Flyers vs. Penguins Locked
Philadelphia will meet Pittsburgh in the first round — that divisional rivalry matchup is already confirmed as the NHL finalizes the schedule. (delawareonline.com) The league’s formal schedule announcement will set the series dates, but the pairing itself is no longer in doubt. (bleacherreport.com)
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are locked into a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, with the National Hockey League still to announce the game dates. (nhl.com) The matchup became fixed after Philadelphia finished third in the Metropolitan Division at 43-27-12 and Pittsburgh finished second at 41-25-16, giving the Penguins home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series. (nhl.com) The league’s playoff bracket already lists Flyers-Penguins as an Eastern Conference first-round series, and Pittsburgh’s team playoff page says Round One dates and times are still to be announced. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) Philadelphia clinched third place in the division on Monday, April 13, with a 3-2 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes. Pittsburgh had already clinched a playoff berth and second place on April 9. (nhl.com) That seeding matters because the National Hockey League’s divisional format sends the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in each division into the same first-round matchup. The Penguins will open at home because they finished ahead of the Flyers in the standings. (nhl.com) (espn.com) It is the eighth playoff series between the Pennsylvania rivals and the first since 2018, according to the league. Delaware Online reported the opener could begin in Pittsburgh on Saturday, April 18, when the playoffs are set to start, but no official schedule had been released as of April 16. (nhl.com) (delawareonline.com) The series also ends Pittsburgh’s three-season playoff drought. Bleacher Report noted the Penguins clinched their postseason spot on April 9 by beating the New Jersey Devils 5-2. (bleacherreport.com) For Philadelphia, the pairing sets up a postseason return against the franchise it has faced most often in recent cross-state playoff meetings. The only thing left unsettled is the calendar. (delawareonline.com)
