Flyers goalie Dan Vladař shoulders the blame after a rare shaky start in Game 4: ‘We’re good’
Listen to article 0:00 min
Dan Vladař was looking for the clear.
Less than a minute into the second period Saturday, he had Cam York wide, with Penguins forward Rickard Rakell heading right toward him as he prepared to play the puck from behind his goal.
Vladař fumbled the pass attempt to York, which Rakell blocked, and the Swedish forward dove right toward the puck and tapped it into the open net with his stick. The Penguins had doubled their lead over the Flyers to 2-0 on the way to a 4-2 victory in Game 4 of their playoff series.
“Obviously my fault, but that’s hockey,” Vladař said. “… It happens to every single goalie. Obviously not ideal in a type of game like that, but obviously the only thing you can do is try to focus on the next play.”
The Flyers have gotten used to superhuman efforts from Vladař, who signed with the team in the summer and has stabilized the Flyers’ crease after a revolving door in net the last few years.
» READ MORE: Dan Vladař has been the Flyers’ MVP all season long. He’s also far from your typical goalie.
In the first three games of the series, he was as advertised, fending off every shot in Game 2 for a shutout even as the Flyers got caved in in the third period, and allowing just four goals total across three games. Vladař’s positivity and approach are keeping him focused on bouncing back, even after his worst start of the playoffs so far.
“It’s a miscommunication,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I think the D were yelling, ‘Up,’ so I think [Vladař] just held onto it too long. Those things happen. It’s just a misfortune. He’ll be fine. It’s just miscommunication on that play. Somebody barked out an order, and he just was a little bit slow on the pass.”
Heading into Game 4, there were questions about whether Vladař would even be available after he was shaken up in a collision with Bryan Rust late in Game 3. Vladař missed practice Thursday with some sort of arm injury but was ready to go Saturday night. He said postgame that he felt good and was never worried about missing the game.
But he took full responsibility for the loss, blaming himself for allowing the first two goals, including Sidney Crosby’s first-period tally, which from distance, trickled through him on the glove side.
The bad goal might go viral. It’ll definitely be a dang-it. But the Flyers need to be able to survive middling starts from Vladař, who saved 17 of 20 shots in the loss. The Flyers came out “sluggish,” Tocchet said, and allowed the Penguins to dominate the transition game with their speed, especially in the first two periods.
» READ MORE: The Flyers have to pass an unfamiliar test after losing Game 4 to the Penguins.
Instead of a series sweep at home, the Flyers will return to Pittsburgh in search of another win on the road. But as usual, no one was more optimistic about their chances of doing so than Vladař, who has become a vocal leader in the Flyers’ locker room over the course of the season.
“We’re good,” Vladař said. “We’re going to be great on Monday, just a quick bounce back for us. I thought the guys played a really good game in front of me. Obviously, first two goals weren’t great from my end. If I didn’t let those two happen, we would have won 2-1.”
Flyers right wing Travis Konecny reacts after the Penguins win Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Owen Tippett waits to leave the ice at the end of the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers left wing Noah Cates against Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs and Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers goaltender Dan Vladar stops the puck during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers center Christian Dvorak is pushed away by Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers head coach Rick Tocchet during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Travis Konecny celebrates a goal during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerPenguins goaltender Arturs Silovs watches as the puck goes in for a Flyers right wing Travis Konecny goal during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers goaltender Dan Vladar reacts after Penguins defenseman Kris Letang scores a goal during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers goaltender Dan Vladar watches the puck against Penguins center Noel Acciari during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers center Trevor Zegras exchanges words with Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers center Denver Barkey celebrates a goal during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Tyson Foerster attempts to score on a power play against Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Garnet Hathaway checks Penguins right wing Bryan Rust into the Flyers bench during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Garnet Hathaway shoots the puck against Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Porter Martone goes after the puck against Penguins left wing Elmer Soderblom during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerPenguins center Sidney Crosby celebrates a first period power play goal in Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers fans hold up a sign about Sidney Crosby during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers center Luke Glendening tries to deflect the puck past Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs and defenseman Erik Karlsson during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Owen Tippett against Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs and defenseman Erik Karlsson during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerFlyers right wing Owen Tippett shoots the puck against Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff PhotographerNew Flyers shirts for fans before Game 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins of the Eastern Conference first round Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
