Penguins Getting Swept Will Undo Goodwill of Regular Season

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar defends the net against a wrap around attempt by Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte in Game 2 of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Penguins Getting Swept Will Undo Goodwill of Regular Season

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated Apr 24, 2026 10:25 AM ET

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This has been the season of playing above expectations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have gotten contributions from unlikely sources, allowing them to make the playoffs when most thought they would be competing for the first overall pick.

That being said, the Penguins find themselves in a 3-0 hole against the Philadelphia Flyers. Their rivals have definitely been better, but this has been the kind of effort from the Penguins that will undo all of that goodwill the team spent 82 games accumulating.

The Disappearance of Key Contributors

Though some will argue to the contrary, the Penguins have bigger issues than officiating. They have had a virtual no-show from their most important contributors. The Penguins have four total goals in the series against an oppressive Flyers defense, two of those off the stick of Evgeni Malkin.

Sidney Crosby has just one assist. Bryan Rust is the only other forward with a goal. Kris Letang is a minus-five and looks like a liability more and more. While there are some unproven commodities earning playoff experience, they have more than a few guys who have been here plenty of times before. Experience – or a lack thereof – cannot be the excuse.

Perhaps the one player that deserves a specific callout is Anthony Mantha. He should be lauded for his breakout season, but he has been invisible in this series unless he’s committing costly penalties. He was important in the Penguins getting here and is important as it relates to where they are now in all the wrong ways.

There is No Sense of Urgency

The Flyers are doing a lot of things better than the Penguins right now, chief among them being team defense. The Flyers have smothered what was one of the best five-on-five offenses in the NHL this season.

Perhaps the biggest discrepancy is in the urgency levels of the two teams. The Flyers skate with their hair on fire, playing with speed and physicality. The Penguins, meanwhile, feel like they are going through the motions until it is too late.

In the playoffs, there is no room for complacency. There is no guarantee for a tomorrow for the Penguins, and that kind of effort will ensure a sweep in front of a hostile Philadelphia crowd. The series is likely gone but the Penguins can at least go out with some pride and dignity.

One Game at a Time

The Penguins can still have success against the Flyers and they have one guy on the roster – goalie Stuart Skinner – who has experience erasing a 3-0 deficit before (that did ultimately fail, but still). Thinking ahead is not something the Penguins can afford to do at this stage, however.

It is a cliché, but the Penguins really have to take this one game at a time. They need to focus on getting into the middle of the ice, outworking the Flyers, and standing up against their tenacious physical presence.

Losing as favorites will still be a massive disappointment despite the general feeling being that the Penguins are here on “house money.” If they can manage to win the next two games and at least make a series of it, they will at least preserve some of the massive goodwill they generated during the regular season.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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