- What you should know
- Third time’s a charm. After two straight losses, the Flyers look to close out its NHL playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 tonight in South Philly. Here’s how to watch and stream.
- Benching Matvei Michkov didn’t work in Game 5. Now, it looks like head coach Rick Tocchet is making some more changes, including re-inserting Michkov.
- There are three lessons the Flyers should heed if they hope to close out the Penguins in Game 6.
- Alex Bump showed he’s “built for the playoffs” in Game 5. Can he give a similar performance in Game 6?
// Timestamp 04/29/26 3:34pm
A good omen for the Flyers?
After winning the first three games of the series before dropping the last two, the Flyers return home Wednesday for Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at what’s sure to be a raucous but tense Xfinity Mobile Arena.
While some fans may be starting to get nervous — more like panic — the Flyers do have history on their side. Only 26 teams in 216 tries have forced a Game 6 after losing the first three games of a best-of-seven playoff series in NHL history, and only four have completed the reverse sweep, including Philly in 2010.
But the Flyers have been in this exact scenario before … and against Pittsburgh to boot.
In 2012, the Flyers won the first three games of their first-round series against the Penguins, before Pittsburgh pulled things back to 3-2. What happened next in Game 6 is etched in Flyers lore forever as “The Shift 2.0.” (The original “Shift” belongs to Mike Richards, for what he did against the Canadiens two years earlier.)
On the opening shift of the game, at the then-Wells Fargo Center, captain Claude Giroux de-skated Sidney Crosby at center ice with a massive hit just five seconds after the opening faceoff. If that didn’t set the tone enough, Giroux would open the scoring just 27 second later with a wicked wrist shot off the post and in to send the home faithful into a frenzy. The Flyers would follow their captain’s lead and destroy the Penguins 5-1 in Game 6 to close it out.
Captain Sean Couturier is the only holdover from that team to witness “G’s” heroics in person, while GM Danny Brière will also remember it well, having scored the Flyers’ fourth goal in that game. For Pittsburgh, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang were all in the lineup on that fateful date: April 22, 2012.
The Flyers will hope for a repeat start tonight.
// Timestamp 04/29/26 2:28pm
Dan Vladař not a Vezina Trophy finalist
Despite his stellar season, Flyers goalie Dan Vladař was not named as one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy finalists, given annually to the league’s best goaltender. Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins), Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders), and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) earned those honors.
// Timestamp 04/29/26 1:19pm
Michkov to return, but on what line?
After much consternation, it does appear that Matvei Michkov will return to the lineup on Wednesday for Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Russian winger was off the ice early at the team’s optional morning skate at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Winger Garnet Hathaway stayed on the ice late with players who normally are healthy scratches, like Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundström, and Oliver Bonk.
Where he slots in is the biggest question, as the right winger is not a fourth-line player. Could Tyson Foerster or Alex Bump — who played well together with center Noah Cates in Game 5 — or Denver Barkey move down?
Despite leading the team in points with 22 in the final 26 games of the regular season, helping the team clinch the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, Michkov posted zero points in the first four games of the postseason. The 21-year-old was a healthy scratch for Game 5 and appeared to revert to his early-season struggles with the uptick in pace and intensity.
The last time he was a healthy scratch was for a pair of games in early November of his rookie season. He returned and had a goal and an assist against the San Jose Sharks before adding three points in the following two games.
Emil Andrae also stayed on, and Noah Juulsen came off earlier, which hints that the veteran blueliner will slot in.
// Timestamp 04/29/26 11:54am
Wawa is ready for Game 6
// Timestamp 04/29/26 10:52am
Flyers hit the ice for morning skate
// Timestamp 04/29/26 8:39am
Three lessons for the Flyers tonight in Game 6
Rick Tocchet has long talked about the lessons that his young Flyers team needs to learn. He has often mentioned teachable moments in both losses and in wins.
They have now lost two straight games after breaking out to a three to nothing lead in their best-of-seven game series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Flyers are still at the head of the class, as they hold the 3-2 advantage and have two more chances to advance. But it feels like the teacher is starting to implement a curve that could pull their grade down as the Penguins push and claw their way back into the series.
There is a saying that goes something like, “Forget the past, but never forget the lesson.” Well, the Flyers need to dig back into their old notes and cram before Game 6 on Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena because they definitely don’t want to become part of a history-making series — on the wrong side this time.
Here are three lessons they need to study up on:
// Timestamp 04/29/26 8:35pm
Can the Flyers get another bump from Bump?
Alex Bump didn’t know whether he would play in this playoff series.
After Porter Martone signed with the Flyers out of college and Tyson Foerster returned from injury, there wasn’t an obvious place for him. As the playoffs started, Bump found himself the odd man out, watching from the press box, “itching” to get in.
On Monday, Bump’s number finally was called, and he delivered in the Flyers’ 3-2 loss in Game 5 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I think I’m built for the playoffs,” Bump, 22, said postgame. “Just that hard, physical game, shooting mentality, getting pucks to the net.”
Bump stood out when the Flyers struggled to generate extended offensive zone time and execute clears. According to Natural Stat Trick, their expected goals percentage with Bump on the ice was 69.8%, the best of any Flyer.
In Game 5, Bump entered the zone cleanly with control of the puck three times and was responsible for another advance after forcing a turnover on an Anthony Mantha pass and finding Noah Cates, who entered the zone cleanly.
Even though the Flyers lost Game 5, Bump proved he’s worthy of staying in the lineup as the playoffs continue.
“[Bump and Denver Barkey], they’re holding on to pucks,” Tocchet said. “That’s why they’re making some plays out there. We’ve got to get some other guys to hold on to pucks and win some battles in the corners. That’s playoff hockey.”
// Timestamp 04/29/26 8:31pm
Flyers-Penguins Game 6: Start time, how to watch and stream
The Flyers-Penguins series jumps back to TNT Wednesday night for Game 6, with Kenny Albert and NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Brian Boucher on the call. Chris Mason will handle reporting duties at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
TNT Sports is averaging 1.1 million viewers for its NHL playoff broadcasts across TNT, TBS, and truTV, up 67% compared to last season and the network’s best start since landing hockey rights in 2021.
The game will also air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with Scott Hartnell once again taking Boucher’s place alongside Jim Jackson.
Flyers Pregame Live will air at 7 p.m., featuring Ashlyn Sullivan and former 94.1 WIP host Al Morganti. They will also handle postgame coverage.
Flyers vs. Penguins: Game 6
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena
- TV: TNT (Kenny Albert, Brian Boucher, Chris Mason), NBC Sports Philadelphia (Jim Jackson, Scott Hartnell)
- Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic (Tim Saunders, Todd Fedoruk)
- Streaming: HBO Max
Flyers-Penguins full playoff schedule
- Game 1: Flyers 3, Penguins 2
- Game 2: Flyers 3, Penguins 0
- Game 3: Flyers 5, Penguins 2
- Game 4: Penguins 4, Flyers 2
- Game 5: Penguins 3, Flyers 2
- Game 6: Penguins at Flyers, Wednesday, April 29, 7:30 p.m. (TNT, NBC Sports Philadelphia)
- Game 7*: Flyers at Penguins, Saturday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)
* – If necessary
// Timestamp 04/29/26 8:30pm
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