Against a very depleted Hurricanes team, the Flyers pulled off a dramatic, comeback 3-2 victory in the shootout to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2019-2020. For the first time since the 2017-2018 playoffs, we’ll have a Battle of Pennsylvania against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The basics
First period: 8:41 – Bradly Nadeau (Nikolaj Ehlers, Sean Walker), 15:30 – Ehlers (Logan Stankoven, Jackson Blake) (PPG)
Second period: 7:57 – Matvei Michkov (Denver Barkey, Noah Cates), 10:30 – Trevor Zegras (Porter Martone, Tyson Foerster) (PPG)
Third period: No scoring
Overtime: No scoring
Shootout: Trevor Zegras – no goal, Jackson Blake – no goal, Matvei Michkov – no goal, Bradly Nadeau – no goal, Travis Konecny – no goal, K’Andre Miller – no goal, Tyson Foerster – goal, Alexander Nikishin – no goal
SOG: 26 (CAR) – 23 (PHI)
Shades of 2010?
A dramatic, shootout victory at home to get into the playoffs? With Brian Boucher in the building? A recipe for success for the Flyers, and hopefully a sign of things to come for this team’s first playoff berth in six years.
Unlike in 2010, the Flyers didn’t get an immediate shootout lead from their big guns – Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov missed on the Flyers first two opportunities. Travis Konecny missed on the third attempt, but Dan Vladar came up big on all three Hurricanes attempts.
Then, in the fourth round, Rick Tocchet went with Tyson Foerster, and Foerster beat Brandon Bussi clean for the lead. It was Foerster’s second career shootout goal in five attempts.
USE THE FOERS! #CARvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/igpyACLGkE
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 14, 2026
After that, a Dan Vladar save on Alexander Nikishin booked the Flyers a date with the Penguins, and capped a night that felt very reminiscent of 2010.
THE SAVE THAT BROUGHT PLAYOFF HOCKEY BACK TO BROAD STREET. pic.twitter.com/2jpRWs4Jd4
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 14, 2026
Dan Vladar shuts the door
It’s only fitting that Dan Vladar’s heroics sealed the playoffs for the Flyers. He’s been the team MVP all year, a shockingly good addition by Danny Briere, and consistent night in and night out. Tonight, it was yet another instance of Vladar allowing 2 or less goals, and it was essential against the Canes’ high-volume attack.
Particularly in the third, the Canes threw the kitchen sink at Vladar. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Canes had a whopping 30 shot attempts in the third period, including three high danger chances. Vladar and the Flyers’ defense had an answer to all of them, and kept the game tied heading into overtime. A save on Jackson Blake with just over two minutes to go, right in the slot, might have saved the season. The same could be said for Vladar’s sliding pad save at the buzzer in overtime, or any of his four saves in the shootout. Just massively important, team-MVP level stuff from Vladar.
The Xfinity Mobile Center was so loud
It goes without saying, but it is so much fun in the building when the Flyers are playing well. For years and years, we’ve talked about how the Flyers get to the point of the city starting to pay attention, and then continually fall flat on their face in a big moment.
Well, as they have done in recent weeks, the Flyers have now fully captivated the city’s attention. With the Phillies mired in early-season mediocrity, no one actually believing in the Sixers, and the Eagles season still far away, hockey is the focus in Philadelphia. That’s a rare sight, and an opportunity for the organization to announce itself as relevant again. There’s no more perfect event to do that than the Battle of Pennsylvania, in what will likely be the last playoff series against the Penguins with Sidney Crosby. Hopefully, the Xfinity Mobile Center is even louder when the puck drops in Game 3.
Michkov draws the Flyers into the fight
From the jump in this game, Matvei Michkov looked like he had the juice. On just his second shift, Michkov set Sean Couturier up in the slot for a high-danger chance. Couturier couldn’t finish, but it was one of multiple chances that Michkov set up for his teammates early in this game.
In the second period with the Flyers trailing 2-0, Michkov got the Flyers back into the game. On a cross-ice pass from Denver Barkey, Michkov finished off a quick eight-second shift with a goal past Brandon Bussi. With the goal, Michkov ignited the Xfinity Mobile Center, and the crowd was probably at its loudest volume in a decade.
Michkov the marksman. 🎯#CARvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/qW3UscwUl1
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 14, 2026
Michkov didn’t just disappear after the goal, though – he was the Flyers’ best forward all night. Per Natural Stat Trick, Michkov carried a ridiculous 90% Expected Goals percentage in all situations tonight, by far the best mark on the team. His linemates Denver Barkey and Noah Cates were each in the 70s, but Michkov was a tick above the others. In overtime, he nearly sent the Flyers to the first round on a breakaway where he just couldn’t lift the puck past Bussi.
More than anything, if this game was a sign of things to come in Matvei Michkov’s Flyers career, the organization has to feel really good about the future. One of the two foundational players of this rebuild, in the organization’s biggest game in a decade, was arguably the best player on the ice in a playoff-clinching game. No matter what happens in the playoffs, Matvei Michkov has shown what he could be.
Martone looks a bit overwhelmed early, but still gets a point
The Hurricanes have been so good for so long now, and their game is pretty straightforward. Dump, chase, pressure relentlessly, and shoot from everywhere. There’s very little space to operate against the Hurricanes, and Porter Martone struggled with this mightily on Monday night.
Particularly in the first period, Martone turned the puck over frequently and was clearly struggling with the pace of the Canes. He was rushed a lot along the boards, had zero time and space, and didn’t create any offense at all. For the first time in his NHL career, Martone looked like the 19-year-old rookie he is.
Martone, as he’s shown throughout the first eight games of his career, has the high-end skill that can still make an impact in a game that he’s playing poorly in. On a power play after the Michkov goal, Martone made a quick decision with a puck down low, finding Zegras alone in front for a goal. It was on the power play, but Martone found the time and space that he didn’t have throughout the first half of the game.
FIRE US UP, ZIGGY! #CARvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/ZDFQtduMLF
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 14, 2026
Martone continues to impress, and continues to make an impact in games where he clearly doesn’t have his highest level. Similar to Michkov, it’s hard not to leave this game feeling extra good about the future with Martone.
Tippett gets beaten up all over the place, muscles through the game
Owen Tippett is one tough guy, and he took a beating in this game. First, after a hard drive to the net early in the second period, he awkwardly banged his knee into the post. He immediately went to the room, but returned just a few minutes later, clearly not at 100 percent. Then, on another rush attempt, Tippett was slashed on the arm as he was getting a shot off, and clearly laboring on the bench for minutes afterwards.
Finally, late into the third period, Tippett was hit by a point shot in an area where the sun doesn’t shine. He was understandably laboring badly, and the refs allowed Tippett to leave the game action despite the Flyers’ icing the puck.
Even with all of that, Tippett still managed to be one of the more noticeable Flyers tonight. Along with Michkov, Tippett gathered the most expected-goals on the roster tonight (0.67 xG), per HockeyViz. He was all over in terms of chances, and you have to think that Tippett is one of the guys that rests tomorrow night against Montreal.
