Penguins Face Playoff Hurdles: Two Players Must Step Up

The Penguins are four games into the Eastern Conference quarterfinals and still lag behind. Two key wingers, Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakhov, have not yet called the team. During the regular season they combined for 100 points and 51 goals in 124 games, but in this series they have not scored or assisted. Their poor performance is part of a larger slump that has left Philadelphia’s defense humming. Mantha, who led the team in regular‑season goals with 33, has only five shots and a minus‑5 rating over four games. He is also the team’s top penalty taker with 18 minutes, yet he has never scored in a playoff game. Chinakhov’s shooting is similarly ineffective; in Game 4 he went 0‑for‑6 and his six attempts missed or were blocked. In the series, he has taken 27 shots but only six have reached the net, while ten were blocked and eleven went wide. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet has focused on Chinakhov as a target, sending tough players like Sean Couturier and Nick Seeler to challenge him early. The 25‑year‑old has not yet found his rhythm, posting a minus‑4 rating and spending most of the series on the second line with Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin. Despite his regular‑season success, he has not produced in this playoff run.Both players have had plenty of power‑play opportunities but still have not capitalized. Mantha’s 12 shots, for example, were blocked seven times. The Penguins need more from their star forwards and rookie Ben Kindel to keep the series alive. There is still a chance for a comeback. The Penguins’ recent Game 4 saw Sidney Crosby light up the scoreboard, and they scored four goals—equaling their output from the first three games. The team’s confidence is building, and Game 5 could shift momentum if they find their offensive rhythm. Historically, only four teams have rallied from a 3‑0 deficit to win a playoff series: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 1980 New York Islanders, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers, and the 2014 Los Angeles Kings. If the Penguins aim to join that elite group, both Mantha and Chinakhov must start contributing offensively. The pressure is mounting. The Penguins have to decide whether they can turn the tide before the series ends. Their future hinges on these two players stepping up and delivering when it matters most.