Flyers eliminate Penguins, draw Hurricanes

The Flyers are back in the part of the playoffs that actually changes how a season gets remembered. They knocked out the Penguins on April 29 i(nhl.com)reward is Carolina, which is not exactly a reward. The Hurricanes were the top Metropolitan seed, swept Ottawa in the first round, and get home ice when Game 1 starts Saturday, May 2, in Raleigh. (nhl.com) ### How did Philadelphia finish off Pittsburgh? With one goal and a goalie standing on(nhl.com)ic for a 1-0 win. Dan Vladar stopped all 42 shots he faced, and that was the whole game right there — because Pittsburgh pushed hard in the third period and overtime, but never got one past him. (nhl.com) ### Why was that win a big deal? Because it ended more than just a series. Philadelphia won the matchup 4-2 after entering as the No. 3 seed in the Metro(nhl.com)Flyers won a playoff series in front of home fans since 2012 — which tells you how long this has felt missing in Philly. (nhl.com) ### Why did Vladar matter so much? The Flyers did not control that clincher. Pittsburgh outshot them badly late, and Vladar basically kept the season alive (nhl.com)d 10 goals in six games, and recorded two shutouts. When a lower-seeded team survives a series like this, it usually has a goalie stealing margins — that was Vladar. (nhl.com) ### So what’s waiting in Round 2? A much cleaner, deeper, faster Carolina team. The Hurricanes swept Ottawa (nhl.com) put up a 1.10 goals-against average with a.955 save percentage. Taylor Hall led Carolina with seven points, Logan Stankoven scored four goals, and Sebastian Aho added three. That is a lot more attacking depth than Pittsburgh showed. (nhl.com) ### Did the regular season say anything useful? Yeah — and it mostly favored Carolina. The Hu(nhl.com)ters. It suggests Philadelphia was competitive, but it also suggests Carolina kept finding the extra gear when the game got tight. Trevor Zegras did hurt the Hurricanes during the season, though, with six points in four games, so there is at least one obvious pressure point for the Flyers to lean on. (nhl.com) ### Why are the Hurricanes the tougher matchu(nhl.com)ries — Philadelphia has to control the puck better against Carolina. The Hurricanes don’t just wait for mistakes; they force long defensive shifts and keep coming in waves. Against Pittsburgh, the Flyers could survive stretches without the puck because Vladar erased them. That is a dangerous way to live against Carolina four times. (nhl.com) ### When does the next step start? Fast. The NHL set Game 1 for S(nhl.com)ndings. The rest of the schedule was still to come when the league announced the opener, but the shape of the challenge was already clear — short turnaround, road start, top seed. (nhl.com) ### Bottom line? Philadelphia earned this. But the Penguins series was the breakthrough, not the proof of arrival. If the Flyers want to turn a fun upset into something bigger, they need more than overtime grit and goaltending heroics. Against Carolina, they need the puck. (nhl.com)