3 Takeaways from Flyers’ 3–2 Game 1 Win vs. Penguins – The Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

The underdog (well, now favored) Philadelphia Flyers have to be feeling good after that one. They visited the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game 1 of their first-round 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series on Saturday, April 18, and came away with a 3–2 win.

It wasn’t a particularly high-event affair, but the Flyers couldn’t have drawn it up any better. They thoroughly outplayed the Penguins at 5-on-5, didn’t get burned on special teams, and won the goaltending battle.

Let’s go over three major takeaways from their thrilling Game 1 win.

Martone Already Showing His Clutch Gene

Porter Martone was the story of this one for his late-game dagger. After taking a 2–1 lead at the midway point of the third period via a Travis Sanheim masterpiece, the Orange and Black were content to run out the clock and come away with a narrow victory. The 19-year-old had other ideas, though.

On what seemed like a routine 2-on-2 with under three minutes showing on the clock, Martone made magic happen. It looked like he’d be forced to the boards after running out of room, but he turned back, bought himself space and time, and ripped a bullet past goaltender Stuart Skinner to add some insurance.

MARTY PARTY HARD. #PHIvsPIT | #IgniteTheOrange pic.twitter.com/OFss5fPrej

— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 19, 2026

The insurance was much-needed, too, because the Penguins struck with 1:01 remaining. As a result, Martone came away with the game-winning goal in his postseason debut.

More than anything, Martone showed that he can be a game-breaker in this type of environment. When the Flyers went up in the third, anybody who has been paying attention this season likely expected an all-out commitment to defense to close things out. That’s exactly what fans got, but Martone is so skilled that he can make things happen even with that restriction. It seems Philadelphia has a star on its hands.

Drysdale Came to Play

Defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who celebrated his 24^th birthday earlier this month, has been especially solid for the Flyers recently. That continued in Game 1, where he opened the scoring with his first-ever playoff tally and recorded an 85.2% expected goal share at 5-on-5 across 17:40 of ice time.

As mentioned, this game was pretty low-event. That makes it extra important for the defensemen to avoid mistakes in their own zone, as one goal against can violently swing the momentum. Drysdale was up to the task, though, moving pucks under pressure with ease.

According to Hockey Stats, Drysdale only allowed 0.15 expected goals at 5-on-5. He was basically flawless on defense—essential for a Flyers win.

Then, you have his second-period strike. It’s one thing to do your job defensively and another to chip in with a goal. Drysdale was excellent.

Flyers Got Under Crosby’s Skin

This one felt like old times for one particular reason: Sidney Crosby was totally off his game. The Flyers got under his skin, resulting in a final stat line of zero points, a minus-1 rating, and two minor penalties taken. The infractions were offsetting, admittedly, but he initiated both. This was vintage Crosby, and not in a good way for the Penguins.

From a chance-generation standpoint, Crosby did not have a great night. He was on the ice for just 0.12 expected goals at 5-on-5, and he played 15:34. The power play wasn’t clicking, either.

Crosby was more notable in this contest for his antics than his on-ice play. That’s a job well done by the Orange and Black.

It’s hard to imagine this being much more than a one-off, but if the Flyers can get this version of Crosby again, their chances of a series victory are strong. The Penguins just aren’t as intimidating when their captain isn’t contributing positively.

The Orange and Black return to PPG Paints Arena for Game 2 at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 20. By getting the job done in Game 1, the Flyers are kind of playing with house money here, but another win would be huge.

Stats courtesy of Hockey Stats