Young Guys Looked as Veterans in Flyers’ Game 1 Victory: ‘That’s Maturity’
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale (9) celebrates his goal with center Denver Barkey (52) against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers, against all odds, took the elusive first game in the seven-game series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1. The 3-2 victory was a team effort, but the Flyers’ young core, who were in a rebuild just a few months ago, showed up in a huge way. It was the young core who struck first in the series and who padded on the insurance against a team often referred to as a “retirement home” with the trio of Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin.
Jamie Drysdale, who just turned 24 years old 11 days ago, found the five-hole in his first-ever playoff game, as he gave the Flyers the 1-0 lead in the second period, breaking the ice after a scoreless first. Not only did the goal scorer play in his first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff game, but the two men on the assist are also seeing the show for themselves for the first time in their careers.
Denver Barkey, 20, and Trevor Zegras, 25, played a game of keep away with the Pens. Their ability to hold onto the puck and fool the defenders kept them on the ice for over a minute each, allowing them to continue circling the point and the red line, leading to the pass to Drysdale, and the rest spoke for itself.
By controlling their nerves, Zegras, Barkey, and Drysdale made future Hall of Fame players look lost during the goal. The younger guys, without being overloaded with nerves, were faster and quicker on top of the puck. They weren’t nervous, and Drysdale credits that to following their captain, Sean Couturier.
“I think we just came in with real high intensity in the first period,” Drysdale said postgame. “Coots led the way there and played a hell of a game. I think everyone built off that and got some confidence in this room, we’re gonna keep going in the next game.”
The captain of the team is a major influence on a young team, and if they’re at their best, the captain looks good through the kids’ performances. Couturier has done an excellent job leading his young core, and Zegras thinks nothing less of the style of play Tocchet and Couturier put down for the team.
“We’re all buying into what we’re trying to do,” Trevor Zegras said.
Even though the intensity was at its maximum, as the Flyers were up 2-1 halfway through the third period, 19-year-old Porter Martone would release an absolutely beautiful snipe on the short side to give the Flyers the all-important insurance goal. From a 19-year-old who only played nine games of the NHL season after playing college hockey with Michigan State, no one saw this goal coming, other than the Flyers themselves. The Penguins would tack on a goal late, but Martone’s shot would seal the deal.
This performance from the kids may seem unpredictable, but head coach Rick Tocchet expressed his motivation to stick with it, regardless of age and/or experience.
“That’s maturity … for 30, 40 minutes [Martone’s] trying to figure the pace,” Tocchet said. “He gets a goal like that, it’s hard to find guys like that.
“In the playoffs, you just gotta stick with it because you could have that big moment.”
Martone obviously had that big moment, and he made absolutely zero mistakes cashing in. The young guys making a difference against Hall of Famers seems impossible, but Couturier had the answer to Game 1’s success. When asked about the young guys feeling confident, Couturier explained post-game that their first playoff games aren’t their first games of high energy, as they had been playing high-energy games ever since returning from the Olympic Break.
“Everyone was ready,” he said. “Everyone prepared themselves for this moment. We’ve been playing some big games for the last month and a half, meaningful games, must win games, and I think we’re up to the test and we did a good job being ready.”
The youngsters playing well means a lot right now in this series. If guys under the age of 26 can make a presence in the series, the Flyers will likely make it to the second round, and who knows what could happen in the rounds following. This is great right now for the Flyers, but it’s also a good sign of great things to come for this franchise that has always had bad luck with its young players.
Despite how well the youngsters are playing, you can’t quite predict what’s going to happen for the rest of the series. You can, however, know that this young core is going to click into something special. Young guys usually run into a wall at a certain time, especially in the playoffs, making it hard to know what they are capable of. With this group, you know exactly that great things are going to come, and guys like Martone are going to only grow in size, perfect for the playoffs.
Game 1 was exciting for the young guys, but it was also a preview of the Flyers’ future. Gritty, fast, silky, and hopeful.
Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
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