For the first time in franchise history, the Philadelphia Flyers (4-2) go toe-to-toe with the Carolina Hurricanes (4-0) in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the two teams scheduled to meet in the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The story so far couldn’t be any more different. It looked like the Flyers were about to sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the intrastate rivals battled back, making the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals quite an interesting watch. Philadelphia did the deed, shutting them out 1-0 in Game 6 to advance into the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes completed the sweep of the Ottawa Senators. Carolina advanced without a blemish on their record, notching a shutout and winning in double overtime along the way.
If the regular season is an indication of how close a series matchup could be in the postseason, then we’re looking at a mentally and physically exhausting Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Flyers split their season series with the Penguins, resulting in a tightly contested Game 6. The Hurricanes won their season series with the Senators, each with a win in regulation, then completed the sweep.
Every game during the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season pitting Philadelphia and Carolina head-to-head required overtime or a shootout. The Hurricanes took the series, winning every scheduled game in 2025. Then, in 2026, the two franchises competed one final time to cap the season series, and the Flyers won in a shootout, 3-2, to clinch a postseason berth. Don’t be surprised if this Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup is tightly contested.
“They [Carolina Hurricanes] play a certain way. They’re not going to venture too far off it; a lot of pressure, like their PK [penalty kill], [and] like their five-on-five play. You’re going to have to be really good on the walls, body position, and breakouts, too. There’s ways of beating their pressure. We got to find it. You got to skate, also. You have to have a skating game to match their speed because they’re really good off the rush.” – Rick Tocchet; 5/2/2026
It all starts at the Lenovo Center. If you’re a Philadelphia fan hoping to infiltrate, be sure to ask a friend or family member to purchase tickets with a credit card linked to a North Carolina address because Carolina is purposely selling tickets to their home market, not just anyone who will foot the bill.
Tale of the Tape
- Power Play: 13.3% (10th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Power Play: 11.8% (12th) Philadelphia Flyers
- Penalty Kill: 95.2% (2nd) Carolina Hurricanes
- Penalty Kill: 84.2% (9th) Philadelphia Flyers
- Faceoff: 52.6% (4th) Philadelphia Flyers
- Faceoff: 41.5% (16th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Goals For/Games Played: 2.75 (8th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Goals For/Games Played: 2.67 (9th) Philadelphia Flyers
- Goals Against/Games Played: 1.25 (1st) Carolina Hurricanes
- Goals Against/Games Played: 1.83 (3rd) Philadelphia Flyers
Injury Report: Philadelphia Flyers
Injury Report: Carolina Hurricanes
When: 8pm/ET
Where: Lenovo Center; Raleigh, NC
Watch: ABC
Series: 0-0
Philadelphia Flyers
Dan Vladař (4-2, 2SO, 93.7%SV, 1.61GAA) started all six games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Rick Tocchet will likely stick with Vladař to begin the Eastern Conference Semifinals after his incredible performance in Game 6, eliminating Pittsburgh. It’s a no-brainer to start Vladař, particularly since he’ll go head-to-head against a goaltender with terrific postseason numbers.
Travis Konecny (1G, 3A, 10PIM, 7SOG, 17:44ATOI, 100%FO) is tied for the team lead in point production amongst the forwards with Noah Cates (1G, 3A, 9SOG, 15:40ATOI, 53.3%FO) and Trevor Zegras (1G, 3A, 10PIM, 6SOG, 17:37ATOI, 42%FO). Konecny didn’t appear on the stat sheet in Game 6, but created a few high-danger scoring chances on the rush and via rebounds while drawing a roughing minor, landing Kris Letang in the penalty box. Konecny never lost his head in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, particularly when the series was on the line. He took the cheap shot from Letang, allowing the Penguins to take more penalties.
Noah Juulsen (2A, +2, 1SOG, 10:53ATOI, 8BLK, 12HIT, 1TK, 3GV) and Nick Seeler (1G, 1GWG, +3, 14PIM, 5SOG, 14:30ATOI, 12BLK, 16HIT, 5TK, 5GV) logged quality minutes in Game 6. Juulsen brought the beef, leading the Flyers’ defensemen in hits (6), and Seeler tied Juulsen in blocked shots (3), also good for the team lead in Game 6.
Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen (4-0, 1SO, 95.5%SV, 1.10GAA) is the likely starting goaltender for the Hurricanes. He did account for a win versus Philadelphia in the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season in overtime, 4-3. However, this will be his first time facing Vladař since he joined the Flyers. Andersen went head-to-head with Samuel Ersson previously.
Seth Jarvis (2A, 5SOG, 21:39ATOI, 0%FO) is off to a slow start by his standard in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. He might’ve caught fire when Carolina eliminated Ottawa, considering his entire point production in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals took place in Game 4. Jarvis has yet to win a faceoff when asked to in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is an area that favors Philadelphia.
K’Andre Miller (3A, +4, 2PIM, 3SOG, 23:31ATOI, 7BLK, 5HIT, 2TK, 4GV) remained steady for the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Defensemen who join the attack are incredibly important to the success of playoff franchises, and Miller has done that for Carolina.
Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers
Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone
Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Noah Juulsen
Dan Vladař
(Sam Ersson)
Projected Lineup: Carolina Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Alexander Nikishin
Frederik Andersen
(Brandon Bussi)
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