5 Keys: Flyers at Penguins, Game 1

FLYERS at PENGUINS
7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, ATTSN-PT, NBCSP
PITTSBURGH-- The Pittsburgh Penguins start their drive for a third straight Stanley Cup championship when they play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday.

The Penguins swept the season series against the Flyers (4-0-0) and hope to carry that momentum into Game 1. The Flyers allowed five goals in each of those four losses (0-2-2).
Here are 5 keys for Game 1:

1. Pittsburgh's top three forwards

As they did through most of the regular season, the Penguins will use forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel on separate lines. Crosby will center the first with Malkin centering the second and Kessel playing right wing on the third.
Splitting them gives Pittsburgh scoring depth that is difficult to match up against. Malkin led the Penguins with 42 goals and 98 points. Kessel was second with 34 goals and 92 points. Crosby was tied for third with 29 goals and third with 89 points.

2. Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux was second in the NHL with 102 points (34 goals, 68 assists), his best output in 11 NHL seasons. That included four assists in four games against the Penguins, but he's looking for even more in the postseason.
"Playoffs is always another level, especially early on," he said. "For us, it's focus on what we've been doing the last two, three months. We've done a lot of good things."

3. Special teams

The Penguins had the No. 1 power play in the League during the regular season (26.2 percent). The Flyers penalty kill was 29th in the NHL (75.8 percent).
Pittsburgh was 5-for-13 with the man-advantage in its four games against Philadelphia, including 4-for-8 in the final three. The Flyers must find a way to stop the Penguins when down a man and avoid taking needless penalties if they hope to win Game 1.
"[Taking penalties is] probably one of the biggest things we have to control," Flyers forward Jakub Voracek said. "Obviously there are going to be some penalties during the series, but you don't want to give them too many opportunities because the game can swing with one power play for them."

4. Penguins defense

If Pittsburgh has a weakness, it's in its group of defensemen.
Kris Letang never fully returned to form after neck surgery kept him out of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Justin Schultz had 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) this season after he had 51 points (12 goals, 39 assists) last season. Matt Hunwick and Chad Ruhwedel have struggled while taking turns on the third pair since Ian Cole was traded to the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 23.
Ruhwedel likely will play, with Hunwick scratched, and will have to improve from the regular season to remain in the lineup moving forward.
"I just want go out there, play hard and play with some excitement," Ruhwedel said.

5. Matt Murray vs. Brian Elliott

Penguins goalie Matt Murray and Flyers goalie Brian Elliott would like to move past lackluster regular seasons.
After winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie the previous two seasons, Murray was 27-16-3 with a 2.92 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 49 games this season. Elliott was 23-11-7 with a 2.66 GAA and .909 save percentage in 43 games.
Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta said he expects Murray to come through as the playoffs begin.
"It feels like every game he gives us a chance to win," Maatta said. "He makes the necessary saves for that. It seems like he never panics."

Flyers projected lineup

Claude Giroux -- Sean Couturier -- Michael Raffl
Oskar Lindblom -- Nolan Patrick -- Jakub Voracek
Travis Konecny -- Valtteri Filppula -- Wayne Simmonds
Scott Laughton -- Jori Lehtera -- Matt Read
Ivan Provorov -- Shayne Gostisbehere
Travis Sanheim
-- Andrew MacDonald
Brandon Manning -- Radko Gudas
Brian Elliott
Petr Mrazek
Scratched:Taylor Leier, Dale Weise, Jordan Weal, Robert Hagg, Johnny Oduya, Dustin Tokarski
Injured: Michal Neuvirth (lower body)

Penguins projected lineup

Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust
Carl Hagelin -- Evgeni Malkin -- Patric Hornqvist
Conor Sheary -- Derick Brassard -- Phil Kessel
Zach Aston-Reese -- Riley Sheahan -- Tom Kuhnhackl
Brian Dumoulin -- Kris Letang
Olli Maatta -- Justin Schultz
Jamie Oleksiak -- Chad Ruhwedel
Matt Murray
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Matt Hunwick, Dominik Simon, Josh Jooris
Injured:Carter Rowney (upper body)

Status report

Mrazek is expected to back up Elliott for the Flyers with Neuvirth still day to day. Tokarski was called up from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. … Brassard will be a game-time decision after missing the final five games of the regular season because of a lower-body injury.