Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (0-3) @ Philadelphia Flyers (3-0)
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NBC Sports Philadelphia, nationally on TBS and TruTV, streaming on HBO Max
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins need to win tonight to force Game 5, which would take place Monday in Pittsburgh at a time yet to be determined.
Opponent Track: The Flyers are up 3-0 after outscoring the Pens by a combined score of 11-4. They’re riding a six-game win streak dating back to the end of the regular season.
Hidden Stat: Teams that gain a 3-0 lead in an NHL playoff series have gone on to win 209 out of 213 times.
Hidden Stat II: Stuart Skinner is two years removed from coming close to a historic reverse sweep with the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers had fallen into an 0-3 hole to the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final when he backstopped the team to three straight wins and forced a Game 7.
Potential scratches: Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Alex Bump, Emil Andrae
Injured Reserve: Rodrigo Abols (fractured ankle), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)
The biggest Game 4 question for the Flyers will be who is starting in net.
Rick Tocchet said Thursday that Dan Vladar is “a little banged up.” The Flyers goaltender had what Tocchet described as “maintenance days” on both Thursday and Friday, and he’s considered a game-time decision heading into Game 4.
"Another maintenance day for him, two days off is going to help him. … We'll see how he is tomorrow."– Rick Tocchet on Dan Vladar's status a day before Saturday's Game 4
Vladar was in visible discomfort after taking contact from Bryan Rust in the third quarter of Wednesday’s Game 3. He at times appeared to be limited in his movements after that play.
Dan Vladar is in some discomfort following this play on the Penguins power playHe stayed in between the pipes for the Flyers afterwards pic.twitter.com/vCduzS0m10
If Vladar is unable to play Saturday, the Flyers will turn back to Samuel Ersson. Ersson has started just one game over the last few weeks, and it was the Flyers’ regular-season finale after they’d already clinched their playoff spot.
Ersson’s overall numbers for the season (.870 SV%, 3.12 GAA) aren’t great, but he picked up his game after the Olympic break in February (.912 SV% and 1.8 GAA in nine games since then, per Hockey Reference).
SAMUEL ERSSON WITH AN INCREDIBLE STOP! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Xhz91wpqJJ
If Vladar is hurting, the Flyers have enough cushion with their three-game series lead to see if Ersson can build on that momentum in Game 4.
“I’m not really worried if he had to play,” Tocchet said about Ersson Friday, per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. “He’s locked in. Even in practice. If his number is called, he’ll be ready to go.”
Potential Scratches: Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany, Connor Clifton
IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)