PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dan Vladar skated away behind the net, hunched over as he gripped his right arm in pain after the Penguins crashed into him in the crease.
For a few frightful moments, nothing else mattered for the Flyers.
Not the 2-0 first-round series lead. Not the 3-1 Game 3 lead in the third period in front of 19,937 full-throated and orange-coated Flyers fans.
Because without Vladar, voted the Bobby Clarke team MVP and journeyman turned Olympian, the Flyers would be in a world of hurt.
They still could be in trouble yet this NHL playoffs.
Buoyed by cheers of “Vladdy! Vladdy!” he shook off his injury Wednesday night much in the same way Vladar has turned away the Penguins with relative ease through the first three game of this Eastern Conference series.
Vladar can get a few extra days off to rest whatever ails him if the Flyers build off their 5-2 win in Game 3 and complete the sweep Saturday in Philadelphia. He did not talk to the media after the game because he was receiving treatment.
“He’s been our best player all year,” defenseman Nick Seeler said. “And he was great tonight.”
Vladar followed his first shutout of the season (with 27 saves) in Game 2 with another stellar outing and 28 saves in Game 3.
Yet, the potential of injury looms ahead of a possible sweep.
Vladar didn't use his right arm in the celebration line — and the Flyers had plenty of celebrate in their first home playoff win since 2016 — leaving his Game 4 status in doubt.
“He’s banged up," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "We’ll see how he is tomorrow. I don’t know at this moment how bad it is.”
That could be a glimmer of good news for the Penguins. A two-time NHL MVP and three-time Stanley Cup champion, Sidney Crosby has yet to score a goal in the series.
The Flyers could turn to backup Samuel Ersson, who had a solid finish to an otherwise injury-plagued and inconsistent season. The Flyers have the luxury of a 3-0 lead and two full days off before they have to make a decision on playing Vladar, who won 29 games with a 2.42 goals-against-average this season.
Vladar was one of three goalies chosen to play for Czechia at the Milan Cortina Olympics. In his first season with the Flyers, he settled one of the more unsettled positions for the franchise since Hall of Famer Bernie Parent backstopped consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.
It sure seemed like the old days of the Broad Street Bullies for the Flyers.
Flyers fans dressed in orange and started the party long before faceoff and sparked the energy ahead of their first home playoff game in eight years. The Flyers steamrolled through the first three games against their long-time nemesis in Crosby and the Penguins.
Oh, and they scrapped a bit like those old Flyers, throwing down with the Penguins that led to the comical sight of 11 players crammed into the penalty box.
Gritty, the googly-eyed mascot making his postseason debut, at one point launched a stuffed penguin from the upper level down to the pricey seats. Flyers fans stomped on the animal and nearly destroyed it before security scurried the souvenir away from the rambunctious crowd.
The poor toy seemingly got off easier than the real Penguins.
Stuart Skinner, who played a crucial role in consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances with Edmonton, has been the anti-Vladar with a 3.08 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage through three games.
Could the Penguins turn to Arturs Silovs in Game 4?
Probably not. Yet, Skinner — who heard derisive “Skinner! Skinner” chants that echoed long after Rasmus Ristolainen made it 2-1 — said he believed the Penguins could still rally to win the series.
Skinner was on the Oilers team down 3-0 that forced a Game 7 in 2024 against the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
"I feel like when you go down 3-0, what really helped me in my experience was it kind of just frees you up," Skinner said. "You don’t really have anything to lose. And we’re in a spot where we don’t have anything to lose, and they do. If we catch them a couple times, just talking about momentum, you can change momentum and when that happens, things can go in your favor.”
Should the Flyers play without Vladar, that could be the break the Penguins need to get back into the series.
Trevor Zegras, Ristolainen and Nick Seeler scored three goals against Skinner on four shots in the second period — proof the Flyers have the offensive arsenal to win without Vladar, if needed.
“The hardest one is the next one,” Tocchet said. "Back to business tomorrow.”
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
