Joining the Flyers’ playoff bandwagon? Here’s what you need to know

The Flyers are formally a part of the Philadelphia sports activities dialog once more.

That a lot is evident in the wake of Porter Martone‘s dramatic OT winner on Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The purpose, which has been the discuss of the city amongst sports radio stationsfollowers, and even Bryce Harper This week, you have pushed the Flyers into the driver’s seat to clinch a primary postseason look since 2020, and a primary playoff collection in Philly since 2018.

That breakthrough second, and the crowd pop that adopted, have been all too rare lately for the hockey group that calls 3601 S. Broad Street residence, as the floundering Flyers have missed a franchise record-tying 5 straight postseasons and undergone a protracted and painful rebuild.

The Flyers’ upswing has additionally sparked to debate about who must be allowed to bounce on the bandwagon.

There can be no gatekeeping right here. For those that did not tune in till after the Eagles’ season ended, or have hockey fever from Team USA’s double gold at the Olympicsor are simply beginning to care now that the residence group is again in the thick of the playoff race, here is what you might have missed to this point and what you ought to know about the Flyers.

» READ MORE: Porter Martone’s fast start with the Flyers was forged in Michigan State’s gym: ‘The best decision I ever made’

‘Hungry canines run sooner’

If you are in search of an underdog storythe 2025-26 Flyers are simply the group for you.

Picked in the preseason to finish last or second to final in the Metropolitan Division by most publications, and anticipated to contend for a top-five draft choose, the Flyers have far exceeded expectations. Entering Wednesday, they sat two factors forward of the Columbus Blue Jackets for third in the division and had been tied with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card spot.

The Flyers’ success has actually been a group effort. Six gamers had between 17 and 28 objectives coming into Tuesday, and 11 gamers had 25 or extra factors, together with the since-traded Bobby Brink. To additional spotlight the group’s stability, Travis Konecny‘s team-high 66 factors rank outdoors the high 50 in the league, whereas Owen Tippett‘s 28 objectives are tied for forty seventh.

There can also be a likability issue to the Flyers, as they play a blue-collar model of hockey and genuinely appear to get pleasure from taking part in with each other. When somebody scores or takes a foul hit, 4 guys are often making a beeline to that participant, whether or not it’s to rejoice with him or defend him.

“We’re a really, really tight group,” Konecny ​​advised The Inquirer in mid-December. “And that’s the thing. I’m sure every team says it, but for some of the guys who have been elsewhere that are here, the staff that’s here, we hear how tight this group is from those guys.”

Trevor Zegras echoed that between intervals on Tuesday: “It’s such a close, really tight-knit group. I’ve never felt more at home at the rink, and I think when you have that love, camaraderie, and that passion, and everybody is pulling for each other, I think it brings the best out of everybody.”

» READ MORE: The Flyers are trying to stay grounded despite the added pressure of the playoff race

Dan’s the man

While the Flyers lack a famous person in the vein of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, or Sidney Crosby, goalie Dan Vladař has been the group’s spine and unquestioned MVP.

TO journeyman backup Before signing on July 1, Vladař has posted the finest season by a Flyers goalie in a decade and appears to have lastly stopped the revolving door in the group’s crease. The Czechia native is 27-13-7, and amongst goalies with 30 begins, he ranks third in objectives in opposition to common (2.40), is tied for eleventh in save proportion (.907), and is tenth in objectives saved above anticipated (14.55), in accordance to Money Puck.

Vladař has allowed three or fewer objectives in 41 of his 49 video games. He’s given the Flyers an opportunity to win just about each night time.

As improved as the Flyers are defensively beneath coach Rick Tocchetnotably when it comes to conserving opponents to the outdoors, none of that might matter with out Vladař’s stellar play between the pipes.

Joyless January

The Flyers management their future in the playoff hunt, however only a month and a half in the past, that assertion would have appeared hardly plausible.

That’s as a result of after a powerful first few months of the season, the Flyers misplaced 11 of their final 13 games in January, and 14 of 20 main up to the March 6 commerce deadline. In that span, they went from three factors above the playoff reduce to six beneath, and appeared useless in the water.

But normal supervisor Danny Brierea lot to the ire of many followers and this writerdidn’t money in on high commerce chips like Rasmus Ristolainen and take a look at to guarantee the finest draft lottery odds potential. It has confirmed to be a masterstroke, as the Flyers have righted the ship and performed themselves again into competition.

» READ MORE: Hayes: Flyers are in the playoffs (for the moment), which validates Danny Brière and Keith Jones’ strategy

“I’m really proud of how the guys are battling,” Brière advised NBC Sports Philadelphia final week. ”It would have been simple to pack it in a number of weeks in the past, however no, these guys preserve combating for [the playoffs]”

Meanwhile, Ristolainen has solidified the group’s high pair with Travis Sanheim and is a team-best plus-13 since the Olympic break.

The turning level

The Olympic break provided a natural divide in the schedule, and the Flyers used the 19-day NHL sabbatical to their advantage.

While Tocchet, Ristolainen, Vladař, and Sanheim had been in Milan for the Games, the Flyers bought some relaxation earlier than remonstrating for a pseudo-training camp in Voorhees, run by assistant coach Todd Reirden. The practices, which aimed to simplify some issues and enhance the group’s construction, served as a turning level for a group that was reeling.

Since then, the Flyers have the second-best record in the NHL at 15-6-1, and have allowed only 2.32 goals per game thanks in part to Vladař and a much-improved Sam Ersson.

The Flyers have been road warriors, too, as they are 10-2 away from home during that span, and have claimed wins over playoff teams including Minnesota, Anaheim, and Pittsburgh.

“[Making the playoffs] that’s our No. 1 mindset and why we’re doing the things we’re doing in practices is with that endgame in mind,” Reirden said on Feb. 18. “We’re going to approach every game with that mindset. It’s something that is attainable and our guys believe in.”

» READ MORE: Flyers playoff picture: Updated standings and wild-card chances

The youngsters are all proper

The most exciting part of the Flyers’ recent torrid run has been the contributions they’ve gotten from young players who are banking on to be key parts of the future. Whatever happens this year, it hints that better days lie ahead.

In addition to high prospect Martone, who at 19 has looked more like a 10-year vet than a rookie since signing from the faculty ranks final week, the Flyers have eight different gamers 25 or beneath taking part in important roles. Those people, who embody Matvey Michkov, Tyson FoersterZegras, Jamie Drysdale, Cam YorkEmil Andrae, Denver Barkey, and Alex Bumpare all taking part in in playoff-type video games for the first time of their NHL careers.

“Even guys like Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale never really had the chance to play in some of those games,” Briere said last week. “This is a tremendous experience for all our players, and to have the Bumps and the Barkeys around, and now adding Porter to that group, I think it’s really good for the growth of this team and preparing them for the future.”

Those gamers have largely met the second, too. Martone scored the extra time winner and has added three assists in 5 NHL video games. Foerster, 24, has three objectives in 4 video games since coming back from 4 months out after arm surgery, and Zegras, 25, has 4 objectives, 11 assists, and is plus-8 in his final 17 video games. Even the 21-year-old Michkov, who had a well-documented gradual begin to the 12 months, has 12 factors in his final 12 contests.

That’s with out including Tippett and Noah Cateswho are both just 27 and have been maybe the Flyers’ best two forwards since the restart. Among the team’s top nine forwards, top four defensemen, and two goaltenders, only Ristolainen is older than 30.

The Flyers are far from a finished article, but the young pieces should excite fans about their future.

» READ MORE: The Flyers’ 2025-26 season has already been a success, whether the team makes the playoffs or not