A Chance to Punch the Ticket: Penguins vs. Flyers Game 4 Preview
Apr 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) celebrates his goal with teammates in the penalty box 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
After returning home to the Philadelphia crowd for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers took a commanding three games to none series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 5-2 victory on home ice. Including the regular season, Game 3 became the Flyers’ sixth straight win, huge for a team that had not won four straight during the regular season, just showing how the 3-0 series lead goes far beyond the standings, rather attitude and play.
The Penguins are officially in desperation mode, as they face elimination in front of one of the loudest crowds in the NHL, who took no breaks, letting the Penguins have it in Game 3. This series is far in the Flyers’ favor, but by no means does that seal off the deal just yet, despite the Flyers looking like the better team for three games.
There is still a ton of work to be done, as this Penguins team has fought back hard, especially against the Flyers. However, head coach Rick Tocchet has the plan and ideas to put away these Penguins for good.
Be Smart on Goaltending
UPDATE: Dan Vladar will start between the pipes for the Flyers for Game 4 Saturday night. Backup Arturs Silovs starts for Pittsburgh.
With a disappointing performance from Stuart Skinner on the Penguins’ side, Arturs Silovs could very possibly get the start for Pittsburgh, solving that side of the ice. For the Flyers, there’s a decent chance Tocchet sends out Samuel Ersson for his first career playoff game, dependent on a few factors.
First, with a 3-0 series lead, Daniel Vladar might be getting a rest to not only give him a break but also give Ersson a look in the net. There may be times when Ersson is needed during the postseason, and he needs to get looks as soon as he possibly can. Right now, with a Penguins team that feels lost and cannot stop the speed and elusiveness of the Flyers, this would be the ideal situation to get Ersson in the cage.
The other factor that plays into the decision is the health of starter Vladar, who suffered what seems to be a hand injury. After Pittsburgh had crashed the net on an opportunity, Vladar had gone down, and though he got up and finished the game with a win, he did not practice on either Thursday or Friday. This is more than likely maintenance or rest, but it is definitely noteworthy in terms of Game 4.
Ersson, down the stretch, had been playing fantastic hockey, giving the Flyers a second goalie for the playoffs. With Vladar being the starter, Ersson needs to keep his mindset and attitude perfect with no flaw, as he is the next man up after Vladar. Luckily, Ersson has been taking lots of care and paying a ton of attention to his mental side, keeping himself right there for when he gets the call.
“I think I try to work very hard to kind of build that day by day mentality,” Ersson said during Thursday’s media availability. “Just know you have to be ready at all times.”
Tocchet, if he plays it safe with Vladar, has a great backup tender in Ersson, and his composure and calmness show he’s ready for whenever he gets the call. It could be for Game 4, and Vladar could get the rest needed.
Don’t Fall Into the Penguins’ Rage
A team down 3-0 during a series is never a happy team and will use aggression when it’s not going right. In this series specifically, this came up in both Games 2 and 3, as a late-game scrum to finish off Game 2 left forward Owen Tippett bloody on the nose after Bryan Rust and Anthony Mantha used their anger against the Flyers.
In Game 3, the penalty boxes would become the benches, as a post-whistle tussle between Travis Konecny and Bryan Rust would start a dance around the rink. Everyone on the ice received two minutes, and the Flyers got the power play due to their maturity and ability to hold off any unnecessary actions.
The Penguins were not happy, and teams usually aren’t when things aren’t going well for them. The winning team needs to be careful they don’t make any irresponsible decisions during a scrum or during play, as the trailing team will try to do what they can to draw anyone into losing their cool.
The Flyers need to avoid the anger and stay out of the box this way, and they will be in good shape. The Flyers are the better team in terms of speed and silk, meaning that all they need to do is play their game and avoid the Penguins’ activities after the whistle.
Stay Loose, Be Excited
The Flyers, in order to play their best in Game 4, should just have fun, as they are the team with the 3-0 lead. The forwards, especially on special teams, need to be loose and relaxed, within reason, to avoid anything getting to them in the head. It’s rare that a team comes back down 3-0, as it has only happened four times in NHL history, but head coach Tocchet knows that it can definitely happen, and that they cannot play it easy just as much as they cannot worry.
“I’m sure they’re reading clippings of teams that have come back 3-0,” Tocchet claimed during his availability. “I’d be doing the same thing, it can happen.”
Tocchet is not worried, but he definitely wants to establish readiness and preparation, just as Sean Couturier has been applying to the locker room all series. They need to treat this game as if they were down 3-0, but without panicking, which only the great teams can do. The Flyers, through their play and leadership, have shown that they are, in fact, a great team, making them capable of dominating Game 4 Saturday night at 8:00 PM, as they look to send Sidney Crosby home for what may be one of the last times of his career, but the Flyers want to finish the Penguins off.
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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