Flyers score 3 goals in 2nd period and top Penguins 5-2 to take 3-0 lead in first-round series

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Seeler scored three goals on four shots in the second period in Philadelphia's first home playoff game in eight years, pushing the Flyers to the brink of a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 Game 3 win on Wednesday night in their best-of-seven first-round series.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Philadelphia.

The Flyers' trio of goal scorers gave their raucous fans more reason to celebrate than just a first home playoff game since April 22, 2018, and first home playoff win since April 20, 2016. They can clinch their first playoff series win since the 2020 bubble season — and they can do it against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

“It was great to experience that again," Flyers captain Sean Couturier said. "We’re happy, but we’re also happy for the city, the fans. They’ve supported us through ups and downs.”

Dan Vladar, shaken up a bit in the third with an apparent right hand or wrist injury, stopped 28 shots and again outplayed embattled Stuart Skinner in net.

Not long after Vladar was hit, Erik Karlsson scored on the power play to cut it to 3-2.

Forget the rally. Noah Cates put the finishing touches on one of the biggest Flyers' wins in the last 16 years with a power-play goal for a 4-2 lead. Owen Tippett added an empty-netter in the waning minutes.

Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said Vladar was “banged up.”

Flyers fans dressed all in orange and came ready to blow the roof off the arena in support of the first playoff home game — and Gritty’s first ever — in a city where they were once automatic. Follow the sound of the boos and they were directed to an area where scattered Penguins fans tested their luck and good health wearing Crosby jerseys in Philadelphia.

The Flyers wasted all the pregame energy in a hurry when Evgeni Malkin scored a power-play goal only 4:18 into the game. The Penguins were doomed by an 0 for 5 effort on the power play in Game 2 and Crosby went scoreless in Pittsburgh. Crosby’s assist helped the Penguins, who had the seventh-ranked power play in the regular season, score their first power-play goal in eight attempts in the series.

Malkin’s 29th career postseason power-play goal tied him with Mario Lemieux for most in Penguins history.

The game erupted in the second period into a scene straight out of the days when the old school enforcers of the Broad Street Bullies era roamed the ice.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust slammed Travis Konecny to the ice and smothered the Flyers forward and all the lines joined the fray until they were separated by officials. Konecny ripped off his helmet and dropped his gloves and beckoned Rust to fight him. No dice. They instead traded verbal barbs from the penalty box.

The Flyers and Penguins could have held team photo day inside their respective penalty boxes.

Rust got four minutes while four of his teammates joined him and Konecny and four of his teammates tagged along inside a jammed box.

Public address announcer Lou Nolan had just started to rattle off the list of names — “the penalties, we think ... ” — when Zegras ripped one past Skinner for the power-play goal that evened the score 1-1. The Flyers mobbed Zegras and pinned him in celebration against the penalty box.

“There were a lot of them in there," Zegras said. "I figured they would be jumping around.”

Nick Seeler joined them to make it six in there 61 seconds later when he was whistled for cross-checking.

“There’s a scrum. We get the extra penalty," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "That changed everything.”

Ristolainen — whose 820 regular season games before making the playoffs were the most of any active player — made it 2-1 and Flyers started fans started derisive “Skinner! Skinner” chants that echoed long after the go-ahead goal. Seeler scored 2:12 later on a shot from the point for the 3-1 lead — and made it 3 of 4 on Skinner after he stopped the first 18 shots.

“We got the bodies in here," Skinner said. “We’ve got a resilient group. I can say that over and over and over again, but we’ve proven it. We’ve shown it. This is the group that can definitely come back from this deficit.”

Flyers fans, on their feet since comedian Shane Gillis helped set off the ceremonial pregame pryo, gave the arena an electric feel.

“It was nice to see the building rocking like that," Tocchet said. "It’s been awhile.”

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Pittsburgh Penguins' Stuart Skinner cannot stop a goal by Philadelphia Flyers' Nick Seeler during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Stuart Skinner adjusts his mask during the second period of Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Luke Glendening, right, tries to keep the puck away from Pittsburgh Penguins' Parker Wotherspoon during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny, right, tries to keep the puck away from Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Trevor Zegras, left, celebrates past Pittsburgh Penguins' Parker Wotherspoon after scoring a goal during the second period of Game 3 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

NEW YORK (AP) — No sooner did the struggling New York Mets get a star player back than another one went down with a similar injury.

Francisco Lindor was removed Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins with left calf tightness, just hours after teammate Juan Soto came off the injured list. The switch-hitting shortstop will have an MRI on Thursday, putting the top of New York's punchless batting order in flux once more.

“Here we go again," manager Carlos Mendoza said.

New York (8-16) ended its 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Minnesota, but it might have come at a cost.

“We’ve got to wait and see what we’re dealing with,” Mendoza said.

Lindor labored around the bases while scoring from first on Francisco Alvarez's one-out double up the right-center alley in the fourth inning. He grimaced as he rounded third and paused for a bit from the seat of his pants after beating the relay throw with a feetfirst slide.

“I knew right away when he was rounding third base that something wasn’t right there. So, we’ll see what we’ve got,” Mendoza said. "Right away, he scores and you could see his face. Looking from the dugout, I knew something wasn’t right.”

Lindor headed down the dugout tunnel with an athletic trainer and was replaced in the lineup by Brett Baty, who entered at third base in the top of the fifth. Bo Bichette slid over from third base to shortstop.

Batting cleanup, Lindor knocked in a run when he legged out an infield single with two outs in the first. Moments earlier, he made an outstanding leaping grab at shortstop for the second out of the game.

Soto was reinstated from the 10-day IL earlier in the day. The slugging outfielder had been sidelined since straining his right calf while running from first to third on April 3 in San Francisco.

“We got good news, relatively good news with Soto, and it was still three weeks,” Mendoza said. "So, we’ll see what we’re dealing with.”

After a slow start this season, Lindor was starting to come on recently. He launched a three-run homer Tuesday night and is hitting .226 with two home runs and five RBIs.

“Can’t sit here and make excuses. It’s all part of it. We lost Soto, and we had a hard time," Mendoza said. “Another really good player, and we’ve got to figure it out.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) runs toward home plate to score on a double by Francisco Alvarez during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor follows through on a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) runs past Minnesota Twins' Kody Clemens (2) to reach first base for a single during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor hits an RBI single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor, left, slides past Minnesota Twins catcher Victor Caratini to score on a double by Francisco Alvarez during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)