Flyers coach Rick Tocchet drops truth bomb on sweep opportunity vs. Penguins

Story by

Bryan Logan, ClutchPoints

Thu, Apr 23, 2026 ·

2 min read

Flyers coach Rick Tocchet drops truth bomb on sweep opportunity vs. Penguins appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Philadelphia Flyers took a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs series. This puts the Flyers one game away from sweeping the Penguins out of the playoffs.

As the Flyers prepare for Game 4, at home, on Saturday, head coach Rick Tocchet spoke about getting the sweep to the media, per Sam Carchidi.

“Listen, we got a long way to go,” Tocchet said. “The hardest win is the last one.”

As a coach, Tocchet has only coached in two playoff series. He was with the Arizona Coyotes in 2020, but lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche . He won a series in 2024 with the Vancouver Canucks , but fell to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round. Still, he was not in a position to get a sweep in any series.

Teams have gotten up 3-0 212 times in best-of-seven series in NHL history. Of those 212 instances, 129 of the series have ended in sweeps, nearly 61 percent. It has not been as easy as of late, though. In 2025, two series could have had a sweep. The Toronto Maple Leafs had a 3-0 lead on the Ottawa Senators , but fell in Game 4 on the road, as the series went six games. The Florida Panthers could have swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Hurricanes won Game 4 on the road before falling in Game 5.

In 2024, there were four chances for sweeps, but just one team was able to pull off the feat. That was a first-round series between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals . The Panthers lost Game 4 in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning , but won the series in Game 5. The Hurricanes nearly swept the New York Islanders , but lost in double overtime and needed five to end the series as well. The Rangers and Hurricanes met in the second round, and the Rangers took a 3-0 lead before losing both Game 4 and Game 5. Finally, the Panthers nearly swept the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals, but the Oilers won three straight to force a Game 7.

Overall, it is rare for a team up 3-0 to lose the series. The reverse sweep has happened just four times in NHL history. So while the Flyers are likely to win the series, getting the sweep may not happen.