Crosby and Letang lead Penguins to Game 4 win over Flyers to avoid sweep Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby scored a goal and provided an assist even as defenseman Kris Letang netted the game-winning goal as the Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Crosby opened the scoring just five seconds into a power play in the first period, marking his first goal of the 2026 playoffs. He later used his foot to direct the puck to Letang, who fired it past Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead in the third period. The sequence began with Crosby winning a puck battle along the boards before using his skate to redirect the loose puck to the streaking Letang at the blue line. The Penguins received contributions beyond their captain and top defenseman. Forward Rickard Rakell scored a goal and added an assist, capitalizing on a misplay by Vladar behind the net to build it 2-0 Pittsburgh. Rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs made his first appearance of the series after starting goaltender Stuart Skinner opened the first three games, stopping 28 of 30 shots he faced. Vladar accounted for Philadelphia’s only meaningful offensive stretch, stopping 32 shots before being pulled for an extra attacker with under two minutes remaining. Travis Konecny scored Philadelphia’s second goal midway through the third period to cut the deficit to one, but Connor Dewar sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute. The win prevented a potential sweep and shifted the series momentum, giving Pittsburgh a 3-1 series deficit heading into Game 5 at PPG Paints Arena in Philadelphia on Monday, April 27, 2026. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET start and will be broadcast nationally in the United States on ESPN and TNT. Crosby’s performance represented a significant uptick from his production in the first three games, where he recorded only one assist. Entering the contest, he owned the most playoff points by any visiting player in Philadelphia Flyers history with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 13 career games. His effort in Game 4 increased his postseason totals to nine points (two goals, seven assists) through four games. Silovs’ strong debut in net provided a stabilizing presence for Pittsburgh after the team fell behind 3-0 in the series. The 22-year-old Latvian netminder, making his NHL playoff debut, faced 30 shots and demonstrated composure in high-leverage situations, particularly during Philadelphia’s late push to cut the lead to one goal.
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