The Flyers have successfully ripped the offense out of the series against the Penguins

TL;DR

The Philadelphia Flyers lead the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0 in their playoff series after a 3-0 victory in Game 2. The Penguins have struggled offensively, failing to capitalize on scoring opportunities and showcasing a lack of playoff intensity.

Key points

Flyers lead Penguins 2-0 in playoff series
Penguins have struggled offensively, generating few chances
Flyers are excelling defensively, blocking shots and controlling play
Penguins' Game 1 was one of their worst offensive performances

Mentioned in this story

Sidney CrosbyDan VladarNick SeelerEvgeni Malkin

Pittsburgh PenguinsPhiladelphia FlyersDetroit Red WingsBoston Bruins

Apr 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) handles the puck as Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) and defenseman Nick Seeler (24) defend during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images This has been a wildly disappointing return to the playoffs for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not only are they down 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers after Monday night’s 3-0 loss, they have lost both games at home, now have to go on the road, and seem to be the team that is not ready for the playoff intensity or playoff style. That is a stunning development given the locker room they have, the experience they have, and given that they were simply the better team during the regular season. None of that has showed itself here. The Flyers, to their credit, are putting on a defensive clinic through the first two games. They are controlling the neutral zone, blocking shots and closing off lanes in the defensive zone, not letting anybody get near the net and rendering the Penguins power play completely useless. It almost seems as if the Flyers have zero interest in trying to generate anything offensively for themselves and content to just wait for the Penguins to make a mistake and hand them an opportunity. The Penguins have been happy to oblige. The two goals Philadelphia scored with a goalie in the net on Monday, for example, were the result of just brutal — and avoidable — mistakes by the Penguins. The lack of offense is not just a lack of goals, but also a lack of chances itself. It feels like they are never in danger of scoring, whether it be during 5-on-5 play or on the power play. Sure, they have put together a lot of extended shifts in the offensive zone. The Penguins have almost certainly won the territorial battle in terms of puck possession and offensive zone time. But it is not getting them anywhere. They finished Game 2 on Monday with a 73 percent expected goal share during 5-on-5 play. But they only actually generated 2.01 expected goals for themselves, and most of that came in the third period when they were were not only already trailing, but trailing by two goals. Philadelphia took its foot off the gas even more from an offensive perspective. It has simply been a total power outage in terms of offense. For a team that had 12 different 15-goal scorers during the regular season, and was the third-highest scoring team in the NHL, and the highest-scoring team of the Sidney Crosby era, it is staggering. Philadelphia is an excellent defensive team, and it has lived up to the hype in that regard. But should it be THIS good? It is the perfect storm of the Flyers completely buying in to what Rick Tocchet wants them to do, and the Penguins repeatedly banging their heads against the wall. Which is something we have seen from this group in years past in the playoffs. Something has to give. But what I really wanted to do is just see how these two games stack up to previous Penguins playoff games in the Crosby-Evgeni era. Where do they stack up in terms of offensive struggles, and in terms of pace? I pulled data from Natural Stat Trick on every Penguins playoff game going back to the start of the 2007-08 season (as far back as their data goes) and just compared it all. Including Games 1 and 2 of this series, the Penguins have played 187 playoff games over that stretch. Some findings:

Q&A

What is the current series score between the Flyers and Penguins?

The Philadelphia Flyers currently lead the series 2-0 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

How has the Penguins' offense performed in the playoffs so far?

The Penguins' offense has struggled significantly, generating only 2.01 expected goals during 5-on-5 play in Game 2, ranking them 76th in playoff history since 2007-08.

What defensive strategies are the Flyers using against the Penguins?

The Flyers are employing a strong defensive strategy, controlling the neutral zone, blocking shots, and preventing the Penguins from getting near the net.

How do the Penguins' offensive struggles compare to past playoff performances?

The Penguins' offensive performance in Game 1 was among the worst in the Sidney Crosby era, ranking 178th for expected goals during 5-on-5 play.