Flyers Fall in Game 4 as Penguins Force a Game 5 and Keep Their Season Alive
Apr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers had a chance to bust out the brooms in Game 4, but instead, Pittsburgh made a statement, dominating the pace and forcing costly mistakes in a 4-2 win to keep their season alive.
In this incredibly important closeout game, the Flyers came out tight, and it showed in the way that they played from the start. This was apparent late in the first period when Sidney Crosby scored five seconds into a power play. The second goal was on a big mistake, which allowed Rickard Rakell to score the second goal. The Flyers answered back with Denver Barkey scoring his first playoff goal. Kris Letang answered back with a goal in the third, only to be answered by Travis Konecny in the third.
After an empty net goal by Connor Dewar, the game ended with a 4-2 home loss. The series will shift back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Monday night. Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. ET.
Pittsburgh Dominates the Pace and Extends the Series
Game 4 didn’t appear like any of the other games in this series. The Flyers came out and made mistakes early on, and the Flyers weren’t able to overcome the early mistakes. One of the issues that came up was how they let Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang get into the flow of the game, and they dictated the pace because of the comfort they felt on the ice. The Flyers actually outshot the Penguins 27-21, but Arturs Silovs played incredibly well, and those all add up to a win.
The fact is that the Flyers didn’t play as physically tonight, and the Flyers showed in the series that when they play fast and physical, the older Penguins team can’t handle that pace, and they lose focus. This will be a huge emphasis of the Flyers to set the terms and get under the skin of the Penguins’ top players, and this will likely bring them back to playing their brand of hockey. They will also need to limit the penalties, as the goal scored by Crosby was in the first five seconds of the power play. The way the Flyers make this change will dictate the rest of the series.
Vladar Makes a Costly, Uncharacteristic Error
Daniel Vladar is without a doubt the MVP of the Flyers this season. His play all season has been outstanding, and one of the things that he has done that he has really lived on is being mentally sharp every game. In Game 4, Vladar made a costly error that ended with Pittsburgh lighting the lamp for the second goal of the game. In the second period, Vladar was behind the net fielding a puck off the boards with Cam York in front of him and Jamie Drysdale behind him, Rickard Rakell came up to the right side of the net, to pressure Vladar, and he tried to deke the pass to York to draw Rakell to York, but he didn’t bite on the deke, and that put Vladar in an awkward moment and he tried to push the puck up the middle of the ice. Rakell wrestled the puck away and backhanded it into the open net for a goal.
Granted, this was a bang-bang play, but there were three options, and he hesitated, and it cost him a goal, and ultimately the game. Decisiveness has been a hallmark of Vladar’s game all season, and in a huge moment, he had what can only be considered a hiccup in a pressure moment, but the only play in that situation is to push the puck backwards to Drysdale. Looking back at the play, it doesn’t appear that he even saw Drysdale.
Put the Brooms Back on the Shelf
The Flyers had stolen home ice, rattled a franchise, and done something they couldn’t manage in 82 tries before the playoffs. But celebration at home is a luxury they can’t afford. Pittsburgh didn’t come to Philly to lose a series; they came to win a championship, and that DNA doesn’t disappear because of the previous three games.
The Penguins were the better team Saturday night. Solid, structured, and desperate in the way only a club that knows how to win in April truly can be. They played like a team that understood the moment, and the Flyers stayed in the game and battled back, which is almost more unsettling than a blowout. Closing out a team with a championship pedigree is an entirely different animal, and the Flyers haven’t done it yet. A fourth sweep in franchise history wasn’t in the cards for this round. The hardest game of this series hasn’t been played yet, because it’s the next one. The Flyers have a chance to close out Pittsburgh in their home arena, which may actually be sweeter anyhow.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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