By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyson Foerster scored the only goal in the shootout to send the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the Eastern Conference top seed Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night and into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Flyerss goalie Dan Vladar stopped Carolina’s fourth shootout attempt and set off a wild celebration at the next. The Flyers skated to center ice and raised their sticks toward a packed and rowdy crowd that hasn’t enjoyed a home playoff series since 2018.
Up next, a postseason series with Pittsburgh.
The Hurricanes got the point they needed to secure the top seed in the East.
The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference final last season, where they were eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida. Carolina was the No. 1 seed in the East in 2006, when it won the Stanley Cup.
The Flyers, who entered the game tied for fifth in the NHL with 21 comeback victories, woke up in the second period and played like a team with a playoff berth at stake.
Flyers fans came to life when Denver Barkey used a perfect cross-ice pass and found Matvei Michkov at the left circle. Michkov beat Brandon Bussi and scored his 19th goal to cut it to 2-1.
Trevor Zegras, sensational in his first season with the Flyers, scored on a power play later in the period, tying the game at 2. Zegras’ goal gave him 13 points in the last 13 games and 26 goals overall this season.
With a chance to clinch the top seed in the East, the Hurricanes made most of their key players healthy scratches.
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis — three of their top four scorers — sat out, as did top-scoring defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Jaccob Slavin, one of the NHL’s top defensemen, and team captain Jordan Staal also got the night off.
The makeshift lines were an instant hit for the Hurricanes, who silenced a Flyers crowd that came pumped for a playoff berth celebration.
Bradly Nadeau scored from the slot on a one-timer on Carolina’s second shot of the game and Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 25th of the season — 250th of his career — on the power play late in the first for a 2-0 lead.
Up next
Flyers: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Hurricanes: At the New York Islanders on Tuesday.