Philadelphia won because Vladar conceded 2.70 goals below league average while Pittsburgh's offence went scoreless across all three periods.
β‘TURNING POINT
Glendening's empty-net-era even-strength goal at 17:55 of the third converted a fragile 2-0 lead into a three-goal cushion, eliminating any realistic path for Pittsburgh's comeback. With under two minutes remaining, it sealed a shutout and confirmed what the structural dominance had telegraphed all night.
πWHY PHI WON (ranked by impact β most decisive first)
1
Goaltending: Vladar conceded 2.70 goals below league average on 27 shots β in a 3-goal game decided by a shutout, that margin was the foundation of the result.
2
Faceoff dominance: PHI won 56.5% of faceoffs (39 of 69) β territorial control that suppressed Pittsburgh's zone time and limited their ability to generate sustained offensive pressure despite outshooting Philadelphia.
3
Physical commitment: PHI posted 48 hits and 23 blocked shots against Pittsburgh's 32 hits and 8 blocks β that differential compressed PIT's shooting lanes and disrupted transition before it started.
πWHY PIT LOST (ranked by impact β biggest failure first)
1
Goaltending: Skinner conceded 0.20 goals below average on 23 shots β a near-neutral performance that offered Pittsburgh nothing extra in a game their offence failed to show up for.
2
Penalty volume: Pittsburgh took 50 PIM against Philadelphia's 30 β 11 Philadelphia power plays created sustained pressure and yielded a shorthanded goal against, compounding the structural damage.
3
Offensive execution: Pittsburgh's top skaters combined for zero points β Rust played 20:48 and generated one shot; the offence that needed to bail out the structural disadvantages simply did not function.
Three Stars
Dan Vladar1st
PHI, G
SV% 1.00027/27 saves
A perfect 60-minute performance erased Pittsburgh's shot advantage and made the structural win possible.
Porter Martone2nd
PHI, R
1G6 shots on goal+1
His shooting volume was the highest on the ice and his second-period goal broke the deadlock and forced Pittsburgh to open up.
Garnet Hathaway3rd
PHI, R
1G 1A2 points7 hits+2
Hathaway scored the shorthanded goal that doubled the lead and added a game-sealing assist β his impact came in both the score sheet and the physical battle.
