3 Things to Watch: Penguins at Flyers, Game 4 of Eastern Conference 1st Round

(2M) Penguins at (3M) Flyers

Eastern Conference First Round, Game 4

Philadelphia leads best-of-7 series 3-0

8 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, SN-PIT, truTV, TBS, NBCSP, SN, TVAS

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers can advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020 when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

The Flyers have not won a playoff series since defeating the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the 2020 Eastern Conference First Round. Philadelphia hasn't swept a best-of-7 series since defeating the New York Rangers in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

"You just got to stay mentally in this game," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. You can't worry about tomorrow, what ifs, and you can't play that game. I think we've done a pretty good job with that messaging, but like I said, tonight's a desperate game for us because we know they're going to be desperate, and that's the way you've got to look at it from game to game."

The Flyers outscored the Penguins 11-4 in winning the first three games of this series, including a 5-2 victory in Game 3 in Philadelphia on Wednesday. They have a chance to complete the first sweep by either team in the eight playoff series between the Pennsylvania rivals, but they are not thinking about that heading into the game.

"You have to treat it like the series is even," Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim said. "It's just another game and we've got to be ready to go, we've got to be focused. We know that they're going to play hard and push, we've got to be ready for that."

The Penguins need a win to force Game 5 at Pittsburgh on Monday and avoid being swept for the first time since the 2019 Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Islanders. Seeking a spark, they will start rookie Arturs Silovs in net after veteran Stuart Skinner played the first three games.

Silovs was 19-12-8 with a 3.07 goals-against average, .888 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 games during the regular season. The 25-year-old has 10 games of NHL playoff experience (5-5, 2.91 GAA, .898 save percentage, one shutout) with the Vancouver Canucks in 2024.

"Both guys have played very well for us all year," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "If you go through the regular season, both guys have won big games. We have a lot of confidence in both guys. This decision isn't based on Stu's play. I think Stu's played really well this series. We lost three games and so decided that we'd make some changes there in the lineup." 

Pittsburgh hopes to become the second team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-7 series after starting the series at home, following the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who rallied to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final.

"I think it's just a matter of survival mode, and at the same time, leave it all out there," Penguins forward Rickard Rakell said. "We have to win. Otherwise, we're going home."

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Here are three things to watch in Game 4.

1. Vladar's health

Dan Vladar will start in net for the Flyers after he appeared to injure his right arm in a collision with Penguins forward Bryan Rust during a scramble in front of the net in the third period of Game 3. Vladar remained in the game, but he did not skate on Thursday or Friday, raising some questions about whether he'd be able to play Saturday. Tocchet said he was never worried, though.

"Not really," Tocchet said. "The next day talking to him and stuff, we knew it was heading in the right direction."

Vladar stopped 70 of 74 shots for a 1.33 GAA, .946 save percentage and one shutout in the first three games. If the 28-year-old is unable to finish the game Saturday, that would force Samuel Ersson into his first NHL playoff appearance. The 26-year-old was 14-11-5 with a 3.12 GAA and .870 save percentage in 33 games during the regular season.

2. Generating offense 5-on-5

After the Penguins were second in the NHL during the regular season in scoring 201 goals 5-on-5 (behind the Colorado Avalanche with 216), they managed only one goal 5-on-5 against the Flyers' suffocating defense, scored by Evgeni Malkin in the second period of Game 1. Philadelphia has six 5-on-5 goals in the series.

The Penguins have struggled to create quality chances at all strengths. Their 14 total high-danger shots on goal are tied with the Utah Mammoth for the second fewest in the playoffs ahead of only the Tampa Bay Lightning (nine), according to NHL EDGE. 

The Flyers had a 9-5 advantage in high-danger shots on goal in Game 3.

"I think the zone time has been there," Muse said. "We've been able to get some of that. I think it's what we're doing with it that needs to improve, especially off those first couple of games. It's not enough. It's definitely still not enough."

3. Controlling emotions

The Philadelphia fans will be excited hoping to see their team earn a series-clinching win on home ice for the first time since a 5-1 victory against the Penguins in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Flyers did a good job channeling the energy of the crowd and not losing focus in Game 3 and will need to do the same Saturday.  

The Penguins got caught up in some of the after-the-whistle scrums in the second period of Game 3, which halted their momentum after taking a 1-0 lead in the first period. They want to play more under control in Game 4.

"They start fighting a little bit, we have penalties and they scored two goals on the power play," Malkin said. "We need just a little bit more discipline."

Penguins projected lineup    

Rickard Rakell -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust 

Egor Chinakhov -- Tommy Novak -- Evgeni Malkin 

Elmer Soderblom -- Ben Kindel -- Anthony Mantha

Connor Dewar -- Blake Lizotte -- Noel Acciari 

Parker Wotherspoon -- Erik Karlsson 

Samuel Girard -- Kris Letang 

Ryan Shea -- Ilya Solovyov

Arturs Silovs  

Stuart Skinner  

Scratched: Justin Brazeau, Connor Clifton, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany

Injured: Filip Hallander (blood clot) 

Flyers projected lineup    

Tyson Foerster -- Trevor Zegras -- Owen Tippett 

Travis Konecny -- Christian Dvorak -- Porter Martone 

Denver Barkey -- Noah Cates -- Matvei Michkov 

Luke Glendening -- Sean Couturier -- Garnet Hathaway 

Travis Sanheim -- Rasmus Ristolainen 

Cam York -- Jamie Drysdale 

Nick Seeler -- Noah Juulsen

Dan Vladar 

Samuel Ersson 

Scratched: Garrett Wilson, Emil Andrae, Alex Bump, Carl Grundstrom, Oliver Bonk, David Jiricek, Carson Bjarnason, Helge Grans, Hunter McDonald, Oscar Eklind, Jacob Gaucher 

Injured: Rodrigo Abols (lower body), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)

Status report 

The Penguins had an optional morning skate. ... Silovs will start in goal after Skinner started the first three games. Penguins coach Dan Muse would not confirm any other lineup changes. ... Soderblom is expected to replace Brazeau, a forward, after being scratched for the Penguins' 5-2 loss in Game 3. ... Solovyov could make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut after being scratched the first three games. He could replace Clifton, a defenseman. ... Vladar will start after staying off the ice the previous two days. He appeared to sustain an injury to his right arm during the third period of Game 3, but remained in the game.