Latest / Hattrick's Unofficial Flyers Podcast / Episode 25: Flyers Fall to Pens Game 4| Apr 26, 2026
Transcript
- Rick Mullen: Hey, everybody. Welcome to Hatrix Unofficial Flyers podcast. I'm Rick Mullen. I'll be your host tonight. And we are going to talk about this Stanley Cup Playoffs first round game for Flyers versus the Penguins. And, man, I am sick to my stomach this morning. I just, ugh, what a game last night. It was it was a tough one. You the Flyers were in an opportunity there to sweep the Penguins in four. Hey everybody, Rick Mullen from Hat-Trix on the Official Flyers Podcast. We're down here waiting for game four to start. My son, Sean. Sean, what's the score tonight? Four to one. Four to one. Here goes Gritty. Let's turn it, man. Let's go see Gritty. You waiting? Yep. Four to one Flyers, call Sean. I say three to two. Think it's gonna be a tough game. But I think we close the door. You ready? Ready. Alright, go Flyers! Go Flyers! Number one! Woo! They didn't get it done, sadly. And the Penguins are a good team. they're not a great team like they used to be, but they are a good team. trying to knock out multiple NHL Hall Famers in a four game sweep was something hard. it was going to be hard. ⁓ And the Flyers are a young team. probably went into that game though, and that was like one of the biggest games of their careers, if not the biggest game of their careers so far. And you know they struggled to get the job done last night. right from the beginning we were down the game, me and my son. And it was a little different. They stage you in the East Hall when you walk in. They block you from going to the league, having full access to the building. But you're that inside in this one section. And the one section was pretty good. They had the block party in there and it wasn't bad. It was pretty loud. Not deafening loud or anything like that. You could definitely feel the level of excitement was a lot different last night than it was the first home game. You know, it wasn't as loud. wasn't as, ⁓ I don't know what the word I'm looking for obnoxious. Maybe that's it. You know, everyone was just on fire that first home game, which they should be, you know, it was the first one in a long time, but last night's game was a little more diluted. It wasn't as, ⁓ exciting. in the beginning, the fans were pumped, not anywhere near as pumped as what they were the first game. So you could feel that energy was a little different, you know, last night. wasn't as ⁓ high level as was the game before. But anyhow, we ⁓ go into this and let's talk about some stats here and, you know, we'll go over a couple of things today, but let's see. ⁓ The Penguins won 4-2. Flyers were not able to get it done. ⁓ Shots on goal were 30 from Philadelphia to 21 for Pittsburgh. Hits, again, we always say it, hits seem to dictate play. They seem to dictate it. And there's no difference here except tonight the Flyers were out hit 36 by the Penguins to the Flyers 29. ⁓ Penalty minutes, the refs really did. Us no justice last night. They gave 18 penalty minutes to Philly and only eight to the Penguins. ⁓ Was real upset about that number. There were definitely some things and I don't want to say every game that there's things that are missed, but you know in these Penguin games there are. ⁓ I these refs are blind when it comes to the shenanigans the Penguins do. there was a on the Penguins like punching away at Garnet Hathaway. like three, four, or five times across the back of the head against the boards. you know, the rest below the whistle and they all go in, they break everything up and they send Garner half the way out, I think for elbowing. But nothing to the pence. And it was like that all night long. There was a trip here and there, no call. There was just so much dirty crap again that's going on. Not as blatant as it usually is, but there were at least three or four blatant that should have been called and weren't. So the refs and the NHL, in my opinion, are trying to extend this series, make as much money as they can from the more games that they can. And it was quite evident that they want Cindy Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins not to be swept. And they called barely nothing on the Penguins last night. Again, as usual. But I digress. Let's talk about the faceoff dot. So the faceoff dot the Flyers actually looked good last night They were fifty six point four percent to the forty three point six percent for the pens So faceoff win percentage lean towards the towards Philly ⁓ Period starts again, the fans aren't as pumped as they were The first game, know first game it was let's go Flyers chance and Skinner chance and all kinds of things and it wasn't as Dominant in this game the fans. I think we're a little nervous with the team. I really do I think the fans were just as nervous last night to to chant for this for four games sweep They just didn't bring the intensity that they should have it was a lot louder than regular season games But when you were at that first game and saw the level that first game was at and then goading to the second game ⁓ Not not anywhere on the same level from the fans, but first period opens up At the 1424 mark, Sydney Crosby gets a power play goal. He's assisted by Eric Carlson. Penguins are up one nothing. Flyers are looking terrible the first period. They really went backwards that period. They didn't hit much. They had struggled all night, but so far just in that period, they struggled breaking out. They went back to that just flipping the puck down the ice because they couldn't complete passes. Just looking bad. They taped the tape passes, didn't exist last night. And in the first period, you thought, OK, no worries. We seem to do this all the time. They did a lot. Normally, they'll play the first 10 minutes of the first period and try to figure out how to play, and then they get it. But last night, they went that whole entire first period struggling. They couldn't complete a good pass. They couldn't skate the puck in the zone. They did really not much of anything offensively. ⁓ Looked really, really weak. They weren't playing good hockey. I am not saying they weren't trying because this team does try. They really were. They were still skating hard. They were still playing, ⁓ for the most part, good defense. They just couldn't complete. They couldn't execute the plays that they wanted to execute. And there were times there that they probably should have shot, but they didn't. They tried for that one more pass. and couldn't get the pass through, was either picked off or a bad pass and went into the players feet or just the player couldn't accept it. They would, you know, miss the pass. So it was hard. It was a hard game to watch that first period. But anyhow, we ended the first. It's one, nothing Pittsburgh. We go into the second period and at the one point zero three mark of the second period, one minute in Dan Valdar has the puck behind the net and he wants to pass it up the boards. And he whiffs with a penguin right on top of him with Raquel right on top of him. And ⁓ Raquel actually from behind the net pushes the puck out front and sweeps it into our open net and scores a goal. And Vlad tried everything. He he dove and tried to poke check it from behind the net. But he just missed and Raquel was able to or Raquel was able to. actually knocking into the flyers open net and the Penguins are up to nothing to nothing on a bed play by Vlad and that's okay. I mean, Vlad do for a bad game here and there and but I know that one upset and I mean wanted it back and at the end of the game, he even said it, if I don't make that mistake and don't do that, they don't get that goal and it's a tie game going to overtime and ⁓ he knows that mistake was on him. But in reality, I think And I'm sure I'm hoping anyway, that talk it was in that locker room after that second period saying like, look, Vlad stale stole games for us. He's absolutely stolen games for us. Now it's our time, our turn. We need to make this this goal up for Vlad and get this thing done. And if he did, that's great. But just didn't didn't happen. But anyhow, second period still at the 1540 mark. Trevor Zegras and Cam York set up Denver Barkey. Zegers puts one right across the slot and Denver Barkey's crashing the net and he pokes it into it into the net. Flyers get within one, it's two to one. Pittsburgh going into the third. You know, we get into the third period. We're 427 into the third period. There's a breakdown in our ends. And I remember the play because I mean, it was really bad. was somehow somebody missed their mark. And I wish I went back and looked at the play again, but I didn't. But all the flyers players kind of went out to the corners and left the entire center of the ice the whole slot everything wide open and Lo and behold Cindy Crosby sets up a Chris LaTang at the point and Chris LaTang I think was going to fire the puck but looks and sees like holy crap like I can skate Completely all the way into the net and nobody's there And that's what he did. He skated all the way into the net and takes a slap shot and just blows one past Vlad on the right hand side. And you can't hold that one against Vlad. I mean, it was a point blank slap shot that beat him wide. And I don't know why nobody was there. I'm not sure what happened. I don't know if the Penguins were holding players and they weren't able to break free and get in front. But he went in completely unobstructed and buried one slap shot right past Vlad. And that puts the Penguins up. 3-2-1 at this point. Seven-minute mark at a third period. Travis Koneckny basically took this game on his shoulders and he finally, from a good pass from Dvorak and Sandheim, he buries one and it's 3-2 Flyers. Flyers pull the goalie towards the end of the game. And at the 19-03 mark, you have Connor Duwar hits an empty net. And games over for for to Pittsburgh. Not not what the Flyers wanted to see, for sure. ⁓ Not what we were all hoping. All right, so let's kind of talk about this game. ⁓ lot of things happen in this game that, you know, the Flyers didn't play well. Number one, they played hard. They did, but they didn't play like they normally do. They didn't hit. They slowed down on the things that made them successful. ⁓ They didn't, you can see from the numbers they're throwing 40 plus hits a game and tonight they only threw 29 and Pittsburgh got hit in the 36. So there was a couple of adjustments. think, you know, Pittsburgh switching the goalie, to Sylvos was a good move by Muse. ⁓ Skinner was done. ⁓ And, you know, think that kind of threw a curveball at the Flyers a little bit. They had to figure out a new goalie. The Penguins, ⁓ for the most looked like a little bit better of a team. Crosby absolutely looked better tonight than he's had the whole series ⁓ They kind of did to us The Penguins did to the Flyers what the Flyers have been doing to the Penguins ⁓ The breakout passes by the Flyers were very very hard to complete when the Flyers got the puck and looked up the ice They couldn't find anybody they would throw the puck up the boards over and over and over again to the the right side and ⁓ It was baffling me a little bit because every time we did it, the Penguins knew we were doing it. It was like kind of like a game plan. Like they knew it. They're like they knew the puck was going to that side and they would outnumber us on that side of the ice and the Flyers couldn't get the puck out of the zone. Like they would literally be whacking, hacking, trying to poke it and Penguins would come up with it, throw it towards the slot. And the next thing you know, they got pressure on us and they're cycling the puck and getting shots. And it happened frequently. It happened frequently. Almost every play, every line was getting eaten up. by that structure. So whatever Mu saw in the Flyers and how they broke out, he adjusted to it quickly. Here, well not quickly, it took him four games, right? But he adjusted tonight and he was able to absolutely have the Penguins put a lot of pressure on the Flyers and hurt—hurt the Flyers breakout. That really hurt. And then when we finally did get out, ⁓ Penguins did real well. The Penguins got a lot of sticks in the passing lanes and blocked a lot of cross-laced passes. They clogged the neutral zone a little bit. ⁓ If you watch, they really spread the ice out too. Like I think they had a really tight box usually in our end, in the flyers end. But last night they spread out really wide because they were looking for passes where one of the players could beat someone one on one. But if you're playing against a really tight box, there's not a lot of room to... skate around someone because if you try to get around one, the other one can step in or poke check or whatever. But when you spread that box out, it opens up space and that's what they did. They spread their guys out on all the corners like really far out and it made the flyers actually open up a little bit and when they opened up, it created space for like the defenseman to get a pass and then try to beat that one guy and it worked for them. It worked for them a lot. The flyers got pulled out of that ⁓ condensed structure that they normally have and— The Penguins, picked it apart. So hopefully they learned a little bit. The Flyers learned a little bit about it last night and can readjust ⁓ and, into Monday night's game, Flyers are up in Pittsburgh. It's going to be another hard one. They got to close the door. ⁓ But the Flyers seem to better on the road this year. ⁓ I'm hoping they win. It would be good. It'd be great to see them again, come home, but I don't want them to come home and be losers, right? Like a three to two lead. would be scary, you know, and I think that puts a lot more pressure on the Flyers. So I hope they can close the door on Monday night. You know, there was a topic of discussion a few games back, probably about two games back. And, I broadcasted this as well. back then we were kind of talking about Matthew Mischak a little bit ⁓ and probably having need, the need, not, not the need to sit. ⁓ back then he producing. He wasn't doing really well. He was actually detrimental on the ice. He was making bad plays. He was taking bad penalties. And, everyone said, I let him play a game or two here and like, he'll get used to it. Like he's got to play. He's too young, and ⁓ he, it's up to him. He's had four games now to try to produce. He hasn't been able to. It looks like Rick Tocket. If you're reading the news, it looks like Rick Tockett's going to help you scratch them ⁓ and put in the lineup. ⁓ I'm with it guys. I am. okay with it. I think, you know, Mishkoff wasn't getting a lot of ice time. The ice time that he got, he wasn't really doing too well. This is not something I would be doing if Mitch had like two or three or four good lines, good times on the ice and then maybe one or two bad shifts. But that's not the case. almost every shift that Mishkoff is doing, he's struggling. You know, he's getting some time on the power play, but nothing's happening there. ⁓ There was a... little triangle play that the flyer set up ⁓ where you know the play went from once one someone in the center to Mishkoff and he was supposed to dish it up the Zegras I guess for a blast and his pass got picked off so almost all of the things that he needs to execute on right now he's not able to execute on and I don't know it's if it's in his head but physically he looks like he trows plays ⁓ he's not banging he doesn't put his body in the right position when he's checking ⁓ so players are going around them. Like he should be stopping players from going around them so they can't go deep in our zone. But he goes and puts himself in a position where they kind of bounce off of them and go right around them. And now it's like a two on one on the one side because they got through Mishkoff. So it's, it's something that I said back a couple of games ago that I would not mind Mishkoff getting scratched for a game and letting bump come in. I didn't want Grunström. I want bump. bump is important to this team. He needs to play some of these games as well. The kid needs to learn just like Mishkoff does. So ⁓ I know there a reporter out there that said they should sit them and put Grunström in, but I'm calling for bump. ⁓ And I think Rick Tocket at this point, from what I'm reading, sounds like he is going to healthy scratch Mishkoff ⁓ on Monday night get bump into the lineup. ⁓ From what I'm reading, sounds like Noah Juleson is going to sit too and Emil Andre is coming in. Also, it sounds like there's going to be some line changes, at least from what ⁓ I'm seeing. So it looks like they're going to go with Trevor Ziegres with Denver Barkey and Owen Tippett, Christian Dvorak with Porter Martone and Travis Konekne, Noah Cates with Tyson Forster and Alex Bump. And then obviously Sean Couturier, Garnet Hathaway, and Luke Glenn Denning. So this is what I believe is being reported that the Flyers were make some changes to their lineup. And this is probably going to be the lineup going into Monday night. And I'm OK with that. I definitely am. I think and I'm hoping that Noah Cates and Tyson Forrester can find that magic that they had when they had Bobby Brink on that line. So maybe between Bump Cates and Forrester, we can find a line that can contribute a little bit. because they haven't been and Hopefully we're still a much better road team and you will see Sean Keturier and Garnet Hathaway laying some of these penguins out getting back up into that 40 hits mark and putting some real physical pressure on these guys again ⁓ and this win on Monday night and closing the door on the Pittsburgh penguin season, so I'm looking forward to it. ⁓ Hopefully hopefully Flyers, you learned from last night that they need to play just as hard as they did games one, two, and three. They need to throw the body and be as physical just like they did in one, two, and three. They need to not just dump the puck out. They need to be better at tape to tape passes and possession. And it's okay, man. If you're throwing a puck up the ice and you keep missing and you're not getting anywhere and you're just giving the puck back to them, it's okay to, again, It's okay to go backwards sometimes if there's like no one behind you, know, drop the pass back to defensemen and reset and do it again. Nothing wrong with that. The Penguins actually did that all night the other night. was, it was kind of funny, but anyone that, watched those documentaries or read the book about the Red Army game when the fires played the Red Army, ⁓ that's it looked like last night with the Pens. the Pens would try to get up the neutral zone and couldn't get up. So they'd spin back around and come back. They would try it again. And if they couldn't get up, they would spin back around and come back. And the fans were building them because they were going backwards. But the pens actually doing that opened up that neutral zone because it pulled some people in on the forecheck. then they were actually able to make some really long passes, breakout passes, and get down the ice. So the pens put pressure on our neutral zone trap by not really trying to go through it much. Trying here and there. If they didn't make it, they would circle back and start again. So the fires need to do the same thing. It's OK. It's OK to. control the puck and go backwards from time to time. You don't always have to just dump it in if you can't get that first pass off. And that's been the Flyers problem last night. And I think it was a game two, they struggled with that too. They've really struggled breaking out and controlling that puck. So anyhow, let's put this one behind us. Let's move on to game five. Let's close the door for the Penguins on Monday night. Anybody that has anything, please send us an email. Hattrixpodcast99 at gmail.com. You can find us on YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, and Apple. Looking forward to Monday night. And until then, go Flyers.