PHILADELPHIA — One by one, several of the Penguins’ most prominent offensive threats began to find offense in Games 4 and 5 of their first-round playoffs series as they started to find fissures in the Philadelphia Flyers’ hermetically sealed defense that largely kept things stagnant in the first three contests.
Franchise center Sidney Crosby finally got on the scoreboard.
Ditto linemate Rickard Rakell.
All-Star defensemen Kris Letang found a pair of goals — each a game-winner.
Even bottom-six forwards Connor Dewar and Elmer Soderblom have hit twine.
But the Penguins’ leading goal-scorer during the regular season was still seeking for his first goal this series entering Game 6 on Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Anthony Mantha, who pumped in 33 goals over 81 games between early October and mid-April, had yet to score in the first five games of the first round.
“Obviously, you kind of think about it,” Mantha said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “You would love to score every night. But that’s not how it goes. Just need to keep playing good hockey and playing intense and getting those pucks back.
“And … shoot more. I’m not shooting enough. You won’t score if you don’t shoot.”
Through five games, Mantha, who primarily has operated on the third line and the second power-play unit, has six shots on 17 attempts. In contrast, fourth-liner and penalty killer Noel Acciari has seven shots on 10 attempts.
“It’s a tight series,” Mantha said. “They’re playing well defensively. They’re blocking a lot of shots. We’re trying to do as much as we can offensively. But we’re playing a great team. It’s not going to come easily.”
The Penguins’ opening goal came early in Game 5 on Monday at PPG Paints Arena when Soderblom scored 2 minutes, 45 seconds into regulation.
And it came courtesy of a strong effort by Mantha.
Chasing down a puck dumped in behind the Flyers’ net, Mantha (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) thumped Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (6-4, 208) off the puck, took possession and fed a pass intended for rookie linemate Ben Kindel to the left of the crease. The offering was a bit off the mark, but Soderblom wound up corralling it between the upper hashmarks and ripped a wrister past goaltender Dan Vladar’s glove.
FIRST PLAYOFF GOAL FOR SODERBLOM AND PPG IS ROCKING ???? pic.twitter.com/wyfpt8KONH
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) April 27, 2026
“You go look at the last game, he did do more,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said of Mantha. “The first goal that we score, that all starts with him on the forecheck. He comes in there, he did a great job, he made the play. He had other instances of that as well. Of course, he wants to contribute offensively and he’s fully capable of that. He did last game with the big assist.
“But … what stood out there from his game last game was just those things away from the puck. He took a big step there and made an impact there for our team.”
Mantha’s impact throughout his 11th NHL season has extended beyond his ability to put the puck in the net. Be it the guidance he offers younger teammates for life off the ice or even stepping up to defend a fallen teammate on the ice, the 31-year-old Mantha has been a leading citizen in his first season with the club.
“He’s a veteran guy,” said Soderblom, 24. “You can learn some stuff from him, a guy whose been good in the league for a while. So, you can learn some stuff. And he brings the physicality and the stuff around the net.
“I feel like we had some good (offensive) zone time (in Game 5) and it’s tough to take the puck from us when we play that way.”
Mantha would like to play in a way that would lead to more goals. But he understands there are other ways to contribute.
“Obviously, it’s in the back of my head,” Mantha said of his goal drought. “Am I focused on it? No. But I’m trying to bring the best hockey I can right now. I think every game, I’ve (grown) better and better. And I need to keep going that way.”
