The Philadelphia Flyers had 10 skaters play their first career NHL playoff game Saturday. That lack of experience compared to the Crosby-led Pittsburgh Penguins didn't matter in Game 1.
When the Olympic break ended, the Philadelphia Flyers tightened their defense and played tight-checking, playoff-type hockey in the last six-plus weeks of the regular season.
They carried that successful style into Game 1 of the playoffs Saturday night in Pittsburgh, and it paved the way for their hard-fought 3-2 win over the favored Penguins.
Credit a defensive style that allowed just 17 shots and kept Flyers killer Sidney Crosby off the scoreboard.
Credit unflappable 19-year-old right winger Porter Martone, who scored what proved to be the game-winning goal as he gave the Flyers a late 3-1 lead.
Credit veteran center Sean Couturier for setting the tone with his physical play in the opening period, when he had five of his game-high seven hits.
"Coots led the way in the first period, and we just built off that," defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who opened the scoring in the second period, told reporters after the victory.
Experience Not A Game 1 Factor
Pittsburgh had a huge advantage in post-season experience. Of the players who appeared in Game 1, the Penguins had just four players on their roster who had never played in the playoffs. The Flyers had 10.
But the Flyers became battle-tested during a late-season surge that gave them their first playoff berth since 2020.
"We've been playing big games for the last month, month and a half," Couturier said. "Big games. Meaningful games. I think we're up to the test."
With little margin for error to get into the playoffs, the Flyers went 18-7-1 after the Olympic break, tied for the most wins in the NHL.
They also got two huge additions late in that stretch. Tyson Foerster came off the injured list on April 2, and the unflappable Martone – who became the youngest player in franchise history to score a goal in his playoff debut – signed an entry-level deal and entered the lineup March 31. The wingers gave the roster a huge boost.
You could see how much confidence the post-Olympics spurt gave them in Saturday's Philly-controlled first period, one in which the Flyers had healthy advantages in shots (9-5) and hits (20-10). They had only two giveaways in the period, compared to seven for the Penguins.
In other words, the youthful Flyers didn't look nervous at all against the playoff-tested Penguins. Instead, they looked like they belonged. So even though the game was scoreless heading into the second period, it seemed momentum – and belief – was on the Flyers' side.
'Prepared Themselves For This Moment'
"Everyone was ready. Everyone prepared themselves for this moment," Couturier said.
The Flyers patiently waited for their scoring chances, and they had plenty of them.
Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner, who played well, had to make many more tough saves than Philadelphia's steady Dan Vladar.
"The style of play that we have bodes well for shutting down good offenses. We're all buying in," said center Trevor Zegras when asked about how the Flyers were able to contain the high-powered Penguins offense.
"I liked our play without the puck," coach Rick Tocchet said. "That's what we've been really good at in the last six weeks, (and) we tried to stay to our identity."
Travis Sanheim, who scored an artistic goal, and his partner, Rasmus Ristolainen, anchored the defense.
"We just stuck to our game plan. We've been doing it for the last couple months now – playing well defensively," Sanheim said. "We didn't want to change a lot. We know they have tons of skill on the other side, and we wanted to be careful with some of the high-risk plays."
Tocchet praised the way the Flyers' playoff newcomers handled themselves, especially the young players.
"To play at this pace, the development is huge," he said. "For them to get in this temperature in the playoffs, it fast-tracks their development. It's pace out there, and those guys are getting it.
"And I liked their demeanor. They were even-keel."
Now comes the hard part. Keeping the Penguins in check in Game 2 Monday night in Pittsburgh.
The Pens will be in desperation mode, needing to avoid being down 2-0 when the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.
"This is going to be a long series," Tocchet said. "When you play a team like that and the players they have, you have to be a physical team.
"They were physical, too. It's the teams that can continue to do it over and over again in the playoffs that are usually the successful ones."
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