Surging Flyers, Sidney Crosby-led Pens bring rivalry back to playoffs

For the first time in eight seasons and the eighth time overall, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with the opening game of their first-round series taking place Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

The latest chapter of the Battle of Pennsylvania features a couple teams ending lengthy postseason droughts. The Penguins last made the playoffs in 2022, but beyond that, the franchise's last series win came in 2018 against the Flyers.

Philadelphia last made the playoffs in 2020. However, Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier and Travis Sanheim are the only players remaining from that squad.

This Flyers team surprised some by reaching the postseason, but they earned their spot thanks to their strong play down the stretch. Coach Rick Tocchet's club went 18-7-1 after the Olympics, going from sixth in the Metropolitan -- eight points back of the then-third-place New York Islanders -- to leapfrogging the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets and Islanders for the division's final playoff spot.

The Flyers may be the third-youngest team by average age in the postseason, according to EliteProspects.com, but Tocchet said the past few weeks have been a playoff-like atmosphere. Now, the question becomes how much slack the coach gives his younger players when the pressure increases, especially when playing a veteran-laden group like the Penguins.

"I don't want these guys to be nervous if they make a mistake," Tocchet said. "Then I'm not doing my job if I'm making these guys nervous."

One young player who has stood out is Porter Martone, who joined the club in late March. He scored 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the Flyers' last eight games, with points in each of the last six.

Tocchet has already made his choice in goal in Dan Vladar, who played six straight games earlier this month and went 5-1 with a .921 save percentage. He allowed a total of six goals in the five wins and will making his first career playoff start.

The Czech goalie has played the Penguins six times in his career. He is 2-3-1 with an .899 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average.

Pittsburgh does have a question of who will be its netminder. Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner shared that role during the regular season. Skinner, acquired during the season from Edmonton for Tristan Jarry, has made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, but Silovs also has postseason experience from his time in Vancouver.

While Skinner has more experience, both have fared well against the Flyers. Skinner is 5-1-2 in eight games with a .913 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA, while Silovs is 1-0-1 with a .944 save percentage and a 1.92 GAA.

While the Flyers have youth, the Penguins have a core of 30-somethings looking to make one last run to the Cup. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have three titles in their nearly two decades together in the Steel City. Despite being 38 and 39, respectively, they continue to lead; Crosby put up a team-hgh 74 points in 68 games, while Malkin had 61 in 56.

First-year coach Dan Muse said that leadership has its advantages.

"I don't have to say anything," Muse said Friday. "I know for sure that the guys that have the significant playoff experience ... are going to be playing a big role there in just terms of helping along the guys that this is their first time."