Five changes the Penguins could try for Game 3

Q: What changes could the Penguins make for Game 3 against the Flyers?

The Penguins might adjust their power play units, swap player lines, and consider dressing Justin Brazeau or Jack St. Ivany to enhance their performance.

Q: Why are the Penguins struggling in their playoff series?

The Penguins have struggled with offensive execution, including poor power play performance and ineffective line combinations, leading to their two-game deficit.

Q: What is the significance of Game 3 for the Penguins?

Game 3 is crucial for the Penguins as losing could put them in a 3-0 series hole, making it significantly harder to advance in the playoffs.

Q: What adjustments did the Penguins make during Game 2?

During Game 2, the Penguins swapped Egor Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell between lines but did not see enough sustained success to evaluate the changes fully.

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 20: Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers protects the net against Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images The Penguins are in trouble. They’re heading to Philadelphia this week down two games in their first-round series and, barring some immediate changes, could be staring down a 3-0 hole by Wednesday night. Dan Muse and the Penguins have a few changes available to them before Wednesday, including some potential personnel changes. Here’s some possibilities: **1.Shake up the power play units.** The Penguins got five power play opportunities on Monday night. On those five tries they recorded a total of two shots and allowed a shorthanded goal. “There were just a few adjustments,” coach Rick Tocchet said about his team’s penalty kill after the game (h/t OnPattison.com’s Anthony SanFilippo). “We’re a little more aggressive. A little more pressure.” That pressure showed. The Penguins couldn’t connect on passes, keep the puck in at the blue line or prevent breakaways. Shuffling personnel, maybe including bumping someone like Anthony Mantha up to the first unit, could help the Pens find a more shot-happy combination. **2. Swap the Chinakhov and ** **lines.** The Penguins went into both of these first two games of the series with on ’s line, while Rickard Rakell centered . They haven’t had a lot of success at even strength with that top six, and Muse ended up swapping Chinakhov and Rakell back to Malkin and Crosby’s lines, respectively, during Monday’s second period. Muse declined to make any conclusions about that mid-game swap after the loss, saying the Penguins didn’t get enough sustained looks at even strength for him to make an evaluation. “I’m not in a position right now to really make any decisions in terms of lineup for next game,” Muse after the loss. “That’s something— we’ll look at film, we’ll speak as a staff. We’ll make those decisions later.” The Chinakhov-Malkin and Rakell-Crosby combos worked well down the stretch of the regular season. Given how much the Penguins have struggled to put together any offense through two playoff games, those combos could be worth trying again. **3. Dress .** Few of the forwards have been standouts through two games. The Penguins could try scratching a bottom-six forward and shuffling Brazeau into the lineup to see if he is able to find any more success. **4. Dress **. The Ryan Shea-Connor Clifton pairing was on the ice for nine Penguins shot attempts and 10 shot attempts against on Monday night, by far the worst ratio among the defense pairings, per . St. Ivany has experience skating alongside from earlier this season and could be an option if the Penguins decide to swap out Clifton. **5. Figure out zone entries.** The Flyers have the Penguins’ number in terms of how Muse’s team usually likes to bring the puck into the zone. Even on the power play the Penguins regularly relied on wrapping the puck along the boards on Monday night, often at the cost of an immediate Flyers clear. The Pens will need to figure out how to make their usual controlled breakouts work against Tocchet’s aggressive defensive system in order to get some more offensive momentum in Game 3. The Penguins tomorrow. Maybe they’ll have the opportunity to watch some tape, and hopefully make some adjustments, before Wednesday’s 7 p.m. ET puck drop.