Flyers clinch playoffs
Philadelphia beat Carolina 3‑2 in a shootout on Monday to clinch its first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2020 under first‑year coach Rick Tocchet (espn.com). That result also mathematically eliminated Columbus from postseason contention, closing one chapter of the late‑season race (dispatch.com).
Philadelphia is back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 3-2 shootout win over Carolina on Monday, ending the Flyers’ longest postseason drought since the 1990s. (nhl.com) Tyson Foerster scored the only goal in the shootout at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and goaltender Dan Vladar stopped all three Carolina attempts after the teams were tied 2-2 through overtime. (nhl.com) The point Philadelphia earned by getting the game past regulation was enough to lock up a playoff berth, and the win set a first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina, meanwhile, secured the Eastern Conference’s top seed with the regulation point. (espn.com) The Flyers had not reached the postseason since the 2019-20 season, when the National Hockey League finished its playoffs inside the Toronto and Edmonton pandemic bubbles. Their last playoff series before this came in August 2020. (espn.com) This turnaround came in Rick Tocchet’s first season behind the bench. Tocchet was hired as Philadelphia’s coach on May 14, 2025, after the club finished 33-39-10 and missed the playoffs last year. (nhl.com) Philadelphia erased a 2-0 deficit against Carolina on goals from Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett, then survived overtime before Foerster ended it in the tiebreaker. Zegras tied the game on a power play in the second period. (nhl.com; phillyvoice.com) The result also ended Columbus’ late push. The Blue Jackets were mathematically eliminated Monday night and will miss the playoffs for a sixth straight season after going 40-29-12. (dispatch.com; nhl.com) By Tuesday, all 16 playoff berths in the National Hockey League were filled, with the regular season set to end April 16 and Philadelphia’s return shifting attention to a Flyers-Penguins series. (usatoday.com) For a franchise that had spent five straight springs out of the bracket, the clincher came at home, in a shootout, with a Pennsylvania rivalry waiting on the other side. (nhl.com; espn.com)
