The Flyers are headed back to Pittsburgh.
They were unable to sweep the Penguins in this best-of-seven first-round playoff matchup as they suffered a 4-2 loss Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Travis Konecny and Denver Barkey provided the Flyers’ goals.
Konecny drew the Flyers to within 3-2 in the third period on a snap shot from the circle. Christian Dvorak and Travis Sanheim made aggressive plays to set it up.
Barkey cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-1 in the second period off a feed from Trevor Zegras.
But the Penguins never relinquished their advantage after striking first.
Rick Tocchet’s club had its series lead trimmed to 3-1. In the days leading up to Game 4, the Flyers’ head coach stressed the challenge of trying to eliminate a team like Pittsburgh.
“They’ve been down before,” Tocchet said Thursday. “It’s a group that you’re going to have to stick a fork in them. I’m sure they’re reading clippings of teams that have come back from 3-0. I’d be doing the same thing. It can happen.”
The last time the Flyers swept a playoff series was 1995, when they took out the Rangers in the second round.
Tocchet’s club won Games 1 and 2 at PPG Paints Arena. It’ll try to win one more there with Game 5 next.
• Despite an injury scare in the third period of Game 3, Dan Vladar was good to go for Saturday night.
The 28-year-old denied 17 of 20 shots.
He had a rare blemish 1:03 minutes into the second period when he turned the puck over behind his net. Rickard Rakell forced Vladar into the mistake and scored a second later with an impressive effort. That put the Flyers in a 2-0 hole.
Vladar had given up just four goals over the first three games of the series. He entered Game 4 with 70 saves on 74 shots.
Arturs Silovs was in Pittsburgh’s net for his first start of the series. The 25-year-old stopped 25 of the Flyers’ 27 shots.
The Flyers cracked him with 4:20 minutes left in the second period when Zegras found his roommate Barkey. The goal cut the Flyers’ deficit to 2-1 and gave the building life.
But the Flyers went 0 for 3 on their power play. They pulled Vladar with around 1:50 minutes left, but couldn’t net the equalizer. The Penguins finished things off with an empty-netter from Connor Dewar.
• Tocchet’s club has really wanted to keep this series at 5-on-5 as much as possible.
They won Game 2 despite giving Pittsburgh five power plays. They won Game 3 despite surrendering two power play goals. But they allowed another power play goal in Game 4 and one at 4-on-4. They don’t want the series to turn into a special teams battle.
• After being held to no goals and one assist over the first three games, Sidney Crosby opened the scoring Saturday night.
On a first-period power play, the Penguins’ future Hall of Fame center won a faceoff and then scored five seconds later with a quick release. Vladar got a piece of the shot with his glove, but it still snuck past him.
In the third period, Crosby showed his savviness to win a puck battle and set up Kris Letang’s 3-1 goal.
This was No. 87’s best game of the series. The ultimate Flyers killer had been pretty quiet up until now.
But he owns 139 points (60 goals, 79 assists) in 93 career regular-season games against the Flyers. And in the playoffs, he has put up 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 27 career meetings with the Flyers.
• The series picks back up Monday at PPG Paints Arena with Game 5. The start time has yet to be announced.
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