Flyers host first playoff game

Philadelphia hosted Stanley Cup playoff hockey again on Wednesday night, and the Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. (nhl.com) The win gave Philadelphia a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series after a 3-2 victory on April 18 and a 3-0 win on April 20. Trevor Zegras and Noah Cates each had a goal and an assist in Game 3. (nhl.com) (masslive.com) It was the Flyers’ first home playoff game in exactly eight years. CBS Philadelphia said the last one came on April 22, 2018, also against Pittsburgh, when the Penguins won 8-5. (cbsnews.com) The gap helps explain why the night felt unusual in Philadelphia. The Flyers missed the playoffs in six straight seasons from 2020 through 2025 before returning this spring under coach John Tortorella. (hockey-reference.com) (nhl.com) The arena itself changed during that stretch. Comcast Spectacor announced in September 2024 that Wells Fargo Center would be renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena starting on Sept. 1, 2025. (comcastspectacor.com) The night also doubled as a first for Gritty, the Flyers mascot who did not exist at the club’s last home playoff game. The team introduced Gritty on Sept. 24, 2018, five months after that 2018 series ended. (nhl.com) (cbsnews.com) Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have met often enough in the postseason for this matchup to arrive with its own history. CBS Philadelphia counted this as the eighth playoff series between the Pennsylvania rivals, with the Flyers holding a 4-3 edge entering this round. (cbsnews.com) Game 4 is scheduled for Friday, April 24, in Philadelphia, with the Flyers one win from ending a home playoff drought that lasted eight years and one day. (usatoday.com)