It was a white-knuckle Game 6, but in the end the Philadelphia Flyers prevailed in their first-round battle against the Pittsburgh Penguins. And before we look ahead to the Carolina Hurricanes, it’s grading day for all of the Flyers who participated in the six-game series. Here they are according to position, but in no particular order.
Goaltenders
Dan Vladar
Vladar stopped 148 of 158 shots in six games and change, including a stellar 42-save performance in Game 6. A ridiculously small 1.61 goals-against average, an equally ridiculous .937 save percentage, and a goals saved above average of 5.40. Vladar mishandled a puck in Game 4, and had a fluke goal against in Game 5. But other than that, what’s there to bitch about? Simply sensational! The Flyers are playing Carolina thanks to his heroics. Grade: A+
Defensemen
Travis Sanheim
Sanheim averaged 26:04 of ice time on the team’s top pairing along with Rasmus Ristolainen. He also scored two goals and an assist and was a plus-5 in the series. When Rick Tocchet needed a shutdown pair against either Sidney Crosby, Sanheim got the nod and was very strong. He also didn’t take any crap from the Pens captain, delivering as many crosschecks and slashes back as he was given. And despite playing 156:22 in all situations, Sanheim only had four extra-long shifts, indicating he was rarely if ever hemmed in his own end while on the ice against Crosby. A great effort. Thank you again Torey Krug! Grade: A
Rasmus Ristolainen
Ristolainen is Philadelphia’s leading point-getting after the first round. No, I’m serious. Alone atop the team with a goal and four assists while eating up over 25 minutes a night, including 30:12 in Game 6. It seems playoff Risto is relishing the chance to prove himself after over 800 games without post-season action, with six goals for and two against five-on-five through the series. He’s been a workhorse, and one of the cornerstones to the Flyers’ success down the stretch into through the first round.
Without looking too far ahead, Danny Briere’s asking price for Ristolainen in the summer went up quite a bit. Grade: A-
🔥 Rasmus Ristolainen gives the Flyers the lead
1st playoff goal of his NHL career pic.twitter.com/ZHiVGtnSho
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) April 23, 2026
Cam York
York was the hero in Game 6, and was the only one celebrating without his stick after scoring. However, he had some miscues that he said afterwards Vladar bailed him out of. York found himself on the wrong side of Corsi For percentage (36.82), but like a lot of the Flyers, he bent but didn’t break over time. The goal, his first in almost half a season, should do wonders for his confidence moving forward. Grade: B-
THE FLYERS ARE MOVING ON 🔥
Cam York buries the game-winner in Game 6 to eliminate the Penguins 😤 pic.twitter.com/lys1uhM3iu
— ESPN (@espn) April 30, 2026
Jamie Drysdale
Like York, Drysdale wasn’t a huge defender who drove play. His numbers were marginally better than York’s in terms of metrics, but he wasn’t that much of a difference maker like Sanheim or Ristolainen. A steadying presence on the second pair, he was able to get out of danger a bit more than York was able to with some quick thinking and foot speed. Sadly, Drysdale was the lone Flyer skater to be a negative (-2) on the plus/minus scale. Grade: B-
Nick Seeler
Seeler blocked shots, delivered some hits, and blocked more shots. Just another day at the office for the third-pairing blueliner. While not being much of a playmaker at all, Seeler provided some quality minutes, and some very timely blocks at key points in the series.
The defenseman also scored a goal, one of six the Flyers’ blue line scored this series. Overall, the rugged Flyer was everything you would’ve expected. And he’s got the bruises as evidence. Grade: C+
Emil Andrae
Andrae got in the lineup for two games, holding his own at times. Other times he looked somewhat uncomfortable. Andrae’s decision-making needs to be immediate to be effective, and sometimes he was rather hesitant. He wasn’t a huge liability in the time he was afforded. But didn’t exactly shine over the other sixth defenseman we’ll get to in a minute. Grade: C
Noah Juulsen
Juulsen seemed to compliment Seeler a little bit better in this series while his pair of assists came out of nowhere. Juulsen wasn’t on the ice for a goal against 5-on-5, and brought some physicality to the lineup. He filled his position well. Grade: C+
Forwards
Trevor Zegras
Zegras at times resembled a promising center who could make plays. In other cases, he looked completely out of his depth. Zegras ended up with a goal and three assists, but too many times (particularly in Game 6) his line with Porter Martone and Owen Tippett were smothered in their own end with defensive miscues that Vladar often resolved.
He wasn’t a tire fire by any stretch, and maybe the pressure and nerves of his first playoff action appeared. He also wasn’t a complete loss on the faceoff dot, going 42 per cent (21 for 50) over six games. Not great compared to Couturier’s (73.6 per cent), but not an utter disaster. Hopefully the nerves are behind him. Grade: B-
TREVOR ZEGRAS!
His first career goal in the #StanleyCup Playoffs ties this game 1-1!
📺: @NHL_On_TNT, @Sportsnet, & @TVASports pic.twitter.com/eV3fdfN0K6
— NHL (@NHL) April 23, 2026
Porter Martone
As Martone did in the regular season, the youngster entered the post-season on the same high. He couldn’t begin the series any better with two game-winning goals. And an assist in Game 3. He cooled off somewhat as the series continued, but had a glorious chance in Game 6 just before York’s winner. A very good showing in round one. Especially for a teenager who drove the Penguins a bit crazy from time to time. Grade: B+
19-YEAR-OLD PORTER MARTONE GIVES THE FLYERS A 1-0 LEAD AND SCORES HIS SECOND GOAL OF THE PLAYOFFS 🔥
Watch Flyers-Penguins NOW on ESPN and the ESPN App 🏒 pic.twitter.com/Ny3FCGHIRM
— ESPN (@espn) April 21, 2026
Sean Couturier
Although looking for his first goal, Sean Couturier brought the Flyers into this fight with Pittsburgh come hell or high water. His work on the fourth line was excellent, earning him three assists but also seeing his puck battles and forecheck indirectly responsible for a few other tallies by Philadelphia. He became a force to be reckoned with and, for the most part, was lights out on the faceoff dot. Despite the minutes and usage, Couturier was one of the most consistent Flyers from start to finish. Grade: A
Alex Bump
In two games, Bump scored once, a goal in Game 5 that cut Pittsburgh lead to 2-1. Bump was gangbusters in his appearances, giving the Flyers a bit of juice and energy in the latter stages of round one. As well, the winger looked fine on the power play and wherever he found himself in the lineup. If you asked Bump he would’ve loved to been in all six games. For now, it was an impressive start. Grade: B
Denver Barkey
Barkey’s been a revelation this season, and none of that disappeared against Pittsburgh. One of the team’s better forecheckers, his speed created a lot of havoc for the Penguins at times. And despite his size, he was able to win puck battles against some giants like Elmer Soderblom. Another youngster who is getting his feet wet in a playoff atmosphere, Barkey wasn’t a liability at all. Grade: B+
ZEGRAS SETS UP BARKEY FOR HIS FIRST EVER PLAYOFF GOAL 🔥
Flyers trail by just one goal 👀 pic.twitter.com/UE6OWMwGL5
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 26, 2026
Luke Glendening
Like what seems like every other Flyer, Glendening had a goal in the opening round. Like Couturier, he was great in the early stages of the series on the fourth line, but the wear and tear of the playoffs seemed to drain him somewhat. The fact he was acquired for literally nothing as a waiver claim is one of the better moves at the deadline Flyers general manager Danny Briere did. He also became far more important on the faceoff dot (47.1 per cent effectiveness) and provided some energy. Grade: B-
Garnet Hathaway
Hathaway was a healthy scratch for Game 6, yet scored a goal and an assist in his five games. Or two-thirds of his production the entire season. He was a forward who could get under the skin of the opponents (Crosby comes to mind) but he could also deliver some huge hits when called on.
His short-handed goal in Game 2, which was thanks to Tippett’s hard work, put doubt in the Penguins that this wasn’t going to be easy. He might not be guaranteed to be in the lineup for every game in round two. He’s there if called on to deliver some energy minutes. Grade: B-
Tyson Foerster
Foerster wasn’t supposed to be playing now. His return was one of several feel good stories the Flyers had down the stretch. He was the only Flyer forward not to earn a point in the series. However, Tocchet might have found a nifty way to maximize Foerster’s two-way play, putting him on the fourth line with Couturier and Glendening.
If Foerster can find some kind of way to contribute offensively, it will be a huge boost to the Flyers having a puncher’s chance against the deep and heavily talented Carolina team. Whether on the power play, or a deflection, or a greasy goal with heavy traffic, Foerster needs to light the lamp sooner than later. Grade: C
Matvei Michkov
For playoff games that often involve more north/south play than east/west play, Matvei Michkov struggled in the early stages of the series. His decision-making might have been a case of nerves like so many other Flyers new to playoff atmosphere. He also coughed up the puck in the neutral zone a bit more than expected, to say nothing of the foolish penalty he took in Game 3 that cost the Flyers a goal.
The discourse and drama around his scratch for Game 5 was overkill to say the least. His assist on York’s series-clinching goal might be just what the doctor ordered. The only way to find out is to play him. And as an aside, Michkov was 100 per cent in the faceoff circle, winning his lone faceoff. Grade: C-
Owen Tippett
It was a tale of two series for Tippett. In the first three games Tippett was a thoroughbred, storming down the ice at will and knocking over anyone in his path. He had 11 hits in Game 3, and scored the empty-netter to sew it up. Clearly injured with some ailment, Tippett wasn’t quite as effective in Game 4 and Game 5, but managed to create Philadelphia’s first good scoring chance in about 35 minutes of play in overtime of Game 6. A few days rest should help Tippett, but the Canes are sure to focus on the winger as one of the Flyers’ biggest threats. Grade: B+
Travis Konecny
Konecny has four points, putting him in a three-way tie for second on the team behind Ristolainen. He drove the Penguins crazy. Just ask Bryan Rust or Kris Letang. But despite the antagonism Konecny oozes out of his pores, he was battling something. He was throwing the body, but too often guilty of some poor choices and bad giveaways. His cross-ice pass just inside the Penguins’ blueline never burned Philadelphia. Such similar passes against Carolina will torch the Flyers quickly. Offensively he’s been okay, but defensively he looked more like a liability with each passing game.
He had four points, but his play with the puck getting through center ice was dismal at best. Grade: C+
Christian Dvorak
Christian Dvorak was one of six Flyer skaters who didn’t score (Andrae, Foerster, Michkov, Couturier, and Juulsen were the others). He suffered a nasty cut over his eye in Game 6, but it shouldn’t be anything that will keep him out of Game 1 against the Canes. Dvorak played well, wasn’t dominating but not exactly a giveaway machine in his own zone or through the neutral zone. Depending on how Tocchet rolls the lines and combinations, Dvorak might play a slightly bigger role offensively. Grade: B-
Noah Cates
Cates did everything he did during the regular season. He chipped in offensively, he was strong in winning faceoffs, he shadowed Sidney Crosby at times, and had one of the team’s two power play goals. He was a jack-of-all-trades and he did it without costing the team anything. Cates looks to still be relatively healthy, which, given the shape some of his teammates are in, is a blessing. Grade: A-
#Penguins 2 @ #Flyers 4 [P3-7:30]:
Goal: Noah Cates (1)
Power-Play Snapshot
Assists: T.Zegras (2), J.Drysdale (2)#LetsGoPens #IgniteTheOrange #NHL pic.twitter.com/rleBuqx6f2
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) April 23, 2026
