Flyers

There is Nothing Like Flyers Playoff Hockey

By Tim Reilly

Published: Apr 17th, 2026 · 1:56 PM EDT

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My first and last in-person hockey playoff experience came in 2012, when the Philadelphia Flyers drew a first-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers had raced out to a 2-0 series lead over the Pens, taking both contests in Pittsburgh. The games featured a wild combination of breakneck offense, questionable defense, horrific goaltending, and mutual contempt between fan bases and teams that made for quite the stew.

I was determined to get a taste, and Game 3 presented the perfect opportunity.

My buddy Tim joined me, and we settled into our seats at the top of the building then known as Wells Fargo Center. It was a sea of orange all around us, with the odd Penguins fan blotting the monochrome with a Sidney Crosby 87 jersey.

The two Tims were riding a personal Flyers win streak of 10 games or so at that point. When we were in the barn, the boys weren’t losing. The game was in the bag, right? Right.

By the time the puck dropped, no one was sitting. “Let’s go Flyers!” chants rang out, threatening to blow the roof off.

After fourteen years, I can’t recall every moment of the action. Concrete memories have faded somewhat, but here’s what I do remember:

Anxiety every time a puck sped toward Ilya Bryzgalov, the enigmatic free agent acquisition who was supposed to provide the goaltending that would finally get the Flyers over the hump. Instead, the Russian astronomer (or perhaps space cadet) in goalie pads proved to be another obstacle standing between the organization and the Stanley Cup. The gifts this guy would cough up! The Penguins scored four times that game, and three were so soft I thought Coach Peter Laviolette would give his overpaid, overrated goaltender the hook. In case you were wondering, the Flyers are still paying Bryz, with the last installment of his buyout coming next season.   

Excitement, along with the rush of anticipation every time the Flyers charged up the ice. Thankfully, Penguins goalie Marc-André Fleury was desperate to match the charity of his counterpart Bryzgalov. The upshot was a six-goal first period, with six more pucks due to find their way in the back of the net before the final horn sounded.

Frustration when I lost my voice after the first period and waited for the Molson Canadians to do their work so I could back in the action.

Anger mixed with righteous indignation when Penguins forward James Neal laid a dirty hit on Flyers rookie Sean Couturier before going headhunting on Claude Giroux. The crowd wanted blood. It would have settled for Neal getting pounded into mincemeat by Wayne Simmonds.

Disgust when Simmonds challenged Neal and Neal wouldn’t oblige. Coward!

Delirium when Scott Hartnell pumped his arms toward the crowd as he skated off the ice, sent to the dressing room after a fight.

Happiness as “You Can’t Beat Us!” chants rained down on the ice, followed by Hulk Hogan appearing on the jumbo screen to cut a promo on the fugazi Hogan Penguins fan that had gotten Hartnell’s attention during a late-season game in Pittsburgh.

We returned for Game 6 and witnessed The Shift, Part 2. The other Tim had been in the building for Game 5 of the Flyers/Canadiens 2010 Eastern Conference Finals series. At the time, he swore he had never heard a crowd louder than the one that reacted to Mike Richards’ shorthanded heroics. And then Giroux took the title.

That’s the other thing I remember, the insane wall of sound in the arena after Giroux barreled into Crosby and then, thirty seconds later, pinged the puck off the post and into the net. For all intents and purposes, the game—and the series—was over.

There is nothing like playoff hockey. The stakes and moment-to-moment excitement are one thing, but what brings the spectacle to another level is the controlled (and uncontrolled) chaos of a sporting event contested by world-class athletes on something as unpredictable as a sheet of ice.

Over the course of a seven-game series, talent will usually win out. But in hockey, lesser teams can ride a hot goalie, tighter checking, and the odd fortunate bounce to gain the upper hand. Anything can happen, and it often does.

Now is a great time to get on board the Flyers’ bandwagon. It doesn’t matter if you’re a long-time or a lapsed fan. Newcomers are also welcome, even those who have spent an inordinate amount of time engaging in inane speculation about the football team in town and its star quarterback and wide receiver. Take a break from the soap opera, fellas, and get invested in some real drama.

You might find it a relief to talk about Dan Vladar instead of Jalen Hurts for a while. Consider the up-and-down season of Matvei Michkov, or marvel at the injection of offense Porter Martone has brought to the lineup despite being a college student as recently as a couple weeks ago. Hold your breath as the youthful Flyers get trapped in their own zone. Exhale as they work their way out, bailed out by a timely Vladar save, and Owen Tippett speeds up the ice like a bullet on skates.

For the stronger swimmers, try wading into the depths of Flyers Twitter and staying afloat as you are engulfed by waves of accusations and recriminations from the true die-hards debating the Flyers’ rebuild approach.    

Enjoy it, all of it, for as long as it lasts. I have no idea if this version of the Flyers can beat the Penguins. Both teams are at organizational crossroads, with the Flyers on the rise and the Penguins annoyingly well-positioned for the post-Crosby era thanks to the work of their president and general manager Kyle Dubas.

I don’t think the Flyers are true Cup contenders. Not this season. Not quite yet.

But I do know this. The Flyers are on the rise. They’re capable of beating the Penguins, just like they did in 2012. The Orange and Black have only won one playoff series since, during the 2020 bubble playoffs that were held in Canada.

It’s time—past time—to win a series and make new memories.