Flyers win series over Penguins on Cam York OT goal

PHILADELPHIA — When the third period ended deadlocked at 0-0, you had the feeling the Flyers would have been behind on all judges scorecards against Pittsburgh had it been a boxing match. You just had the feeling they needed a connecting haymaker. 

They got it on a point shot from Cam York with 2:28 to go in the first overtime for the 1-0 win to clinch the series for the Flyers and send them to a second-round meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes: 

Cam York punched the Flyers’ ticket to the second round!

(via @NBCSPhilly) pic.twitter.com/Wm1CK0Lz5J

— OnPattison (@OnPattison) April 30, 2026

Just seconds after the Flyers just missed scoring on a backhanded shot by Owen Tippett on a break down the right side, and the ensuing rebound missed by Porter Martone on a terrific save by Arturis Silovs, York called game with his series-winner. 

The Flyers couldn't clear the puck out of their zone with any regularity all night long. They got beat along the boards, and at one point late in the game, were getting cheered by the frustrated crowd just for getting the puck out of their own end, or if the Penguins iced the puck.

Dan Vladar was outstanding all night, saving his teammates in front of him numerous times with outstanding saves. He stoned numerous Penguins all alone in the front of the net. He controlled rebounds, and kept this one from being a deciding win for the visitors. After not having a shutout all regular season, Vladar recorded his second of the series, stopping all 42 shots on goal. 

There was no feeling out process for the Flyers or Penguins in the scoreless first period as both teams came out in fourth gear. The Flyers owned most of the action for the first 12 minutes, before an interference penalty on Jamie Drysdale gave the Penguins the first power play of the night. After that kill, the Flyers quickly regained the momentum again, getting a man advantage on a holding call to Noel Acciari. Philadelphia couldn't capitalize, though they had some pretty good chances and kept the puck in the Pittsburgh end most of the power play.

Owen Tippett, Porter Martone, Sean Couturier and Christian Dvorak all had primo scoring chances, only to be either turned away by Pens goalie Silovs or just miss the net. Silovs turned away the 11 shots he faced, but gave up a ton of rebounds that the Flyers just couldn't capitalize on.

Vladar stoned Evgeni Malkin after a Matvei Michkov giveaway at center ice and was rock solid on the 12 shots he faced. Alex Bump — inserted into the lineup for the second consecutive game by coach Rick Tocchet — was the best player on the ice in the first, seemingly in on every play in both zones. 

Two excellent scoring chances for the Flyers in the second were turned away by Silovs, both along the ice on his glove side. Couturier, Dvorak and Travis Sanheim broke in on an odd man break while shorthanded and Dvorak eventually found himself all alone in front of Silovs, but couldn't beat him. Then, with 4:30 to go in the period, Michkov got a pass along the right boards and went in all alone, but couldn't get it home. Seconds later, he corralled a rebound to the left of the goal, faked going behind the net and tried to jam the puck behind Silovs along the post, but the goalie was able to keep his pad down and out of the net and the game remained scoreless.

After a seemingly harmless end to the second, with the puck frozen, Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang threw a right hand to the head of Travis Konecny, incurring a roughing penalty as the clock ran out. But they couldn't convert.

Both teams had superb chances in the third, mostly due to mistakes by the other team. But Vladar and Silovs were excellent, leading to the first overtime game of the series after the Penguins outshot the Flyers, 13-5 and had them on their heels for most of the period.

Ultimately, the Flyers came through to win their first playoff series since defeating the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals.