Penguins vs. Flyers preview: Battle of Pennsylvania opens 2026-27 season

Dustin Judge
Porter Martone celebrating with the Flyers teammates. Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers open the 2026-27 season Wednesday night in a rematch of last spring’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, which Philadelphia won in six games. Both teams enter at 0-0-0, and both are looking to move past a first-round series still fresh in the rivalry’s memory.

The Battle of Pennsylvania dates to the NHL‘s 1967 expansion. The two clubs have met four times in the playoffs since 2008, with Philadelphia holding a 5-3 series edge overall, according to ESPN. That history adds weight to what is otherwise a season-opening tune-up for two teams reshaping their rosters.

Penguins vs. Flyers game information

  • Date: Wednesday, Sept. 30
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • TV/Streaming: TNT, truTV
  • Season series: First of four meetings; the teams don’t play again until Jan. 31, per Yahoo Sports

Penguins outlook

Pittsburgh brings five new players into their official debuts Wednesday, highlighted by offseason additions Nick Robertson, David Gustafsson, Hendrix Lapierre, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Declan Carlile, according to NHL.com.

Arturs Silovs is projected to start in goal for Pittsburgh. Center Blake Lizotte is on injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 24 but practiced this week and could play, per Yahoo Sports. Centers Tristan Broz and Ben Kindel, left wing Andrei Kuzmenko and right wing Bryan Rust remain on injured reserve.

Evgeni Malkin enters one point shy of becoming the sixth player in NHL history to reach 100 career points against the Flyers, joining Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Bryan Trottier. Crosby, meanwhile, sits two goals shy of tying Brendan Shanahan for 14th on the NHL’s all-time goals list.

Flyers outlook

Philadelphia returns 14 of its top 15 scorers from a season ago, with winger Bobby Brink, traded at the 2026 deadline, the lone departure of note. The Flyers also added goaltender Joseph Woll, defenseman Simon Benoit and former Penguins forward Noel Acciari, who signed for a $2.8 million average annual value over two years.

Dan Vladar, the reigning Bobby Clarke Trophy winner as team MVP, is projected to start in net. He sustained an upper body injury during the preseason but is ready for opening night. Head coach Rick Tocchet said earlier this week he was “hopeful” about Vladar, per Yahoo Sports. Vladar posted two shutouts against Pittsburgh in last spring’s playoff series, including a 1-0 overtime win in Game 6.

Right wing Nikita Grebenkin is out with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Helge Grans and center Denver Barkey are on injured reserve with lower-body injuries. Barkey picked up his injury during the preseason.

Key matchup: Philadelphia offense vs. Pittsburgh defense

Philadelphia’s depth up front will test a Pittsburgh blue line that looks markedly different from the group that struggled defensively last season. Rookie winger Porter Martone, who scored series-winning goals in Games 1 and 2 of last spring’s playoff series with the Penguins, figures to draw heavy checking attention on opening night.

Matvei Michkov struggled in that same playoff series but set up Cam York’s series-clinching overtime goal in Game 6. A strong start for Michkov would matter both for the player and the team seeking early momentum.

What to watch

Philadelphia’s power play remains a long-running issue, having finished 32nd in the league in four of the past five seasons. The Flyers’ projected power-play units will get an early test against a Penguins penalty kill working in several new defensive faces.

The Penguins have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 15 season openers, posting a 9-5-1 record in those games, per Penguins PR. The Penguins carry 22 players on their active roster and don’t need to make a corresponding move to open a roster spot for Lizotte if he’s activated from injured reserve.

Pittsburgh’s next game is Saturday’s home opener against Montreal. The Penguins then host Winnipeg on Oct. 5 before road games in Washington and Columbus.

Reporting from Yahoo Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and NHL.com contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.