Flyers top Bruins 2-1 in OT, inch closer to playoff return
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Porter Martone capped a fantastic first week in the NHL with a power-play goal in the NHL to put the Philadelphia Flyers even closer toward ending a miserable playoff drought with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The 19-year-old Martone — who just wrapped his season at Michigan State — is just the boost the Flyers needed down the stretch to earn that coveted playoff spot. His first career NHL goal in his fourth game put the Flyers into third place in the Metropolitan Division with five games left for them this season.
Flyers fans erupted when Martone capitalized on the man advantage — courtesy of David Pastrnak’s hooking penalty — with 2:29 left in OT. The Flyers needed this win to get in Eastern Conference playoff position for the first time since Jan. 12.
The Bruins tied the score 1-1 only 35 seconds into the third period when Pavel Zacha knocked one past Dan Vladar on the power play for his 29th goal of the season. Christian Dvorak took a perfect touch pass from Martone, the Flyers’ 2025 first-round draft pick, and finished a 2-on-1 with a wrister past Joonas Korpisalo for the early 1-0 lead. Still buzzing from the early goal, Flyers fans erupted only moments later when Travis Konecny and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy briefly scrapped near the net.
SENATORS 6, HURRICANES 3 OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Brady Tkachuk scored twice and Ottawa beat Carolina to move into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa moved a point ahead of the New York Islanders for the last playoff spot with five games left. The Senators are five points behind Boston for the first wild card.
Carolina leads the East, two points ahead of Tampa Bay. The Hurricanes missed a chance to clinch the Metropolitan Division. Both teams were playing the second half of back-to-back games, with Ottawa scoring twice in a 3:42 span in the third to take a 5-2 lead.