One of the more heated rivalries of the past couple of decades in the NHL has its first matchup of the 2025-26 season as the Pittsburgh Penguins head to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers. The Penguins are looking to build off a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues last night (Oct.27), while the Flyers have been off since Oct.25, when they beat the New York Islanders 4-3 in a shootout.
Projected Lines
Penguins
Filip Hallander- Sidney Crosby- Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha- Evgeni Malkin- Justin Brazeau
Tommy Novak- Benjamin Kindel- Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar- Blake Lizotte- Noel Acciari/Philip Tomasino
Parker Wotherspoon- Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea- Kris Letang
Matt Dumba- Harrison Brunicke
Arturs Silovs
Tristan Jarry
Flyers
Owen Tippett- Sean Couturier- Travis Konecny
Trevor Zegras- Christian Dvorak- Matvei Michkov
Tyson Foerster- Noah Cates- Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin- Rodrigo Abols- Garnet Hathaway
Cam York- Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler- Jamie Drysdale
Adam Ginning- Noah Juulsen
Samuel Ersson
Dan Vladar
2024-25 Matchups
- Dec. 23, 2024- 7-3 Penguins victory
- Feb. 8, 2025- 3-2 Flyers victory
- Feb. 25, 2025- 6-1 Flyers victory
- Feb. 27, 2025- 5-4 Penguins overtime victory
The Penguins overall struggled against the Flyers last season, going 1-3-0, and had a hard time containing Noah Cates. Cates led the way for the Flyers, scoring four times against the Penguins, while Bobby Brink had six total points. Matvei Michkov was also very noticeable on the ice, scoring twice and adding three assists. Samuel Ersson played in parts of all four games and was solid.
For the Penguins, Philip Tomasino and Erik Karlsson led the way offensively, racking up three goals apiece, while Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby continued their strong showings against the Flyers, putting up six and five points respectively. Tristan Jarry played in the Dec. 23 win over the Flyers and made a total of 24 saves in that game. On special teams, the Penguins kept the Flyers’ power play in check, holding them to only one goal on six opportunities, while the penalty kill was successful five of the eight times they were called upon.
2025-26 Team Leaders
Penguins
Goals: Sidney Crosby, 7
Assists: Evgeni Malkin, 13
Points: Evgeni Malkin, 16
Flyers
Goals: Owen Tippett, 5
Assists: Trevor Zegras, 6
Points: Sean Couturier, 8
What to Watch For
Penguins Energy Coming Into Second Game of Back-to-Backs
The Penguins come into the game having just played last night (Oct. 27), taking down the St. Louis Blues. Seeing how a veteran-led group comes out in the second half of a back-to-back will be something to surely keep an eye on. If they can come out with some energy and roll their momentum from the win against the Blues into tonight’s game, they could get off to a quick start. But if they struggle to get going, the Flyers, who have not necessarily played the greatest to this point, could get themselves rolling and put the pressure on the Penguins.
Crosby’s & Malkin’s Hot Starts
The two most tenured Penguins on the roster have led the way again for the Penguins this season, with Crosby and Malkin both having great starts to the 2025-26 season. Both players have also had career success against the Flyers. If these two players and their respective lines can keep rolling tonight, there is a strong chance for them to start another win streak. Bryan Rust has gotten himself going over the last few games alongside Crosby, so the veterans on the roster will be looked upon to get things going against their long-time rival.
Related: Sidney Crosby’s 3 Hall of Fame Careers
Keeping the Flyers’ Offense Quiet
While players like Matvei Michkov have had slow starts to their season under new head coach Rick Tocchet, the Flyers do have players who can turn it on in the blink of an eye. Keeping their offense at bay and in check will be something to keep an eye on in the first matchup between the two teams. The Penguins, to this point, have played sound defense for the most part and have gotten solid goaltending from Tristan Jarry and offseason addition Arturs Silovs. Keeping the Flyers out of the middle of the ice in the offensive zone will be where the Penguins will need to focus. The Flyers do not get to those high-danger areas a whole lot, but when they do, they take advantage of them.
Penguins Win If…
If the Penguins can build off last night’s win over the Blues (albeit not their greatest game), and rely a bit on the younger players in the lineup to bring some early energy, they should be able to get off to a good start against the Flyers. The Penguins continue to get to the high-danger areas for scoring opportunities and will need to continue doing so against a Flyers team that can be stingy defensively (they only allow 2.63 goals per game).
As mentioned before, the Flyers have had a few players struggle offensively, but anything can happen in a “rivalry” game, and the energy certainly flows a bit differently. A strong defensive game from the Penguins to limit the likes of Trevor Zegras, Michkov, and Couturier will go a long way towards a win tonight.
Penguins vs Flyers
Anytime these two teams play each other, the energy is different, and there is no love lost between them. With the Penguins having the start they have had to the season, mixed in with the Flyers not having the greatest of starts, anything can happen in a matchup between the two long-time rivals.
