The Philadelphia Flyers had one chance to score a series win at home for the first time since 2012. The Flyers were up 3-0 in the series, looking destined to sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins. Instead, the Penguins won the next two games to pick up some momentum that may have had Flyers fans concerned. Not to mention, it's the young Flyers team against proven veteran like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who have plenty of playoff wins in their lengthy careers.
The Flyers ended any chance of becoming the fifth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead and lose. That's all thanks to Cam York, who unleashed a huge wrist shot that made it past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs to clinch the 1-0 victory. Now, they are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
With Game 6 in the books, let's take a look at some winners and losers from Game 6.
Winners: Flyers penalty kill
If there was one area that the Penguins had the advantage over the Flyers entering the playoffs, it was their power play. Pittsburgh had a 24.1 success rate on the power play, the seventh-best in hockey. As for the Flyers, their penalty kill was ranked 11th-worst in the NHL with a 77.6 percentage.
On Wednesday night, the Flyers were placed on the penalty kill twice in regulation. The good thing for them is that they held their own, stopping both opportunities to keep the game scoreless.
But there is the flip side to the situation.
Losers: Flyers power play
The Flyers power play unit, on the other hand, was not good.
Much like the Penguins, the Flyers received two power play opportunities. As evidenced by the game going to overtime, it goes to show those extra skater chances were unsuccessful.
Luckily for them, the power play was not a factor at all, as they won the game on even strength and had a moment that Flyers fans will remember for quite some time.
Winner: Dan Vladar
The Flyers would not have made it into the playoffs without goalie Dan Vladar. He was the goalie they've been missing in recent years, and their savvy move to sign him paid off. But in Games 4 and 5, Vladar gave up some brutal goals in each, both of which contributed to losses.
But credit where credit is due, Vladar was rock solid through the first three periods of the game. Vladar stopped all 32 shots on goal. That included the third period, where the Penguins outshot the Flyers 13-5. He stepped up when the team needed him the most.
In overtime, Philadelphia had a hard time keeping Pittsburgh out of their zone, meaning that Vladar had to stand on his head. Vladar stopped 10 shots in overtime, one of which saw him keep the puck out of the net after a barrage of players lunged at the crease. Luckily for him, it was all for something, as the Flyers won in overtime.
A 42-save shutout to clinch a first-round victory? That's a winning performance by Vladar.
Winner: Cam York
At points during overtime, it looked as though the Flyers were handing the game to the Penguins. They couldn't get out of their own zone and looked completely exhausted. The good thing is that Vladar kept them in the game. All they needed was one player to finish things off.
That's where York comes in. The 2019 first-round pick has never appeared in the playoffs in each of his first five seasons. In his first appearance, he had one assist through five games. Now, he will go down in Philadelphia sports history for clinching their first playoff series victory since 2020, and their first at home since 2012. A shot that sent all of Wells Fargo Center into pandemonium, with York tossing his stick over the glass in glee.
Also, heck of a time for York to end his 37-game goal drought.
Losers: The Penguins
The Penguins did lose this series, so they technically fit in this category. The Penguins carried the experience, given that Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang are all three-time Stanley Cup champions, while most of the Flyers roster never played in the postseason. Pittsburgh did give Philadelphia a scare, after pulling within one win from forcing a Game 7 after trailing 0-3.
Ultimately though, the Flyers were the team of destiny and picked up a huge win to advance to the second round.
Winners: Flyers fans
The Flyers may be winners, but so are the fans. They have waited a long time for this team to break out of their rebuild to return to the playoffs and back into Stanley Cup contention. Five consecutive seasons without watching playoff hockey. They showed up to the games, and let the team feel their energy.
One series down, Flyers fans. Now, another formidable foe in the Hurricanes.
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