Apr 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save as Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Anthony Mantha (39) looks for a rebound during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
There is not any one player or person that is responsible for the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 series deficit. It has been a well-earned, collective group effort that everybody has to own. The Penguins have allowed themselves to get suckered into Philadelphia’s game, there is little discipline, they are not in any way adapting to what the Flyers are doing defensively, and Dan Muse has not exactly covered himself in glory in his first big moment on the big stage.
But of all the players that have come up small in this series so far, Anthony Mantha might be one of the most obvious.
It might also be making whatever decision the Penguins have to make with him this summer a lot easier for them.
Coming into the playoffs, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman made mention that Mantha might be one of the most watched players in these playoffs (and that almost certainly includes the Penguins), and it’s not hard to understand why there would be so much interest in him.
He led the team with 33 goals and put together a career year.
He is an unrestricted free agent this summer and is going to be one of the top players available, at least in terms of production this season, in a painfully shallow pool of players.
A big postseason showing, on the heels of that regular season performance, would have certainly opened some eyes across the league. It would have also opened checkbooks.
While you shouldn’t let small sample sizes drive your team-building decisions, the harsh reality is teams put a lot of weight on what you do in the playoffs. Or sometimes what you do not do in the playoffs.
And the latter point is what is going to be the problem for Mantha.
He entered this year’s postseason having scored 0 goals in 14 career playoff games.
He has now played 17 career playoff games and is still stuck on zero goals, while being a complete non-factor in the first three games of the series.
Making matters worse, he took one of the costliest — and most easily avoidable — penalties in recent Penguins playoff history when he inexplicably launched the puck from the defensive zone into the stands over the team’s bench. It was not only a bad penalty to take just because it is such an avoidable play, but also because of the timing. There were only eight minutes remaining in the game. The Penguins were still trailing by a goal, had just scored to make it a one-goal game, and were starting to tilt the ice a little bit. There was some momentum building.
And then it was gone.
And then Philadelphia responded with a power play goal to put the game, and maybe the series, back out of reach.
Given the context of the entire situation, it was just a brutal play.
Mantha was never meant to be a long-term answer for the Penguins when they signed him this past offseason. The plan was almost certainly for him to get put somewhere in the top-six, build up his value by chipping in some goals for a rebuilding team, and then get dealt at the trade deadline for a second-round pick. But both he and the Penguins threw a wrench into that plan. The Penguins by being better than expected and making the playoffs, and Mantha by being their top goal-scorer, with several of them coming in big moments.
As the Penguins inched closer to a playoff spot, and he kept producing, there was no chance they were going to move him in-season.
That eventually led to discussion of a possible extension, especially given the lack of quality free agents on the open market and the amount of salary cap space the Penguins have available to them.
But it’s hard to imagine this performance is making anybody in the Penguins front office excited about the idea of re-investing him, especially given the way this series has played out. It’s almost certainly hurting his standing in the eyes of fans.
Is that a valid response to a three game sample size?
Or is it an overreaction given how good the season as a whole went?
Maybe a little of both. But at some point the Penguins do need to find a way to get younger and faster, and a 32-year-old winger with an injury history that’s been a non-factor in the playoffs, and is probably unlikely to repeat his regular season performance, doesn’t seem to be the way to do that.
I don’t blame the Penguins for not trading him in March, and I am not going to criticize them for that decision. Given the way the season played out and the way expectations changed, it was the right move. The initial signing itself has also been an obvious win. But it might be best to just leave it at that. The tough decision they had this summer is not looking as tough as it did a couple of weeks ago.
Wednesday night was another fun one in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
The Battle of Pennsylvania continued to inflict much-deserved pain on Pittsburgh, as the Penguins fell behind 3-0 in their series with the Flyers after a wild sequence where every skater on the ice was sent to the box early in the second period.
The Battle for North Stars History continued between the 3rd-overall Dallas Stars and 7th-overall Minnesota Wild, extending deep into double overtime before the Stars converted on their second 2OT power play opportunity (this, after the Wild whiffed on two power plays in the first OT).
Meanwhile, the Ducks got on the board to even their series with the Oilers after a 6-4 win over Edmonton where Connor McDavid was held pointless.
Thursday Night
Meanwhile, Thursday night the Bridgeport Islanders are in Hershey hoping to extend their mini-series after dropping Game 1 at home, 2-0.
Here’s Andrew Gross’ piece on Long Island fans heading to Bridgeport to take them in one last time. [Newsday]
Speaking of the Isles’ AHL affiliate, they’ve filed for some trademark options for the team in Hamilton. [THN]
And in the NHL, there are three games Thursday with the Bruins and Sabres knotted at 1-1, while the Hurricanes-Senators (2-0) and Avalanche-Kings (2-0) switch venues with the trailing teams at home hoping to stay in the series.
PHILADELPHIA , PA - APRIL 22: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust #17 attempts to step on Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny #11 during game three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburg Penguins on April 22nd, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Needing a win to avoid going down 0-3 in the series, the Pittsburgh Penguins struck first on Wednesday night for their first lead of the series, but three second period goals from the Philadelphia Flyers erased that deficit and the Penguins subsequently came apart at the seams in what turned out to be a 5-2 loss in Game 3 and had the Penguins staring down a possible first round sweep at the hands of their cross-state rival. [Pensburgh]
If the Penguins hope to avoid an embarrassing sweep, they will need to win Game 4 which is scheduled for Saturday evening back in Philadelphia.
Pens Points…
It’s not a roster move that had any effect on Game 3 between the Penguins and Flyers last night, but goaltender Sergei Murashov was recalled from the AHL to serve as the third netminder on the roster with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins being off until their playoff series begins next week. [The Hockey News]
NHL News and Notes…
Roope Hintz remained out for the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of their first round series with the Minnesota Wild and all signs point to Hintz also being out for Game 4 on Saturday. Since sustaining a lower-body injury back on March 6th, Hintz has not played or even skated at practice for the Stars. [NHL]
Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Utah Mammoth (43-33-6, in the Central Division)
Salt Lake City; Friday, 9:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Golden Knights -111, Mammoth -108; over/under is 6
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Mammoth and the Vegas Golden Knights are in a 1-1 series tie in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. The Mammoth won 3-2 in the last meeting.
Utah has a 43-33-6 record overall and a 22-16-3 record in home games. The Mammoth are 20-10-1 in games they convert at least one power play.
Vegas has a 39-26-17 record overall and a 19-14-8 record in road games. The Golden Knights have given up 242 goals while scoring 264 for a +22 scoring differential.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nick Schmaltz has 33 goals and 40 assists for the Mammoth. Logan Cooley has six goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
Jack Eichel has 27 goals and 63 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has scored seven goals and added four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mammoth: 6-4-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.9 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.
Golden Knights: 8-1-1, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.6 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
INJURIES: Mammoth: Barrett Hayton: out (upper-body).
Golden Knights: William Karlsson: out (lower body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
A playoff series has turned into a full-on identity battle in Salt Lake City—and Utah is making its pitch loud and visible.
When the Utah Mammoth dropped the puck on their inaugural season in 2024, the Vegas Golden Knights already had a foothold in the region, having spent years cultivating a fanbase across Utah. Now, with the two clubs meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time, Utah isn’t just trying to win games—it’s trying to win people over.
On Friday, the Mammoth will stage their first-ever jersey exchange outside Delta Center, inviting fans to trade in Golden Knights sweaters for a clean, logo-only Mammoth home jersey. The offer is simple: first come, first served, no cost attached—just a symbolic reset of allegiance, while supplies last.
“It’s been incredible to see the way Utah has embraced this team from day one,” owners Ryan Smith and Ashley Smith said in a joint statement.
The timing isn’t accidental. The exchange begins at noon local time, just hours before Utah hosts its first-ever home playoff game. The series itself is already simmering, tied 1–1 after the Mammoth stole Game 2 in Vegas with a 3–2 win Tuesday night.
Utah Makes Its Move for the Market
Long before Utah had a franchise to call its own, Salt Lake City existed in a kind of hockey gray area—one the Golden Knights were quick to claim.
From their inception in 2017, Vegas—backed by owner Bill Foley—aggressively pursued a broader regional identity, branding themselves as a team not just for Nevada, but for the entire Mountain West. Broadcast reach through AT&T Sports Network helped extend that footprint, and Utah became a natural extension of their audience.
That strategy paid off. For years, Golden Knights jerseys dotted crowds in Salt Lake City, a visual reminder of a market without its own team.
A Subtle Shift in Allegiance
That dynamic began to change in 2024, when Smith Entertainment Group secured an NHL franchise in the wake of the Arizona Coyotes relocation. Suddenly, Utah wasn’t a secondary market—it was center stage.
Foley, for his part, downplayed the shift at the time.
“We give up Salt Lake City as a secondary territory, but we get Arizona, so we’re OK,” he told KLAS-TV. “We still have our sphere of influence. But we love Salt Lake. We have a lot of fans there.”
That may still be true—but the Mammoth are clearly intent on shrinking that number, one jersey at a time.
Friday’s exchange won’t officially change anyone’s loyalty. But visually, at least, it’s a bold attempt to redraw the map—and in the middle of a playoff series, it adds another layer to an already charged matchup.
ST. LOUIS -- Jim Montgomery has had three stops as a head coach in the NHL and there's been one common theme to all three.
In each stop, including those with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins and now St. Louis Blues, assistant coaches were not selected by Montgomery himself, including some of the names that were in those stops included Rick Bowness, John Stevens, Jeff Reese and Stu Barnes in Dallas, and Joe Sacco, Chris Kelly, Jay Leach and Bob Essensa.
And when he was hired by the Blues on Nov. 24, 2024, Steve Ott, Claude Julien, Mike Weber and David Alexander were in place.
Ott has since been moved to be the head coach of Springfield of the American Hockey League, and with the Blues not renewing the contracts of Julien and Weber, Montgomery will will get a chance to finally give his input on the kind of coaches he would like to work with. Alexander has worked out well as the Blues' goalie coach and will remain.
"I think the plan right now is to hire three," Montgomery said last Saturday at the exit meetings inside Enterprise Center. "It might just be two. It really depends on the makeup of the people that we’re able to bring into the fold. There’s certain people that have the capability of doing more than one task. That might mean we can so less than three coaches, but that all will depend on who we’re able to talk to and who’s available."
It's been said that Montgomery is really fond of Stevens, but the father of former Blues fifth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft Nolan Stevens, is currently an assistant with the Vegas Golden Knights and has been there the past four seasons.
An ideal candidate would be David Carle, who was Montgomery's assistant coach when he was the head coach at the University of Denver, but there's no chance Carle, who replaced Montgomery when he was hired in Dallas in 2018, is leaving Denver for the NHL unless it was for a head coaching position, and he's turned down multiple opportunities to do that.
So instead of guessing who Montgomery might have his eye on, he was asked what kind of coach he's interested in. After all, the Blues have finished in the bottom third of both ends of the special teams in each of the past three seasons.
"I think that with hiring a couple of assistant coaches, there’s going to be a blend of what we need," Montgomery said. "For sure we need someone that’s really good at PK, we need someone that has a history of doing well on the PP. Our special teams the last two years were not good enough. You’ve got to be at 100 (percent) combined PK, PP. It’s not the assistant coaches that are no longer (their) fault. It’s the players, myself and everyone’s plan together. That’s the way we look at it. It’s a “we” thing. That has to be significantly better, so that’s going to be really important.
"We’re going to need someone that has high energy, we’re going to need someone that’s a cerebral thinker, but the most important thing is that they’re intelligent and they teach, they know how to teach. You know how to teach defensemen how to pivot the right way, stick on puck. You look at Florida’s teams the last two years, they have a stick on every puck. How do we get someone to implement that? And that’s what I’m going to be looking for is some specialties in coaches that are going to be able to come in and make our players individually better and understand the team concept in those things that they do and why it’s important to get them to habitually do it."
Montgomery will sit down with general manager Doug Armstrong and incoming GM Alexander Steen and compile the best names available and work from there, according to Armstrong.
"My
exercise in what I do, I put all the attributes on one side and I put
all the names on the top and I just go down and whoever’s got the
most check marks, we hire," Armstrong said. "What I want to do is I want to sit and I
want to take what I believe is a good staff and then I want to sit
with Alex and get his beliefs, and 'Monty' and then marinate that
together and then we put the names up and then we go to work. 'Monty’s
obviously going to have a ton of say in these hires, but it has to be
vetted, and my decisions, my thought process, I need them to vet and
I hope they respect me vetting theirs and we’ll come up with the
criteria that’s needed before the names.
"What I don’t want to do
is just start throwing out names. I want to find out what we want and
then what names fit that more than just putting a guy in here just
because he’s got a name and hope it works out."
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler scored three goals on four shots in the second period in Philadelphia’s first home playoff game in eight years, pushing the Flyers to the brink of a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 Game 3 win on Wednesday night in their best-of-seven first-round series.
Game 4 is Saturday night in Philadelphia.
The Flyers’ trio of goal scorers gave their raucous fans more reason to celebrate than just a first home playoff game since April 22, 2018, and first home playoff win since April 20, 2016, they can clinch their first playoff series win since the 2020 bubble season — and they can do it against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
Dan Vladar, shaken up a bit in the third with an apparent right hand or wrist injury, stopped 28 shots and again outplayed embattled Stuart Skinner in net.
Not long after Vladar was hit, Erik Karlsson scored on the power play to cut it to 3-2.
Forget the rally. Noah Cates put the finishing touches on one of the biggest Flyers’ wins in the last 16 years with a power-play goal for a 4-2 lead. Owen Tippett added an empty-netter in the waning minutes.
DUCKS 6, OILERS 4
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie off a rebound with 4:52 left and Anaheim beat Edmonton in Game 2 to even the first-round series, with Oilers star Connor McDavid slowed by an apparent leg injury.
McDavid appeared to catch an edge early in the second period after getting tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and the Ducks’ Ian Moore. McDavid briefly left the game before returning, playing just over 24 minutes.
Game 3 is Friday night in Anaheim. Edmonton opened the series Monday night with a 4-3 victory.
Gauthier put the Ducks back in front after Josh Samanski — making his playoff debut — tied it at 4 with 6:09 to go. Ryan Poehling put it away with an empty-netter with 1:10 left, his second goal of the game. He scored short-handed in the second.
Gauthier also scored on a first-period power play and set up Alex Killorn’s second-period goal on a man advantage. Killorn added two assists.
Jacob Trouba added a goal, fellow defenseman Jackson LaCombe had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 33 shots.
STARS 4, WILD 3, 2OT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored on a power-play deflection at 12:10 of the second overtime to give Dallas a victory over Minnesota early Thursday for a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
Matt Duchene tied it for Dallas on a power play midway through the third period, seconds after his backcheck on Matt Boldy averted a short-handed goal that would’ve put Minnesota up by two.
After the Wild failed to convert two overtime power plays, finishing 1 for 7 with the man advantage, the Stars took advantage of theirs after Danila Yurov’s delay-of-game penalty. Nils Lundkvist’s shot was knocked in by Johnston for his third goal in three games.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie off a rebound with 4:52 left and the Anaheim Ducks beat Edmonton 6-4 on Wednesday night in Game 2 to even the first-round series, with Oilers star Connor McDavid slowed by an apparent leg injury.
McDavid appeared to catch an edge early in the second period after getting tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and the Ducks’ Ian Moore. McDavid briefly left the game before returning, playing just over 24 minutes.
Game 3 is Friday night in Anaheim. Edmonton opened the series Monday night with a 4-3 victory.
Gauthier put the Ducks back in front after Josh Samanski — making his playoff debut — tied it at 4 with 6:09 to go. Ryan Poehling put it away with an empty-netter with 1:10 left, his second goal of the game. He scored short-handed in the second.
Gauthier also scored on a first-period power play and set up Alex Killorn's second-period goal on a man advantage. Killorn added two assists.
Jacob Trouba added a goal, fellow defenseman Jackson LaCombe had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 33 shots.
Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. He returned for Game 1 from a lower-body injury against Nashville on March 15.
Connor Murphy and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 22 saves.
The Philadelphia Flyers are on the verge of sweeping the cross-state rival Penguins after a 5-2 victory on Wednesday, April 22.
The Flyers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They won both games in Pittsburgh before winning at home on Wednesday for a 3-0 series lead. Only four NHL teams have overcome that big a deficit to win a series.
Here's why the Flyers have a big lead in their first round series:
Flyers entered the series with momentum
Philadelphia was nine points out of a playoff spot on March 10 but went 12-4 down the stretch to finish third in the Metropolitan Division. They have carried that momentum into this series.
Sidney Crosby is being limited
The Flyers have been using defenseman Travis Sanheim against Crosby, his Canadian Olympic teammate. Sanheim and company have been playing a physical game against the Penguins captain. He cross-checked Crosby several times late in Game 2, drawing a retaliatory slash. Crosby picked up his first point on Wednesday. He also picked up his third penalty of the series, an embellishment call after he was high-sticked by Garnet Hathaway.
Flyers getting scoring through the lineup
Porter Martone got the attention as the first NHL teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two playoff games. But the Flyers' fourth line has been dangerous, too. Luke Glendening and Hathaway scored in Game 2. The line also scored twice in Game 3, with captain Sean Couturier picking up two assists. Flyers defensemen have four goals.
The Penguins moved Rickard Rakell back to the Crosby line and reinserted Justin Brazeau in the lineup for Game 3, but it wasn't enough. Only six Pittsburgh players have a point in the series, compared with the Flyers' 15.
Dan Vladar has been strong in net
Vladar, who shined this season after being signed as a free agent, has continued that in the playoffs. He has a 1.33 goals-against average and .947 save percentage, stopping 71 of 75 shots and getting a Game 2 shutout. He even made a save in Game 3 after a shot knocked off his skate blade.
Dan Vladar’s skate blade got KNOCKED OFF CLEAN by Chinakhov’s shot and didn’t realize until he stood up 😳 pic.twitter.com/DjCRHIYYqn
The Penguins were held without a power-play goal on seven attempts in the first two games, managing only three shots, and the Flyers scored a short-handed goal in Game 2. Pittsburgh finally connected in Game 3 − twice − but the Flyers responded with their first two power-play goals of the series. The Penguins had the seventh-best power play in the regular season while the Flyers were last. So the slight edge is a good sign for Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Flyers are just one win away from sending the arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins packing from the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they were led by a unit nobody expected to carry the load.
Trevor Zegras, Nick Seeler, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Noah Cates all scored their first NHL playoff goals, with Sean Couturier and Noah Juulsen each recording two assists.
It was Couturier's unit, with Garnet Hathaway and Luke Glendening, that spearheaded the Flyers' charge and comeback from a dismal start.
"I'm not sure what it was," Ristolainen said. "But obviously we didn't start as well as we started the first two games on the road."
Evgeni Malkin gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a power play goal that stemmed from a Couturier penalty, but the captain led by example from there on out.
The Flyers launched a furious second-period comeback, which was ignited by a scrum that initially began as just Travis Konecny and Bryan Rust scrapping after the whistle.
"There's a scrum there, and we get the extra penalty. That changed everything, and then it took a long time to get it all sorted out," Penguins head coach Dan Muse said after the game.
"Can we do things better to get momentum back? Sure, but I don't think it should have factored in the way it did today."
Muse's frustration was a bit misplaced, given the Penguins had five power plays to the Flyers' three.
Matvei Michkov was whistled three times: once for roughing in the aforementioned scrum, once for embellishing an Evgeni Malkin cross check, and once for roughing after coming to the defense of goalie Dan Vladar after a whistle.
Zegras, Ristolainen, and Seeler tallied within six minutes of each other to put the Flyers up 3-1 in the second period, and while a tentative start to the final frame saw the Penguins pull one back at 3-2, the Flyers settled in from there.
Cates posted up on Stuart Skinner in the blue paint, received a pass from Zegras, opened his hips and pivoted inside to make a nifty move in close and finish inside the far post.
Forward Owen Tippett scored an empty-net goal, his first playoff tuck since May 16, 2021, to seal an intense 5-2 win.
"I think at the start of the third there, maybe we were sitting back a little bit," Konecny assessed. "Once we found our legs again and started playing, not to try to win the game by sitting back, but by playing aggressive, I thought we did a good job."
Where and when the Flyers truly turned the tide, though, was halfway through the first period, when Garnet Hathaway and Sean Couturier doled out big hits on Penguins players to bring the Xfinity Mobile Arena faithful back to life.
From there, the Flyers were able to assert themselves more confidently as a group, and they did so after watching their leaders lead by example.
Tippett recorded a whopping 11 hits, accounting for 25% of the team's 44 hits on his own. Porter Martone added six, Hathaway had four, and Couturier and Glendening each had two.
"He just does everything the right way. Never complains. Really underrated move by Danny [Briere]. I don't think people really realize, we pick this guy up off waivers like nothing, and all of a sudden this guy's been a big cog for that fourth line," head coach Rick Tocchet said of Glendening.
"That fourth line has really given us an identity, especially these playoffs, but even before that."
Now, the band of misfits identity that the Flyers proudly boast has guided them to a stunning 3-0 series lead against the Penguins in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
On Saturday, they'll have the opportunity to sweep the Penguins on home ice.
Apr 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) celebrates his goal with right wing Porter Martone (94) against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA — Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler scored three goals on four shots in the second period in Philadelphia’s first home playoff game in eight years, pushing the Flyers to the brink of a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 Game 3 win on Wednesday night in their best-of-seven first-round series.
Game 4 is Saturday night in Philadelphia.
The Flyers’ trio of goal scorers gave their raucous fans more reason to celebrate than just a first home playoff game since April 22, 2018, and first home playoff win since April 20, 2016, they can clinch their first playoff series win since the 2020 bubble season — and they can do it against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
Dan Vladar, shaken up a bit in the third with an apparent right hand or wrist injury, stopped 28 shots and again outplayed embattled Stuart Skinner in net.
Not long after Vladar was hit, Erik Karlsson scored on the power play to cut it to 3-2.
Forget the rally. Noah Cates put the finishing touches on one of the biggest Flyers’ wins in the last 16 years with a power-play goal for a 4-2 lead. Owen Tippett added an empty-netter in the waning minutes.
The Flyers wasted all the pregame energy in a hurry when Evgeni Malkin scored a power-play goal only 4:18 into the game. The Penguins were doomed by an 0 for 5 effort on the power play in Game 2 and Crosby went scoreless in Pittsburgh. Crosby’s assist helped the Penguins, who had the seventh-ranked power play in the regular season, score their first power-play goal in eight attempts in the series.
Malkin’s 29th career postseason power play goal tied him with Mario Lemieux for most in Penguins history.
The game erupted in the second period into a scene straight out of the day when the old school enforcer of the Broad Street Bullies era roamed the ice.
Penguins forward Bryan Rust slammed Travis Konecny to the ice and smothered the Flyers forward and all the lines joined the fray until they were separated by officials. Konecny ripped off his helmet and dropped his gloves and beckoned Rust to fight him. No dice. They instead traded verbal barbs from the penalty box.
The Flyers and Penguins could have held team photo day inside their respective penalty boxes.
Rust got four minutes while four of his teammates joined him and Konecny and four of his teammates tagged along inside a jammed box.
Public address announcer Lou Nolan had just started to rattle off the list of names — “the penalties, we think ... ” — when Zegras ripped one past Skinner for the power-play goal that evened the score 1-1. The Flyers mobbed Zegras and pinned him in celebration against the penalty box.
Ristolainen — whose 820 regular season games before making the playoffs were the most of any active player — made it 2-1 and Flyers started fans started derisive “Skinner! Skinner” chants that echoed long after the go-ahead goal. Seeler scored 2:12 later on a shot from the point for the 3-1 lead against — and made it 3 of 4 on Skinner after he stopped the first 18 shots.
PHILADELPHIA , PA - APRIL 22: A large brawl breaks out during game three of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburg Penguins on April 22nd, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins enter Game 3 with some adjusted forward lines, left wings shuffled all around the first three lines from the start of last game. Otherwise it’s the same, including Stuart Skinner back in net.
It’s a good start for the Penguins, the road venue doesn’t make any impact. Pittsburgh gets the first few shots and then the first power play when Sean Couturier trips up Sam Girard. Lo and behold, they score a goal on that power play, the first of the series, to take their first lead in a game. Sidney Crosby passes to Bryan Rust, who quickly feeds Evgeni Malkin at the other side of the crease. Malkin knocks it home, 1-0 Pens.
Late in the period, before a faceoff Garnet Hathaway flung his stick up behind his back and it went inside the visor of Crosby, who fell to the ice. Crosby stayed down a minute after it. The refs send both players off the ice, feeling Crosby milked it a little too much once the crowd and Hathaway threw a fit over it. Maybe he shouldn’t have been swinging his stick around the eyeball of a Mount Rushmore player?
First period ends with the shots 11-11, which is much more the type and style of game that the Penguins want to play compared to the quagmire that those early games of getting very few shots in the first. Pittsburgh up on the board 1-zippy.
Second period
The ref show continues in the second period, Travis Konecny hits Kris Letang after a whistle, Letang joins Konecny in the penalty box after a halfhearted response. Then on the ensuing 4v4, Erik Karlsson gets rung up on a tripping infraction that didn’t create or deny a scoring chance or change possession of the puck. Philadelphia gets a long 4v3 power play. Skinner stops Porter Martone in front of the net on the best scoring chance they get.
As soon as Konecny gets out of the box he’s right back on his BS giving Rust an elbow to the head. This sends Rust off the deep end as they scrap after the whistle. Somehow out of the scrum all 10 skaters on the ice end up in the penalty box for roughing and Rust picks up an extra minor for…unknown reasons.
HUUUUGGEEE scrum mainly between Konecny and Rust resulted in A LOT of penalties… pic.twitter.com/wn7AEHJR4B
The Flyers can’t stop Flyering, Nick Seelers throws three crosschecks at Crosby away from the puck and the PEns get a power play out of it. With Rust and Karlsson still in the box, it doesn’t get much going.
That builds momentum for the Flyers, they get a long shift in the period and send some shots in that Skinner can’t smother or corral and the defense can’t clear. Philadelphia hits the post and it looks like the Pens are on the ropes. They are, Rasmus Ristolainen sneaks a long-range low shot by Skinner. 2-1 Philadelphia gets their first lead of the night.
The Penguins have three shots in the period and the Flyers score their third goal of the period. Connor Clifton chips a puck back to the Flyers and they get it back high and go around the horn. Seeler throws a long range shot on, there’s a bit of traffic but Skinner can’t nab it with the glove. 3-1 game.
The Penguins get a golden chance when Ristolainen breaks his stick and is trapped. Rust walks around him but Dan Vladar stops the shot and the follow-up can’t get there in time.
Period ends, what a doozy it was. Shots are 15-7 Philadelphia. Goals were 3-0 in the second. The Penguins have to be wondering what the hell just happened, I know I’m doing the same.
Third period
Egor Chinakhov’s hard wrister knocks the skate blade off Vladar’s skate. The refs give him a whistle, they shouldn’t have.
No stoppage for a lost skate blade (or glove). Should be playing until the whistle there… Flyers get a break there
A few minutes later, the Penguins get a power play, Tyson Foerster is off for tripping Ben Kindel. Rust drives the net and falls on Vladar’s arm to get a whistle and that’s as close as the Penguins get.
Soon after, a gift when Matvei Michkov getting too aggro after a whistle. This time, it strikes. Erik Karlsson booms a slapper by the blocker side of Vladar. 3-2 game with 10:21 to go.
Anthony Mantha has one he wants back, flipping the puck over the glass for a penalty. Skinner makes his first stop of the period and it’s a big one on a Noah Cates breakaway. Cates gets his revenge, slipping behind Ryan Shea and bringing the puck forehand down low. 4-2 with 7:30 to go.
The Pens get another power play with 6:32 to go, they take their timeout to gear up, nothing happening this time.
It gets down to desperation time, Skinner pulled for the extra attacker with about 3 minutes to play. Doesn’t work, Owen Tippett sinks the empty net goal with 1:12.
Some thoughts
For matchup watch: the Pens started the Crosby line at the beginning of the first and third periods (their was a power play at the start of the second). They surely knew what that would bring with the Flyers getting last change and using the Couturier line out there to meet them.
It always funny (but sometimes not ‘ha-ha’ funny) to watch a power play oscillate between atrocious and glorious for no reason. Everyone’s a critic (which, hey, here too) about changing personnel or changing strategy, do this, do that. The Pens dismiss all that, score on a tic-tac-toe fancy passing play that ends with a backside tap in from the same guys they wanted. They’re always going to do it their way, because it’s what they know and what they’re best at. (But that play was setup by good wall work by Rakell and Rust plus the benefit of a Flyer breaking his stick and skating off the ice for some reason. They still did need to perform better before getting to the fun stuff).
However, it did look like there were some adjustments made at 5v5, before we get to the part where, you know, it all goes to hell. Pittsburgh put bodies to the net and then got the puck there, battling through as they went. After only recording seven total SOG in the first and second games combined, the Pens put up 10 alone in the first period of this game.
They also schemed up a way to generate more speed through the neutral zone to bump or drop passes back and hit a player with speed to break through the layers of the Flyers’ defensive structure. Now we’ll see if Philadelphia has an adjustment for the adjustment. Nice to see the Pens’ coaches be able to install something useful that helped unlock the middle of the ice, even though ultimately they still ended up with a big goose egg with 0 5v5 goals for a second straight game.
The second period was infuriating and all those shrewd adjustments and best laid plans unraveled and went completely down the drain. Didn’t help to have Konecny go unpunished (and at times rewarded) for stirring the pot post-whistle by targeting opponent’s heads, but the Pens got pushed way away from where they wanted to be and were finding success. It’s 2012 all over again with the game unraveling. Wasn’t fun then, isn’t fun now!
Unravel is the word for Skinner too, which is a shame. He was so good in the early going. You could see his play and form slipping away, a puck hit his glove and he couldn’t keep close it up. Rebounds were starting to be placed in areas his team couldn’t get to them. A few seconds before the Zegras PPG, the puck rolled into Skinner’s stomach, he couldn’t stop it from rolling off it. Then the shot off the post seemed to put him on tilt, giving up a bad goal to Ristolainen seconds later to a shot he saw the whole way. Two game minutes later, another bad goal against from Seeler. Went it goes south for Skinner, it goes all the way there and very quickly. Turned out to be at the absolute worst moment, which again is a tough development since he was really good early in this game and serviceable enough up until the point where the bottom drops out.
Will Rust losing his mind be the moment that we think back of all summer and maybe beyond? He fell for the bait. Hook, line and sinker. Handed the Flyers a power play when the Penguins were up 1-0 and doing just fine. It was all downhill from there. Personally, I find it hard to criticize someone for responding and sticking up for themselves when getting elbowed in the head but the Pens always talk about how they need to be smart, walk away, let it go. Then they just never do, and the problem with rolling around with pigs is that you end up covered in the muck and the pig likes it.
Two power play goals aside for each team, two weak ones for Philadelphia were the difference. The Penguins going from 201 5v5 goals (2nd most in NHL) to now one 5v5 goal in three games is the story of the series. .
There’s disappointments about as far as the eye can reach, doesn’t help that 2024 playoff Anthony Mantha showed up. The one who got scratched by Vegas. Pittsburgh was within reach at 3-2 with time left and looking somewhat stable for a comeback effort. Mantha’s careless play of the puck and the subsequent PHI PPG to extend the lead to 4-2 put the game practically out of reach
Well, that’s that. The Penguins fall into a 3-0 series hole without much hope at this point. Their even strength offense has been nonexistent. Their goaltending has shown signs of cracks to where it’s not going to be anything to lean on. They play into their opponent’s hands by lacking discipline. About all of this paragraph applied in 2012 when the Flyers went up 3-0 and it now looks practically the same 14 years later. They get one more chance on Saturday in Game 4 to earn another one after that.
And with the Pittsburgh Penguins captain in Philadelphia for a playoff game for the first time since 2018, they were prepared.
They booed whenever Crosby touched the puck on Wednesday, April 22, and booed when he picked up his first point of the series (getting an assist on Evgeni Malkin's goal as the Penguins ended their power play drought) for a 1-0 lead in the first period.
But the boos got louder at 18:47 of the first period. Crosby was lining up for a faceoff when Philadelphia's Garnet Hathaway caught him in the face with a high stick. Crosby dropped to the ice.
Hathaway high sticked Crosby before the draw, but Crosby was ALSO penalized for embellishment, we play 4 on 4.... pic.twitter.com/QcsGi9wg7J
Hathaway made the diving gesture and yelled at Crosby before being led to the penalty box as fans booed. On-ice officials consulted and the Penguins star was eventually called for embellishment.
TNT said it was the first time Crosby had been called for embellishment in his career.
The teams played 4-on-4 for the rest of the period and the start of the second period.
Crosby was called for two penalties in the Penguins' Game 1 loss in Pittsburgh, including a retaliatory slash that took him off the ice in the final minutes.
Flyers, Penguins penalty boxes fill up
It was standing room only in the penalty boxes in the second period when a scrum broke out, leading to 11 penalties being handed out. Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust received a double minor for roughing, leading to a Flyers' power play.
Trevor Zegras scored with the man advantage to tie the game 1-1. It was the Flyers' first power play goal of the series. Porter Martone, the 19-year-old Flyers rookie standout, picked up an assist.
Philadelphia added goals by Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler to take a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
For the 10th consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings were unable to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Not only is it officially the longest drought in team history, but it's also now the longest active drought in the NHL, thanks to the Buffalo Sabres finally breaking through for the first time since 2011.
Multiple clubs that didn't make the postseason in 2024-25, like the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, did so this spring, while the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, two of Detroit's top Atlantic Division opponents (along with Buffalo), qualified for the second straight season.
Adding insult to injury is seeing so many former Red Wings, who played with the club as recently as last season, that are now getting a taste of playoff action.
Speaking of the Sabres, goaltender Alex Lyon, who set a new Buffalo team record (breaking the mark previously set by Dominik Hasek) with a 10-game winning streak, is back in the playoffs after spending the last two seasons with Detroit.
Lyon, who signed a two-year contract with the Sabres last offseason, accumulated a 20-10-4 record while posting a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts in his first season with Buffalo.
Staying in the Eastern Conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been getting contributions from forward Elmer Soderblom, who was never really able to put it together with Detroit.
He was dealt to the Penguins at the Trade Deadline last March, and has already shown multiple flashes of being a reliable power forward that isn't afraid to use his hulking 6'9" frame, understandably drawing frustration from Red Wings fans for his hesitancy to do so while with the Red Wings.
Additionally, goaltender James Reimer, who played one season with Detroit in 2023-24 and spent last season with the Sabres, returned to the playoffs with the Ottawa Senators, with whom he signed after being released from his PTO tryout with the Maple Leafs in the fall.
Moving to the Western Conference, former Red Wings Vladimir Tarasenko and Jeff Petry are back in the playoffs as members of the Minnesota Wild. Tarasenko, who managed only 11 goals in his first and only campaign in Detroit in 2024-25, more than doubled that output with the Wild, scoring 23 times.
Petry, who signed with the Florida Panthers last offseason, was dealt to the Wild at the Trade Deadline.
Goaltender Ville Husso, who was traded by the Red Wings to the Anaheim Ducks last season as part of the Petr Mrazek trade, is the backup to Jakub Dobes in Anaheim's first playoff appearance since 2018.
Mrazek, who was then flipped to the Ducks from the Red Wings during the summer, underwent season-ending surgery in late February.
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Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Porter Martone
Denver Barkey - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov
Luke Glendening - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Noah Juulsen
Goaltenders
Dan Vladar (starter)
Samuel Ersson (backup)
First period
- A couple of good early shifts from the Penguins thus far before Stuart Skinner stood tall in the Flyers' first surge. He continues to give them solid goaltending to start this series.
- GOAL: Evgeni Malkin makes it 1-0 for the Penguins just 4:18 into the first period. It's their first power play of the series and their first lead of the series. Wonderful puck movement from everyone on the top unit.
- This has been a tremendous start for the Penguins. They already have nine shots, and we're not even halfway through the first period. They're firing pucks from everywhere in the offensive zone. Let's see if they can keep it up.
- END OF FIRST PERIOD: Penguins are up 1-0 and played by far their best period of the series. They were starting to break through the Flyers' neutral zone trap, though they still need to clean up a little bit in their own zone.
We will start the second period with some 4-on-4 hockey after Garnet Hathaway high-sticked Sidney Crosby in the face, while Crosby was called for embellishment.
Second period
- Massive save by Stuart Skinner at the end of a 4-on-3 power play. Porter Martone tried to beat him five-hole, but Skinner said no dice.
- There was a massive brawl less than five minutes into the second period. Travis Konecny elbowed Bryan Rust in the face, causing Rust to snap and tackle him. It led then to the brawl. Rust got a four-minute roughing call, while everyone else got a two-minute minor. The Flyers also got a power play out of it, somehow.
GOAL: Trevor Zegras ties the game on the power play at 5:18 into the second period. He beat Skinner clean on a one-timer. First power play goal of the series for the Flyers.
GOAL: Rasmus Ristolainen makes it 2-1 Flyers at 9:06 of the second period. That's the first bad goal that Skinner has allowed in this series. It's now on the Penguins to respond.
GOAL: Nick Seeler makes it 3-1 for the Flyers at 11:18 of the second period. It's another goal that Skinner would want back. He was screened a little bit, but still had enough time to track the puck.
- END OF SECOND PERIOD: The Penguins had a great shift at the end of the second period with a lot of zone time, but couldn't do anything with it. There was a lot of nice passing, but no finish, which continues to be the story of this series. The Penguins are down 3-1 going into the third.
Third period
- Penguins got a power play before the halfway point of the period and couldn't get anything out of it. Crosby had a wide-open net and somehow missed it. Dan Vladar got banged up on the play, but is staying in the game.
GOAL: Erik Karlsson makes it a 3-2 game on the power play at 9:39 of the third period. He let it rip after a lot of passing before the puck found the back of the net.
GOAL: Noah Cates makes it 4-2 on the power play, the Flyers' second PPG of the game at 12:30 of the third period. The Penguins' penalty kill sat back and didn't pressure the Flyers during that power play.
GOAL: And that will do it. Owen Tippett ices the game with an empty-net goal, making it 5-2 Flyers. They now have a 3-0 series lead and will look to sweep the Penguins on Saturday night.
