Three key reasons why Flyers have Penguins on brink of a sweep
There aren’t too many of us who had this series going the way it has. With the Philadelphia Flyers in position to complete their first series sweep in 30 years, the way things have played out has been shocking to say the very least versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Several storylines that have gone into the three games have gotten us to this point, but here are the top three that stand out the most as the Flyers and Penguins head into Game 4 Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The last dance for the Penguins – and it hasn’t been a memorable one.
Pretty much nobody expected the Penguins to be in the playoffs in 2026 – let alone locking down home ice advantage. But when the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins did clinch the playoffs for the first time in four years, it was a feel-good moment as their core is in the process of wrapping up their twilight years and beginning to close the book of a historic 20-year run.
Facing off against the Flyers felt even more poetic given their cross-state rivalry and Crosby’s dominance over the black and orange. Unfortunately, Crosby’s – and his teammates’ – play has been anything but dominant.
Between Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang (the longstanding trio of The Steel City), the trio has combined for just two goals and two assists through three games in the series. Three of those four points belong to Malkin, while Letang, in particular, has been a liability more times than not for the Penguins during the series, not lacking in worth ethic but held back by declining skill that is being out-matched by father time.
Even Crosby, who has forever been known as an ultra-competitor, has lacked pushback and bite during the series, almost giving off a vibe that he knows his team is outmatched by the far-younger Flyers. One assist in three games for the Olympic Canadian captain is not something anyone had on their bingo card before the playoffs got going.
The Penguins were never pegged to go all the way and bring home a fourth Stanley Cup for this core, but there was more expected of arguably the best trio of the last two decades in what could very well be their final playoffs.
The kid is all right
My colleague Steven Ellis would have a better take on this, but it seems valid to ask whether Porter Martone would’ve been taken second or third overall last summer at the 2025 NHL Draft had he been a center. Jumping on (and arguably helping steer) a moving train in April from Western Michigan University to the Flyers, Martone finished the regular season with 10 points in nine games. Things have not fallen off for Martone in the playoffs, as he has points (two goals, one assist) in each of his three playoff games.
The impact Martone has had goes well beyond just his point totals, as Martone leads the Flyers in shots (nine) and is sixth among their forwards in ice time (15:35) during the playoffs. If you track how head coach Rick Tocchet has deployed Martone situationally – getting him on the ice during five (or four) on three power plays or having just a 31.5% of shifts starting in the offensive zone – it only further highlights the trust the team has in Martone.
Once thought to be a Matthew Tkachuk-lite in the making, it increasingly seems like Martone has the makings of a new-age, prime Corey Perry – and it may all come together sooner rather than later.
Has the real Sean Couturier stood (back) up?
Sean Couturier has caught his fair share of shrapnel the past several seasons, even going back to being a healthy scratch by former bench boss John Tortorella. Carrying the burden of a heavy contract ($7.75 million AAV with a full no movement clause) and declining production, there was a large segment of fans and pundits (yours truly included) calling for him to have a more reduced role in the lineup.
The reduced role did indeed happen, as Tocchet moved Couturier to the fourth line several months back. That was surprising enough, but the Flyers’ captain not only embraced the new role – he has excelled in it.
Finding chemistry alongside Garnet Hathaway and deadline waiver-wire pickup Luke Glendening, Couturier and his line have had one of the biggest impacts during the series versus the Penguins. Tocchet has relied on Couturier with defensive-heavy deployment (16 OZ%) and, despite being the “4C,” He has the third most TOI per game with 16:18 among Flyer forwards during the playoffs.
Barring the first half or so to start Game 3, the Flyers have either led or been tied the entire series versus the Penguins; Couturier’s defensive prowess and faceoff dominance (70.6% in the first three games) has been that much more important give the team is rarely chasing games.
Couturier may not be able to keep this up in the rounds deeper in the playoffs, but he has had a dominant (by his standards) performance to this point in the postseason.
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