It’s official. The Philadelphia Flyers (4-2) eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Next, the Flyers will begin the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Carolina Hurricanes (4-0).
But the ebbs and flows of the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals made for one of the better opening series in the entire NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The pure vitriol between the Penguins and Philadelphia produced wild ratings. The Flyers proved they are a relevant market in the NHL. The intrastate rivalry with Pittsburgh, as the kids say, ‘fed families.’
There’s a ton of credit to go around. Throughout this column, I will do my best to cover that ground.
At the top of the list: the Philadelphia fans.
They’re a constant throughout. Specifically, the fans who were unwavering as the Flyers battled on. It took the entire team. No one player was more important than another. The fans, particularly those who ‘ignited the orange’ at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, let everyone involved know that Philadelphia had their back as they went to war with the Penguins and, at times, the NHL officials.
Ironically, the fighting spirit began when the Flyers clinched a postseason berth in a shootout victory versus the Hurricanes. Tyson Foerster scored the game-winning goal in a shootout, and Dan Vladař denied Alexander Nikishin in a way that felt all too familiar to Philadelphia, and particularly Brian Boucher. That sets the stage for the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals.
A drought lasting five seasons, half of a decade, was no more. From the concrete, a sprout developed. The result of proper development and offseason signings exceeded the expectations set for 2025-2026. Teammates celebrated with Vladař, and for the first time since Alain Vigneault was the head coach of the Flyers, they were headed into the postseason.
I know people shed a tear. The emotion and elation were raw and real. Too many people, for far too long, said hockey wasn’t relevant in Philadelphia. Next thing you know, the people who said that were scrambling to discuss the one sport that would get them fired from their radio station if they dedicated time to it. The truth is, the fans in this city never quit on the Flyers.
Immediately, it was apparent that Philadelphia would go head-to-head against Pittsburgh. A rivalry reignited as the NHL absolutely salivated over the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup.
Next to no one (except for Stormy Buonantony, Erik Johnson, Tim Kavanagh, Steve Levy, and Greg Wyshynski) among the national media predicted the Flyers would eliminate the Penguins, but belief is a powerful thing.
Game 1: Could the Flyers’ Youth Win in the NHL Postseason?
Rick Tocchet put eight players (Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, Matvei Michkov, Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, Foerster, Trevor Zegras, and Cam York) in his Game 1 lineup who were 25 or younger.
Martone and Barkey were true rookies in 2025-2026. Barkey joined Philadelphia on the road at Madison Square Garden on December 20th, 2025, in a shootout loss against the New York Rangers, 5-4. Martone, following the end of his season with Michigan State University, joined the Flyers on March 31st, in a loss against the Washington Capitals, 6-4.
Michkov, Andrae, Drysdale, Foerster, Zegras, and York, all 25 or younger, made their NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Game 1 against the Penguins. They weren’t rookies, like Martone and Barkey. Most of them made an early impression. It was a different story for Michkov, who would pull through in the clutch (more on that later). Despite his struggles in the first half of the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, his teammates pulled him into the fight.
Drysdale scored the first goal of the series with an assist from Zegras and Barkey, giving Philadelphia a lead in the second period. Martone sniped the game-winner in his NHL Stanley Cup Playoff debut to put the Flyers ahead in the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, 1-0.
Game 2: Vladař Secures His First Postseason Shutout
During the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season, Vladař was close to notching a shutout. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Compared to the 2026 NHL Vezina Trophy finalists (Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy), the lack of regular-season shutouts kept Vladař on the outside looking in.
Not only did Philadelphia take Game 1 in Pittsburgh. They followed that effort with a 3-0 shutout in Game 2. Vladař went 27/27, denying Sidney Crosby four times, who led the Penguins in shots on goal. The 3-0 shutout was accommodated by a total of 82 penalty minutes.
Paul Bissonnette coined the term ‘scumbag hockey’ for the Flyers. Bissonnette spent one season with Pittsburgh, averaging 3:31TOI. Fun fact: Bissonnette, when translated from the French ‘bissonnet,’ is a diminutive of ‘bisson:’ a topographic name meaning ‘scrub,’ which checks out. He watched the series through black-and-yellow lenses. The irony is that the Penguins had 22 more penalty minutes than Philadelphia.
Heading home, the Flyers took a 2-0 lead in the NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Game 3: Eight Long F’n Years
Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim were the only players remaining on the roster from the last time a playoff game took place in Philadelphia. In 2018, the Flyers lost in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2, to Pittsburgh.
Game 3 was a culmination of eight long years. There are certain moments when you know a team is undeniable. The grin on Garnet Hathaway‘s face set the tone when Lauren Hart sang ‘God Bless America.’ The raw emotion kept Philadelphia in the hunt. It was the Penguins who scored first in Game 3, but the Flyers proved undeniable, taking a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with a 5-2 win.
When Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead into the Xfinity Mobile Arena, Pittsburgh fans didn’t travel well. I was at the arena with a fellow writer for Flyers Nation, Drew Wheeler, and there were nearly no Penguins fans in attendance. It looked like those fans gave up on their team in the same way Dan Muse gave up on Stuart Skinner. Speaking of that…
Game 4: Šilovs Stops the Sweep
Artūrs Šilovs was the better goaltender on Pittsburgh’s roster during the 2025-2026 NHL Regular Season. Muse went with Skinner because of postseason experience. However, by the numbers, it made little sense. Nonetheless, the Flyers were stoked to keep facing Skinner.
Goaltending dominated the narrative in Game 4. Bryan Rust routinely made solid contact with Vladař throughout the series, and it looked like Vladař was in discomfort during Game 3. Tocchet could’ve started Samuel Ersson to give Vladař a rest, but he was staring an opportunity to sweep the Penguins in the face. Vladař misplayed the puck, allowing Rickard Rakell to score on an open net. Vladař looked a bit sloppy, and a rest would’ve helped.
An opportunity at the sweep was squandered. Muse made the correct adjustment, forcing the Flyers to solve a new problem. Šilovs kept Pittsburgh in the hunt, bringing the series back to the PPG Paints Arena.
Game 5: Michkov Scratched, Bump Makes Postseason Debut
Let’s file this under ‘irrational reactions.’
Michkov was invisible in the first four games of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Tocchet sat Michkov to provide a one-game reset. The reactions of the ‘Michkov Stans’ would have you think that Michkov would never play another postseason game in Philadelphia, or that he should be traded because he wasn’t the main character. The obsession is an issue. It’s the first time the Flyers made the postseason in five years, yet there’s a very loud section of the fanbase that’s more bothered about one player versus the success of the team.
Alex Bump entered the lineup in place of Michkov. Before he was halfway through his NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, he produced more than Michkov did in the first four games. Tocchet found the energy he asked for when he inserted Bump into the lineup. Bump put Philadelphia on the scoreboard, and Sanheim followed up to tie the game, 2-2.
Kris Letang pulled the helmet off of Luke Glendening, which is a textbook penalty when NHL officials do their job. Jon McIssac decided to swallow his whistle instead. Moments later, Letang would score the game-winner on the flukiest goal of the series, when he should’ve been in the penalty box.
Lo and behold, Michkov returned to the lineup in Game 6. Duh!
Game 6: I Love Overtime Hockey!
What a way to end the series! I love overtime hockey!
Seriously, it’s one of the most entertaining aspects of hockey. It’s sudden death, and it’s the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the Flyers, there’s a chance to release a hell of a celebration in Philadelphia against their most bitter rival. For the Penguins, it’s a matter of life and death regarding their NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs aspirations.
In a goaltending duel, Vladař and Šilovs put on quite a display. Each was perfect during regulation, forcing overtime deadlocked at 0-0. Vladař secured his second career NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs shutout, denying 42 shots on goal.
The one-game reset paid off. Michkov recorded the primary assist on the game-winner. Noah Cates set the screen in front of Šilovs as York scored the overtime game-winner from the blue line. York chucked his stick into the crowd after scoring. That’s the thrill of victory, especially as the undeniable underdog in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Sending Pittsburgh on an early vacation is nice, but the job isn’t finished.
