PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Flyers are now one win away from advancing after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 3 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring early, but Philadelphia answered with a dominant second period that changed the game. The Flyers scored three times in the middle frame, using that burst to seize control and swing momentum firmly to their side.
Trevor Zegras helped get Philadelphia going, while Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler also scored during the second-period surge. The Flyers kept pressure on from there and did not allow the Penguins to fully recover.
Pittsburgh managed to stay within reach for a stretch, getting goals from Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson, but the Flyers responded again in the third. Noah Cates added an important insurance goal before Owen Tippett sealed the win with an empty-netter late.
Dan Vladar turned in a strong performance in net for Philadelphia, making 28 saves as the Flyers continued to get production from multiple parts of the lineup.
With the victory, the Flyers now hold a 3-0 series lead and can close out the Penguins in Game 4. A win would complete the sweep and send Philadelphia into the next round.
