Flyers clinch first playoff spot since 2020, will face Penguins in first round
The Philadelphia Flyers clinched their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020 with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday evening.
In doing so, the Flyers ensured they will face their cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, marking the first time those two teams have met in the playoffs since 2018.
Tyson Foerster scored the shootout winner in the fourth round, while Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar stopped all four Hurricanes shots he faced. The Flyers currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 42-27-12 record and 96 points with one game still to play in the 2025-26 regular season.
The Flyers entered the second period of Monday’s game trailing the Hurricanes by a 2-0 score but battled back to tie it off of goals by Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras. Neither club scored in the third period, setting the stage for overtime and a shootout.
With Philadelphia’s win on Monday, both the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Additionally, the full field of eight Eastern Conference playoff teams was set: In addition to the Flyers and Penguins, the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Carolina Hurricanes will all vie for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Flyers and Penguins have met up in the playoffs on seven previous occasions, with Philadelphia winning in 2012, 2000, 1997, and 1989. The Penguins won in six games the last time they faced, in the first round back in 2018.
Back in 2020, the Flyers qualified for the playoffs under the leadership of head coach Alain Vigneault and captain Claude Giroux. They defeated the Canadiens in six games in the first round before losing to the New York Islanders in seven games immediately thereafter.
This year, the Flyers reached the playoffs largely on the strength of their stellar play past 60 minutes, winning 10 games in shootouts and an additional six in overtime. Travis Konecny is their leading scorer, with 68 points, while Rick Tocchet has guided the team to an improvement of at least 20 points in his first year as head coach.