Stuart Skinner

Only four teams in NHL history have fallen behind 0-3 in a best-of-seven playoff series and rallied to win it. Just six more won three in a row to force a Game 7.

Stuart Skinner was part of that last near-miss. He backstopped Edmonton to an-almost comeback in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against Florida before losing in seven. Now he is Pittsburgh’s goaltender with the Penguins facing the same deficit in the first round against Philadelphia.

“You know it’s possible,” Skinner said after a Game 3 loss to the Flyers pushed him and his teammates to the brink. “Statistics are fun to look at, but it doesn’t mean they’re always right.”

The statistics say the Penguins have a less than 2% chance of pulling it off. The first step in avoiding a sweep comes Saturday with Game 4.

“The fact is we’ve got to win a game,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. “That’s got to be our focus. You can’t grab three on Saturday. You’ve got to win one.”

Skinner is not the only Pittsburgh player who believes a comeback is possible. Three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson called it a great opportunity.

“It’s do or die, and now we’re going to see what we’re made of,” Karlsson said. “It’s an opportunity, and it’s something that we’re going to have to embrace and understand that being in this situation, even though we’re down 3-0 is still a lot of fun and we would have paid a lot of money to stand here today back in October and say this is where we were going to be.”

The biggest potential edge for the Penguins is the uncertain status of Flyers goalie Dan Vladar, who injured his right arm in the third period Wednesday night. Vladar finished the game, underwent treatment after and has not practiced since, with coach Rick Tocchet calling it maintenance.

“Two days off is going to help him,” Tocchet said Friday. “We’ll see how he is.”