Flyers Outlast Hurricanes in Shootout to Seal Playoff Spot, Face Pittsburgh Next

Flyers clinch, draw Penguins after Canes win

Tyson Foerster scored the shootout winner as the Flyers beat Carolina 3-2 to clinch a playoff spot. They’ll meet the Penguins in round one.

Foerster the hero as Flyers clinch, eliminate Capitals and Blue Jackets...

The Philadelphia Flyers secured a playoff spot Monday night when Tyson Foerster buried the game-winning shootout goal against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Nikolaj Ehlers set up Bradly Nadeau’s third goal of the season, then scored on the power play himself as the Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead heading into the second period.

From there, the Flyers fought back. 

Matvei Michkov netted his 19th of the season off a slick assist from Denver Barkey to make it 2-1. Trevor Zegras then tied it with his 26th on Philadelphia’s first power play of the night in the second, before both sides went scoreless in the third.

After Carolina missed four shootout attempts and the Flyers missed three, Foerster stepped up and played hero. His winner sent Philadelphia to the playoffs and officially knocked both the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets out of contention.

Now the first-round matchup is locked in. It’s a Battle of Pennsylvania, with the No. 2 seed Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the No. 3 Flyers. This marks the eighth playoff meeting between the rivals and just the second time they’ve clashed in round one. The last time was 2018, when Pittsburgh won the series 4-2.

Philadelphia holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time playoff series, though both clubs split the regular season at 2-2.

Carolina sat several of its top players Monday versus the Flyers after already clinching the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. The Hurricanes are 51-22-7 for 111 points.