PITTSBURGH — It would be wrong to say that the whole thing turned when Travis Sanheim decided that, for a few precious seconds, he would split a double team as if he were Kobe Bryant at the top of the key.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers commence a highly anticipated NHL playoff series in the opening round of the postseason on Saturday night. It promises to be a good time for all the hockey fans in Pennsylvania. It's been a while for the Flyers, who haven't been in the playoffs since 2020.

The noise begins before the puck drops, but it doesn’t crest until the first collision. A hard, clean finish along the wall that sends a surge through the building. It’s a signal. This is how the game will be played. And within the first five minutes ...

Porter Martone has given the Flyers a boost. Emilee Chinn / In an alternate universe, none of this is happening. If Wisconsin had not come from behind to beat Michigan State in a quarterfinal matchup in the NCAA tournament on March 28,

Glendening scored a goal on four shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Ducks.