Noah Hiles: Penguins fans deserved a better showing in postseason return

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 19, 2026

Published in Hockey

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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins fans showed out in full force Saturday evening at PPG Paints Arena. After a three-year wait, the Steel City was more than ready to make some noise in the NHL postseason. Unfortunately for them, their hockey team didn’t get the memo.

Despite having more than a week to rest and prepare for the playoffs, the Penguins looked overwhelmed and overmatched in their Game 1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Their Keystone State rival won by a final score of 3-2, but those who watched would understand it was nowhere near that close.

“It was one of those games,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said following the loss. “They played better than us today.”

In the days leading up to the start of the series, the main storyline centered around Pittsburgh’s experience. While Philadelphia entered the postseason playing perhaps its best hockey, winning seven of its final 10 games, the Penguins’ veteran core — which, of course, includes a trio with three championship rings — was supposed to be an advantage. But early on, that group was more a detriment than anything else.

The Flyers forced the Penguins to play their game, turning the contest into a physical battle with limited scoring opportunities from the jump. Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby both spent time in the penalty box in the opening period. Evgeni Malkin and Karlsson were non-factors during that stretch as well. Together, that quartet combined for just one shot on goal in the opening 20 minutes.

“They make it tough,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “I think that's part of their game. They've been doing that for a while. They have numbers back. They can make it difficult. I think we got away from things that worked.”

Things remained “tough” in the second period. While Stuart Skinner, who was ironically his team’s biggest point of concern heading into the postseason, brought the crowd to its feet three separate times thanks to a trio of breakaway saves, the Penguins faithful had little else to cheer for. A game-tying goal from Malkin with 4:09 left before the second intermission provided a brief glimpse of hope, only to be washed away by the first of two ugly penalties from Anthony Mantha, who was perhaps the team’s worst performer in the loss.

Even after watching two periods of sloppy play, Penguins fans had a reason to believe their team could turn things around in the late going. This was a team which has routinely found second life when the masses viewed them to be down for the count. But this time, the Flyers put Muse’s squad to bed with little issue.

Travis Sanheim’s go-ahead goal with 10 minutes remaining silenced the packed house, and Porter Martone’s snipe seven minutes later led some to make their way to the exits. Although Bryan Rust cut Philadelphia’s lead to one in the final minute, the idea of a completed comeback was hard to rally behind.

The young Flyers looked faster and stronger all night. They deserved to win, and they did, capturing an uber-important Game 1 victory on the road.

We've just got to be better in all areas, to be honest with you,” Crosby said. “Execution, just being a little bit more connected — We have to be better.

Crosby’s words highlight the ugly reality from Saturday’s outcome. His team fell short in nearly every area of the game, and there’s no reason why this should’ve been the case. Their roster is filled with players who know what it takes to win in the postseason. It was also well rested and at full health. Yet despite all of these aforementioned advantages, a younger Flyers team bullied them into submission in their own building.

“We have a game in a couple of days, and I fully expect this group, the way they’ve reacted to situations all year, they'll do just that,” Muse said. “We'll be in a position to clean up those areas.”

The Penguins won’t have long to regroup. Monday evening’s showdown is now a must-win contest, as a trip to Philadelphia behind 0-2 in the series is a scenario no team would sign up for. Similar to Saturday evening, the fans will likely again show up ready to do their jobs.

Let’s hope that their hockey team fills its end of the bargain in Game 2.

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