It won’t show up on the scoresheet, and it wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. But at one point in overtime, Dan Vladar sounded like he had enough. And he let his teammates know it.
With just under six minutes to go in Game 6, and the game still looking for its first goal, Flyers defenseman Cam York cleared the puck. But once again — as was the case for nearly all of the overtime — the Penguins gobbled the puck up in the neutral zone and drove back in. York again played the puck behind the net, wheeling it around so Matvei Michkov would chip it out. He, like so many other forwards wearing a Flyers jersey in overtime, didn’t. The Penguins kept it in, with Evgeni Malkin feeding Tommy Novak in a high danger area. His wrister was gloved by Vladar.
Yet it was what Vladar — who was being peppered in the fourth period — said to nobody in particular that changed the momentum. The command was audible and to the point. “Wake up!” The ensuing faceoff was a little better, as the Flyers finally started pushing things up ice. It wasn’t pretty, but with so much time on their heels, any time away from Vladar was welcomed. With just over three minutes to go, Porter Martone intercepted a pass in his own end, and fed it to Owen Tippett. Tippett drove the net, and the rebound was nearly buried by Martone. A flurry ensued, and the Pens iced the puck. The ensuing faceoff saw York do what he did, and Philadelphia advanced.
Dan Vladar with his 2nd shutout of the series tonight, and his reaction to the game winner was absolutely PRICELESS 🥹👏 pic.twitter.com/nIv2EZyMMQ
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 30, 2026
Flyers bend but Dan Vladar never breaks
He didn’t register an assist on the goal, but Vladar was the sole reason the Flyers were 75 minutes into the game with the Penguins still searching for their first goal. A stellar 42-save effort (and his second shutout in six games after posting none in the season) was highlighted by that simple message. If the forwards were playing rope-a-dope, they couldn’t have executed it any better. There was substantial bending in the extra frame, but their most valuable player between the pipes never broke. And it might have been that terse suggestion to the skaters in front of him to do something that was a catalyst of sorts. Misson accomplished.
If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Dxt41GTOsM
— x – Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 30, 2026
When asked post-game about the number of chances and the 10 shots the Penguins had in overtime, Vladar was composed and relieved it was over.
“For me it was just the belief and just trying to give the guys in front of me a chance,” he said. “And I had the belief in them that they were going to capitalize. I’m obviously glad that they did, and even better it was Yorkie.”
Vladar added there was “never a doubt” in the locker room that the Flyers were going to come out on top. “If somebody had a doubt, that’s their problem now, not ours,” he said. “We all believed that we could do it. And for me, nothing was changing As I said before the series, I cannot try to stop the puck harder. I still continue to do the same thing and stay positive. And be a good person, because I feel good things happen to good people, and we are good people in here. So we deserved this.”
The goaltender finished the series with a brilliant .937 save percentage and a miniscule 1.61 goals against average against the Penguins and their Hall of Fame talents. And considering Pittsburgh had a total of 24 shot attempts to the Flyers’ nine in overtime, it’s incredible Vladar stood up to the challenge in his first playoff series as a starter. And with players in front of him extremely raw at the National Hockey League level let alone NHL playoff pressure.
Taking a bullet
“It’s important that we understand that these guys are young guys, and the make mistakes,” Tocchet said after the game. “How do you not love the guy? I mean, he’s like ‘Aww, I should’ve had this goal.’ And he’s blaming himself. And it’s not his fault, but that’s what he does. He’s taking a bullet for some guys or the team, or taking a bullet for me. I love the guy for putting in that kind of effort. He’s been great all series, he’s been great all year. But he was phenomenal tonight for us.”
Vladar has almost single-handedly carried the Flyers at times throughout the season, taking a lot of shots and giving the team a puncher’s chance in the end. In Game 6, his effort was enough to help knockout the Penguins for good.
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com
