The Battle of Pennsylvania reignites this Saturday, April 18, as the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena for Game 1 of their playoff series. It's the first postseason clash between these bitter rivals since 2018, and the stage is set for a classic.

Our prediction leans into the Flyers' remarkable late-season form. Philadelphia closed the regular season on a league-best 15-5-1 tear, a surge built on a foundation of elite defense. At five-on-five, they allowed the fewest actual goals and the second-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes after the trade deadline. That defensive discipline will be their key to an opening-game road upset.

They'll need every bit of that structure against a Penguins offense that was the NHL's most efficient during that same stretch, leading in both goals per 60 and team shooting percentage at five-on-five. We expect Philadelphia's tight-checking style to force a regression in Pittsburgh's shooting luck, making the Under a compelling play for Game 1.

The Flyers' surge has been amplified by the immediate impact of rookie Porter Martone. With 10 points in his first nine NHL games, including a six-game point streak, he's provided a dynamic spark. Slotted alongside veterans Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny, this line has controlled 57.1% of the shot share, creating a prime opportunity for Konecny to break out.

Konecny's recent shooting numbers are due for positive regression. Despite averaging over 18 minutes of ice time and generating high-quality chances, he scored only twice in his final 13 games, hampered by an unsustainably low 7.4% shooting percentage. With his shots prop dipping to 1.5 for Game 1—a line he surpassed in 51 of 77 regular-season contests—this presents a valuable spot to back the Flyers' top-line winger to find his rhythm and fire pucks on net as this intense rivalry gets underway.