Tonight is Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers currently lead the series three-two and have a chance to close the series out with a victory.
Who would have thought this series would go at least six games after the Flyers took a commanding 3-0 lead? I certainly didn’t. I knew the Penguins wouldn’t go down without a fight, but here we are with the Penguins climbing their way back and only a game away from forcing a Game 7 in Pittsburgh.
It’s time to close out this series and get some well-needed rest. In this piece, I’m going to break down what the Flyers need to accomplish to get the job done. If they check all of these boxes, the series should be theirs. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Stay out of the box
The Flyers need to stay out of the penalty box if they want to win tonight. The Penguins power play is too dangerous, and the Flyers have given them way too many opportunities in this series.
To be exact, the Flyers have been penalized 17 times this series. Thankfully, the penalty kill has come up big and has only allowed three goals through five games. However, those three power-play goals have come at horrible times. They either allowed Pittsburgh to jump out to an early lead or pull within a goal.
We all knew that staying out of the box was going to be key if the Flyers wanted to advance to the next round. While they haven’t done the best job of doing so, if they play disciplined hockey for 60 minutes, the win should be all but theirs.
Score the first goal
How many of you would believe me if I said the Flyers haven’t scored a goal in the first period in this series? It’s true. The Flyers have yet to score in the opening 20 minutes. While it’s not the worst thing in the world, jumping out to an early lead tonight is, in my eyes, a must.
Get the momentum on your side early and force the Penguins to get on their high horse. The Penguins have scored the first goal in the last three games. This forces the Flyers to have to play from behind, and the entire Xfinity Mobile Arena gets very tense.
The Penguins are playing very loose and aggressive due to being down in the series and trying to keep their season alive. If you jump out to an early lead and control play the first 20 minutes, Game 6 should fall in Philly’s favor.
Win the goaltending battle
Goaltending is an aspect that can either make or break a game for a team. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Dan Vladar has been a rock for the Flyers the entire regular season. From making huge saves to skating by the bench to pump his team up, he truly has what it takes to be a starting goaltender.
It’s been an up-and-down rollercoaster, in my opinion, for Vladar in this series. He was phenomenal for the orange and black through the first three games. He’d record his first career postseason shutout in Game 2, making all 27 saves.
The last two games are where things have gotten a little worrisome. Now, I’ll say this before someone reads this and says it wasn’t his fault. There have been plenty of defensive breakdowns for the Flyers that have led to goals. Defensive breakdowns were a problem for the Flyers in the regular season and continue to be in this first round.
However, I do think there are a few shots that Vladar could have made the save on. No, I’m not talking about the game-winning goal by Kris Letang in Game 5, where the puck bounced off the boards, off Vladar’s pad, and into the net. That was just a fortuitous bounce, and there’s nothing Vladar could have done.
If Vladar can get back to the way he goaltended in the first three games of this series, the Flyers should have a decent chance of picking up the victory. Through five games played (five started), Vladar is 3-2-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage.
Match the physicality
You can’t have the Battle of Pennsylvania without physicality. While I was writing this part of the piece, I thought about all of the huge hits that have been delivered. Flyers captain Sean Couturier has stood out to me the most when it comes to being physical. He’s been throwing his body around every game, and it’s so exciting to watch. Owen Tippett has also delivered his fair share of hits as well.
As a Flyers fan, I can say that this series has been full of physicality on both sides. Now, there have been a few dirty plays that the referees have completely turned a blind eye to. Penguins forward Anthony Mantha has gotten away with quite a few punches this series. Just take a look at this:
No penalties were called on Mantha after those punches to Travis Konecny or Travis Sanheim. The referees have definitely played their part in this series, and it’s got fans furious. Ripping off players helmets has also happened a ton, and nothing would get called.
Matching the physicality will be key for the Flyers tonight. As previously stated, the Penguins are only one game away from forcing a game seven. While playing disciplined hockey will be in their formula, you just know that big hits (or punches) will be coming.
Final Thoughts
It’s time for the Flyers to finish off this series tonight. Feed off the energy from the fans and send the Penguins home. Game time is 7:30 pm. Let’s Go Flyers!!
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