1. DO OR DIE, PART 2
The Flyers face a second straight elimination game today after holding off the Penguins in Game 5... They have now won at least one game when facing elimination in each of their last three playoff series (including this series) and won two elimination games in 2016 against Washington, also with Michal Neuvirth in net... Overall, the Flyers have staved off elimination twice in a series seven times in their history, eventually winning three of the seven series... The Flyers have also forced Game 7 when trailing 3-2 in a series eight out of 19 times, posting an 8-11 record in those Game 6's.
2. OPENING UP
The previous five games of this series have followed the same pattern - the team that has scored first has won the game... So far in the postseason, the team that has scored first has won 27 of the 38 games played, posting a 27-11 record... In the Eastern Conference, the number is more lopsided with 15 of 20 times the team that has scored first has won (15-5)... In the last two Flyers playoff series, the team that has scored first is 10-1, and dating back to the last three playoffs series, the team that has scored first has won 14 of the 18 games.
3. FEELING SPECIAL
The club that has won the special teams battles has also come out on top... Game 5 saw the Flyers tally first, and although they didn't score on their one power-play, they did shut down all five of the Penguins power plays and scored a shorthanded goal... So far in the postseason, the Penguins are tied for the most power-play opportunities (with Washington), going 5-for-24, while the Flyers have had the eighth most, going 2-for-18... The Penguins have gone 5-for-15 on the PP (33%) in their three wins in the series, but 0-for-9 on the man advantage in the two losses... The Flyers won their only game when scoring on the power-play, going 2-for-3 in Game 2.
4. SPREADING THE WEALTH
The Flyers have had nine different goal scorers in the series thus far with only one player scoring more than one goal (Couturier: 2)... They have also had 14 different players who have recorded a point out of 21 skaters in the series... The Penguins have had 12 different goal scorers, led by Sidney Crosby with 5 goals, and have had 16 of 19 skaters in the series record at least one point... Sean Couturier has been the Flyers most consistent player in the postseason, leading the team with four points (2g-2a) and both game-winning goals, while only Pens players have scored in four of the five games in the series (Sidney Crosby & Jake Guentzel).
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (G: #30 - Michal Neuvirth)
Should he get the start for his second straight game, Neuvirth will look for his fourth postseason win in his last five appearances... Since Game 4 of the 2016 series in Washington, Neuvirth has a 3-1 playoff record to go along with a 1.33 GAA and .960 save percentage, stopping 144 of the 150 shots he has faced in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
PENGUINS (G: #30 - Matt Murray)
Penguins goaltender Matt Murray owns a career playoff record of 9-1 to go along with a 1.52 GAA and .939 save percentage following a loss with the only back-to-back losses of his postseason career coming in last year's Stanley Cup Final in Games 3 & 4 in Nashville... In games when he can clinch a series, Murray owns a 6-4 record with a 2.02 GAA and .921 save percentage.
