Ristolainen's Playoff Debut: Flyers Win Game One

0:00On April 19th, Rasmus Ristolainen, the 6-foot-4 Philadelphia Flyers defenseman, finally stepped into his first Stanley Cup playoff game after. 8-20 regular season contests, the most among active players. Built like a tank with that gritty edge, he wasted no time, laying a massive hit on Pittsburgh's Brian Rust just 20 seconds in. Later, in the third period, he set up partner Travis Sandheim for the go ahead goal at 10 minutes, helping the Flyers snag a 3-2 win in game. One over the penguins, earlier this week, that puck drop at 8-25 p.m. Eastern felt like forever after all the hype, but Ristolainen called it pure itch to play. Traded to Philly from Buffalo back in July 2021, he'd miss playoffs there too, with the Sabers often finishing dead last or way out of. Contention, teammates couldn't say enough about his fire. Coach Rick Tockett noted how fed up he'd been, channeling that into a team high 25 minutes of ice time,

1:00complete with a shot, a hit, and his. First playoff point, at 31, after a triceps injury sidelineing him for the season's first 31 games, he proved he's no flash in the pan. 10 Flyers made their playoff debuts that night, from young gun Denver Barkey at 20 to vet Noah Kates. Ristolainen stood out as the elder statesman, thriving in the physical scraps amid 81 combined hits. With the series just heating up, his physicality and poise looked tailor-made for the nastiness ahead, positioning Philly strong as they carry that. One nothing lead. You've been listening to NHL News today, AI-powered team coverage.