David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Penguins Make Goalie Decision Before Flyers Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sami Haider | Last updated Apr 18, 2026 4:07 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins are finally back in the Stanley Cup playoffs after missing out since 2022. They finished the season with 98 points and took second place in the Metropolitan Division, a big turnaround after three years of decline.

The legendary core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang is ready for one more run, and they're starting it against their rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. This is the eighth time the Penguins and Flyers have met in the postseason, renewing the "Battle of Pennsylvania" for the first time since 2018.

Ahead of Game 1, first-year head coach Dan Muse quickly named Stuart Skinner his starting goalie, with Arturs Silovs as the backup. Muse emphasized that the choice wasn't random but the result of a careful evaluation.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) at Scotiabank Saddledome.Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

"Skinner will be starting. As I said Friday, we have the benefit of two guys that have played great for us all year, and so we went through our process, and Skinner's starting," Muse said, per Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now.

Skinner, 27, was acquired mid-season from the Edmonton Oilers in December. He came to Pittsburgh along with defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick in exchange for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin.

At the time of the trade, Skinner had posted an 11-8-4 record with a 2.83 GAA and a .891 save percentage in 23 games. He finished the regular season with a 23-17-9 record and a .888 save percentage across 50 games.

Against the Flyers specifically in the regular season, Skinner went 2-0-1 in three appearances, stopping 64 of 71 shots. He also holds a lifetime 5-1-2 record against Philadelphia in 8 games, maintaining a 2.45 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

That head-to-head familiarity gives the Penguins' coaching staff a reasonable baseline for what to expect from him against this opponent, even as his numbers down the stretch showed some inconsistency. Just to recap, in his final 10 games, he struggled with a 3.50 GAA and a .876 save percentage.

However, with both Pennsylvania rivals back in the playoffs after long absences, the rivalry has its edge back. While the Penguins ended a three-year drought, this trip holds even more significance for the Flyers since they finally made it back after five years.

Their Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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