NHL Predictions: Round 1, Game 6, 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins

A far better return to form in Game Five propelled the Penguins to a crucial 3-2 win. While the win in Game Four was good to salvage the series rather than being swept, Game Five is truly the one that’s given the Penguins some confidence while giving the Flyers some doubt. A far more aggressive defensive approach, with an emphasis on blocked shots and getting in lanes, insulated goaltender Arturs Silovs. Meanwhile, the offence came up big when it needed to and was just enough to get Pittsburgh the victory. 

Credit Image: © Jordan Teller/ISIPhotos via ZUMA Press Wire

First-period dominance, which has been a theme in this series, continued in Game Five. The Penguins were once again the only team to score in the first, including a goal from trade deadline pick-up Elmer Soderblom. In the second, it was a fantastic shot from Connor Dewar that increased the lead to two. This lead would be blown with just about five minutes left in the period. However, franchise star Kris Letang saw his shot take a lucky bounce and into the back of Philadelphia’s net. Stout defence, alongside missed shots, meant that the Penguins shut the door in the third and got the win.  

With Silovs making 18 saves on 20 shots, he’s posted a cumulative .920 save percentage over his two starts. While it is very likely that he stays in net for Game Six, it’s always a good idea to check official lineups before placing any bets. 

Bored, disinterested, and complacent are some of the best ways to describe the Flyers’ play over the previous two games. Gone is the tight defensive structure the team employed earlier in the series, and instead, the Flyers seem to be hoping far more that goaltender Dan Vladar can steal the show. Even making a change in the lineup, scratching struggling forward Matvei Michkov in exchange for rookie Alex Bump, couldn’t get the spark the team needed. In Game Six, the game plan for Philadelphia is simply to return to the way they were playing over the first three games of the series.

Although the team as a whole wasn’t sparked by Michkov’s scratching, the player who took his place took the opportunity. Alex Bump scored a critical goal, his first in an NHL playoff game, just 12 seconds after Pittsburgh made it 2-0. This destroyed the mounting momentum the Penguins were building. Defenceman Travis Sanheim would then come up big again, scoring his second goal of the series late in the period to tie things up. However, this was all she wrote for the Flyers. While multiple players got chances, none found their way to the back of the net. Some of the team’s most critical forwards have gone quiet. After a torrid pace to start his career, rookie Porter Martone has failed to show up on the score sheet in back-to-back games. 

In net, Dan Vladar has begun to look a little shaky as of late. After allowing three in Game Four, Vladar did so again in Game Five. While Letang’s game winner is hard to blame on the netminder, or anyone really, Vladar has simply been outdueled the last two games by Arturs Silovs.