The Flyers and Penguins have had a fun rivalry. Now, each team hasn't been great when the other has, but there have been great players. Eric Lindros battled Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. Some players played for both teams, like Rick Tocchet, Mark Recchi, and Kjell Samuelsson.
The interstate rivalry got more intense with the rise of two young centers: Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux. Along with Alex Ovechkin, it was expected these three would dominate the Metropolitan Division for years, and for the most part, they did. And since the competition was fierce, the animosity between these three teams spread, especially between Philly and Pittsburgh.
If you go back to the start of the Giroux-Crosby Era, about 15 or so years ago, there were some great battles. Lots of physicality. Lots of fights. Giroux had his boys help out: Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell. Crosby had his too: Kris Letang, James Neal, and Evgeni Malkin. The difference is that everyone on the Flyers is gone, but they remain in Pittsburgh, minus Neal.
And therein lies a hidden weakness. There is something about the Flyers that really gets under the skin of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang. You are talking about three guys who have played together for 20 years, and yet they cannot control themselves against Philadelphia. It's amazing. They will start getting chippy. The mouthing off turns into crosschecks, slashings, boardings, roughings, and the occasional fighting.
The funny thing is, they still can't do it. Watch Game One again. They are taking stupid penalties for no reason and probably could've been called for a few more. Are they trying to intimidate the younger players? It's like they see Orange and Black and become completely unhinged. They lose their collective minds, and all reason and self control are thrown out the window.
Travis Sanheim and Sidney Crosby both head to the penalty box late in the third period pic.twitter.com/fRuIMa6HDh
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 19, 2026
But what if we get sucked into a moment where both teams are down a man? I'm ok with that. A Flyers team on 4-4 with Jamie Drysdale, Travis Sanheim, Matvei Michkov, and Porter Martone screaming down the ice will outpace and outshoot anything the Penguins can throw at them.
If the Flyers can capitalize on the mistake of the Penguins, they can escape with a 2-0 lead. For players like Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, well-respected veterans with lots of experience, they should know better. But if they want to play reckless, stupid hockey, by all means let them. They can tell us how the golf courses are by the weekend.
And that's the secret weapon the Flyers have. If the Flyers can cause situations where the Penguins can get unhinged and take dumb penalties, that will put Philadelphia on the power play. Ok, yes, the Flyers' power play is downright atrocious. We know that. However, putting the Penguins down a man constantly keeps them out of the offensive zone.
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