If the Philadelphia Flyers (41-27-12) defeat the Carolina Hurricanes (52-22-6) tonight, they’ll clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2019-2020.
Fans are feral. They’ve salivated for meaningful hockey over the last five seasons. Five different head coaches, including interim placeholders, and a front office overhaul shaped what the Flyers are today. It’s not just the fans who are starved for the postseason. The players are, too.
Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim are the only remaining players on the 2025-2026 roster from the last time Philadelphia entered the postseason. Couturier won the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy that season. Konecny led the team in points. Sanheim was in his third NHL season.
Tonight, those veterans must help pull the youth into the playoffs. You have to make the dance to have a chance. Rick Tocchet has to put his best on the ice to move the chains toward the Stanley Cup.
“There’s some young guys that played some big games. Just because it’s the NHL, it’s the same thing. There’s a little bit of nervous energy; you try to help them, but they know the task at hand. We don’t want to overthink things. That’s when you get nervous.” – Rick Tocchet; 4/13/2026
The Hurricanes stand at the top of the NHL Metropolitan Division. They’re resting key players, and the Flyers have a prime opportunity to advance their 2025-2026 story.
Tale of the Tape
- Power Play: 24.7% (5th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Power Play: 15.5% (32nd) Philadelphia Flyers
- Penalty Kill: 80.6% (10th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Penalty Kill: 77.6% (21st) Philadelphia Flyers
- Faceoff: 50.3% (16th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Faceoff: 49.4% (18th) Philadelphia Flyers
- Goals For: 3.59 (2nd) Carolina Hurricanes
- Goals For: 2.93 (22nd) Philadelphia Flyers
- Goals Against: 2.91 (8th) Carolina Hurricanes
- Goals Against: 2.94 (10th) Philadelphia Flyers
Injury Report: Carolina Hurricanes
Injury Report: Philadelphia Flyers
When: 7pm/ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena; Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Last Game PHI: 4/11/2026; 7-1 W; at Winnipeg Jets
Last Game CAR: 4/11/2026; 4-1 W; at Utah Mammoth
Philadelphia Flyers
Dan Vladař (28-14-7, 2.44GAA, 90.5%SV) will occupy the crease. He dropped his only decision to Carolina in a shootout on December 14th, 2025. Samuel Ersson (13-11-5, 3.15GAA, 86.7%SV) squared off against the Hurricanes twice, forcing overtime and a shootout, but never earned a win. If Vladař can help steal one win from Rod Brind’Amour in 2025-2026, it’ll be the most important victory of the season for Philadelphia.
Matvei Michkov (18G, 29A, -3) totaled seven points (2G, 5A) in the last five games. To his season total, he tallied one assist against Carolina when Vladař started. The Hurricanes are in a deep mismatch while resting players, and the door is wide open for Michkov to continue his point production.
“He’s [Matvei Michkov] done a nice job. He’s really taken the information and applied it. He’s part of the young guys. It’s not Matvei and all the other guys; they’re all together.” – Rick Tocchet; 4/13/2026
Nick Seeler (4G, 6A, +2) will align with Emil Andrae (2G, 11A, +15). It’ll be the first time Rasmus Ristolainen (1G, 13A, +11) competes against Carolina; earlier this season, Noah Juulsen (1G, 9A, +2), Ty Murchison (+1), and Egor Zamula were placeholders in the defensive unit.
Projected Lineup: Carolina Hurricanes
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Bradly Nadeau
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Nicolas Deslauriers
Eric Robinson – Skyler Brind’Amour – Jordan Martinook
K’Andre Miller – Jalen Chatfield
Alexander Nikishin – Sean Walker
Mike Reilly – Charles-Alexis Legault
Bradon Bussi
(Frederik Andersen)
Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers
Tyson Foerster – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone
Denver Barkey – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Garnet Hathaway – Sean Couturier – Luke Glendening
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Emil Andrae
Dan Vladař
(Samuel Ersson)
