put the Penguins in front while they were killing a penalty at 17:42, but his slap shot from the left side slammed off the near post after eluding Emery.

The Penguins (32-20-1) will play the New York Rangers Monday night at 7:08 at Madison Square Garden.

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