The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins open Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series Saturday night in Pittsburgh, renewing one of the NHL’s fiercest rivalries.
MORE: 5 first-round bold predictions for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs
Mar 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea (5) and Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (39) battle for the puck during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
How to Watch Flyers vs Penguins
- When: Saturday, April 18, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)
Pittsburgh enters with home-ice advantage after finishing ahead of Philadelphia via the regulation-wins tiebreaker, with both teams ending the season with similar point totals in the Metropolitan Division.
Game 1 is set for Saturday in Pittsburgh as part of the NHL’s opening playoff tripleheader. The Penguins closed the season at 41-24-16 (98 points), while the Flyers finished 43-27-12 (98 points), locking in third place in the division and setting up this matchup.
– Live Stream Flyers vs Penguins with Fubo –
Philadelphia comes in with momentum, winning three straight games to end the regular season and five of its last six, clinching its first playoff berth since 2020 behind strong play from Matvei Michkov and steady goaltending.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, leans on its veteran core, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, despite entering the playoffs off back-to-back losses, looking to clean up defensive issues before Game 1.
With identical records and years of bad blood between these teams, this sets up as one of the most evenly matched and intense series of the opening round, where home ice could make the difference early.
This is a great NHL matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
Live Stream Flyers vs Penguins with Fubo: Start your free trial now!
With Fubo, you can catch the NHL Playoffs without cable on your phone, TV, or tablet. Fubo offers a wide array of sports and entertainment channels, including local sports packages and top national channels such as ABC, FOX, CBS, ESPN, FS1, MTV, Comedy Central, and more. The best part is you can try it out today for free.
Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
