At long last, the Philadelphia Flyers are returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Welcoming them back to the dance will be the Pittsburgh Penguins, their longtime cross-state rivals.
Home-ice advantage belongs to the Penguins, but zero points separated them and the Flyers in the regular-season standings—they tied with 98 apiece. Pittsburgh is probably better than its record suggests, though, boasting some of the best all-around scoring in these playoffs. With a strong foe ahead, what are three keys to success for Philadelphia?
Flyers’ Key to Success 1: Don’t Change Your Play Style
The Flyers saw a transformation after the Olympic break. While they didn’t completely change overnight, the system is more polished, which has opened up the rush game significantly. The results don’t lie: by points percentage, the Orange and Black have been the league’s best team since March 10.
Some additional context…
In the Flyers last 15 games they have the best scoring chance and goal differential, off-the-rush of any team in the league. 11-3-1 record. https://t.co/GGe7WSfpNt— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) April 8, 2026
For Philadelphia to win this series, it’ll have to avoid deviating from what has worked. Yes, the playoffs are a different beast, and the rivalry aspect is important—the guys will want to play into it. However, the Flyers can’t afford to replace their winning identity with something else.
In a lot of ways, the Flyers are prepared for this moment. They can hunker down and hold a lead, evidenced by Dan Vladař flooring teams at 5-on-5. He ranks first in goals-against average (1.80) and save percentage (.926) among goaltenders with 1,000 minutes played.
So, this isn’t a plea to play “exciting” hockey. It’s a plea to stick with what has worked. What the Flyers have done over the past two months has most definitely worked.
Flyers’ Key to Success 2: Lean on the Kids
Based on the first three quarters of this season and some off-ice comments, I grew very concerned that head coach Rick Tocchet and forward Matvei Michkov weren’t a match. I argued that if the 21-year-old can’t be maximized, the Flyers have virtually no chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Well, he’s being maximized now.
Related: Flyers’ Youth Is Facilitating a Playoff Push
From February to the regular season’s end, Michkov led the team in points with 23 in 28 contests. He did that while averaging 15:24 of ice time per game—a stunning turnaround.
If we focus on the Flyers’ more recent stretch of success, it’s not just Michkov leading the way. The other kids are flourishing, too. They drove the race to the playoffs.
Porter Martone made his NHL debut on March 31 against the Washington Capitals. In the eight games after, he recorded four goals and six assists. Among skaters with at least 100 minutes played in the month of April, he ranks 14th in points per 60. He is the only teenager in the top 30.
Speaking of the top 30, Michkov is the second-youngest player in that range. With 5.73 points per 60, he is the month’s current leader. In other words, he’s the most efficient point-scorer in the NHL right now.
I was searching this month’s points per 60 leaders because I was curious where Porter Martone ranked.
Michkov is 1st.
Martone is 14th.21 and 19 years old. pic.twitter.com/9FZYE11XDP
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) April 15, 2026
Martone and Michkov have been the team’s best skaters since the former made his first NHL appearance. At 19 and 21 years old, respectively, they have been driving the bus.
Rookies Denver Barkey and Alex Bump have been solid top-nine contributors as well. Philadelphia is one of the hottest teams in the league because of its young talent—the kids must be leaned on in this first-round series.
Flyers’ Key to Success 3: At Least Break Even on Special Teams
Let’s get into more team-wide stuff. We know the Flyers can play well at 5-on-5—Vladař’s numbers are enough evidence. At least breaking even on special teams will be a more pertinent challenge.
If you look at the full-season numbers, the Penguins have a thorough advantage in the special teams battle. Pittsburgh’s power play and penalty kill rank seventh in the league, while Philadelphia’s power play is dead last and the penalty kill is 22nd.
After the Olympic break, both clubs have had their fair share of struggles on special teams. The Penguins have still been better in both areas, but this should inspire some confidence that the Flyers can break even.
The Flyers lost just one of their final seven games—that 6–3 drubbing by the Detroit Red Wings. Philadelphia conceded three power-play goals and a shorthanded tally, so despite outscoring Detroit at 5-on-5, it wasn’t enough to win. That type of game can’t be repeated.
The Flyers are underdogs against the Penguins, but they can pull off the win if they stick to what has worked and avoid special teams mayhem.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick (unless specified otherwise)
