Finishing Business at Home: Penguins vs. Flyers Game 6 Preview

After failing to close out the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second consecutive game in Monday’s 3-2 loss at PPG Paints Arena, the Philadelphia Flyers return home to Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game 6 on Wednesday night.

The Flyers still hold a 3-2 series lead, but two straight losses have handed Pittsburgh all the momentum. The Flyers built their early dominance in this series on a clear identity, and they need to find it again, this time in front of their own crowd.

Can the Flyers Regain the Physical Edge?

The version of the Flyers that won three straight to open this series was not the most talented team on the ice; they were the most uncomfortable team to play against. They finished every check, they won races to loose pucks, they battled on the boards, and they made Pittsburgh skaters think twice before carrying the puck through the neutral zone. That relentless, grinding style wore the Penguins down and forced them into mistakes. In the last two games, that version of the Flyers has gone missing.

Reclaiming it at home starts before the puck even drops. Garnet Hathaway, Luke Glendening, and captain Sean Couturier set the tone on the fourth line by making every shift miserable for Pittsburgh’s forwards. That line is only the fourth line in name; they should call that the veteran line, the line that Rick Tocchet sends out when the game needs to be slowed down. When those guys are doing their jobs: finishing hits, winning board battles, making the Penguins play a physical game they don’t want to play, it frees up Travis Konecny and the top line to operate. The Flyers cannot afford to be passive again. Pittsburgh has shown over the last two games that when they are allowed to skate freely, they are dangerous enough to extend any series.

Where Will the Offensive Spark Come From?

Alex Bump was everything the Flyers needed in Game 5: a fresh set of legs, a genuine wrist shot, and the kind of confidence that looks like he’s been doing this for years. His first career playoff goal gave the Flyers life when it felt like the game was getting out of control. He stays in the lineup for Game 6, and that’s the right call. But Bump can’t be the whole story again.

The Flyers need Denver Barkey and Trevor Zegras to be difference makers on the top unit. Barkey’s goal in Game 4 showed what he is capable of when he is playing with space and urgency. Zegras, when he is at his creative best, is a nightmare to defend in tight spaces, exactly the kind of player who can unlock a team sitting back and protecting a lead. If the Flyers get contributions from multiple lines rather than leaning on one line or one player to carry the offensive load, they’ll be very difficult to beat at home.

How Can the Flyers Prevent the Quirky Goals?

Two straight games, two goals that had no business crossing the line, and both of them were the difference in a Pittsburgh win. The common thread in each one was defensive chaos in front of Daniel Vladar. Whether it was a lost puck behind the net or a shot deflecting off the glass behind the goal and rolling in, these goals do not happen when the Flyers are playing focused and communicating with each other. That has been a strength of the team all season and something that Vladar has brought to the team.

Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen, on the top pair, need to be the ones controlling the defensive zone, keeping the front of the crease clean, eliminating Pittsburgh bodies from the danger areas, and clearing pucks with urgency rather than allowing them to die in the corners or sit behind the net. That was a huge issue in Game 5. Vladar has given this team everything he has all season long, so it’s on the Flyers to make sure he doesn’t have to bail them out of their own defensive breakdowns with the series on the line.

Game 6 is set for a 7:00 PM puck drop on Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and can be viewed on ESPN and NBC Sports Philadelphia.

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