Flyers clinch playoffs for 1st time since 2020 after shootout win over Hurricanes
Tyson Foerster scored the only goal in the shootout to send the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Eastern Conference top seed Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night and into the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Flyerss goalie Dan Vladar stopped Carolina's fourth shootout attempt and set off a wild celebration at the next. The Flyers skated to center ice and raised their sticks toward a packed and rowdy crowd that hasn't enjoyed a home playoff series since 2018.
Up next, a postseason series with Pittsburgh. THE SAVE THAT BROUGHT PLAYOFF HOCKEY BACK TO BROAD STREET. pic.
twitter. com/2jpRWs4Jd4 ā x - Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 14, 2026 The Hurricanes got the point they needed to secure the top seed in the East. The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference final last season, where they were eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida.
Carolina was the No. 1 seed in the East in 2006, when it won the Stanley Cup. The Flyers, who entered the game tied for fifth in the NHL with 21 comeback victories, woke up in the second period and played like a team with a playoff berth at stake.
Flyers fans came to life when Denver Barkey used a perfect cross-ice pass and found Matvei Michkov at the left circle. Michkov beat Brandon Bussi and scored his 19th goal to cut it to 2-1. Flyers gather around the net of goalie Dan Vladar, top left, as they celebrate after making the playoffs after an NHL game against the Hurricanes, Monday, April 13, 2026.