PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on Saturday.
It was the first time Philadelphia qualified for the playoffs since the 2019-20 season.
The Flyers (43-27-12) finished third in the Metropolitan Division, going 18-7-1 in 26 games following the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics to clinch a playoff berth in Game 81.
The skinny
Potential unrestricted free agents: Rodrigo Abols, F; Luke Glendening, F; Carl Grundstrom, F; Noah Juulsen, D
Potential restricted free agents: Nikita Grebenkin, F; Trevor Zegras, F; Emil Andrae, D; Jamie Drysdale, D; Hunter McDonald, D; Samuel Ersson, G; Aleksei Kolosov, G
Potential 2026 Draft picks: 5
Here are five reasons why the Flyers were eliminated:
1. Banged up
Owen Tippett's absence because of an undisclosed injury took the Flyers' fastest forward out of a series built on speed. Tippett was second in the NHL during the regular season with 61 22 MPH-plus speed bursts, and without that ability to skate and break pressure and enter the zone himself at 5-on-5 and on the power play severely affected the offense. "You take one of our speedsters, 'Tipp' is a guy that gets a breakaway almost every game," coach Rick Tocchet said. "Is there a difference? Yeah, I think he could have made a difference. For us to win the series? I don't know, but he would have definitely made a difference in our lineup." Tippett wasn't the only injured player; center Noah Cates missed the final two games because of a lower-body injury and center Christian Dvorak played through an injury, with Tocchet calling him "a warrior."
2. No advantage with man-advantage
The Flyers were 1-for-19 with 11 shots on goal on the power play during the series, and they allowed a game-changing short-handed goal in Game 3. They had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:15 in Game 3 and 40 seconds in Game 4; each generated one shot on goal. They were 3-for-36 (8.3 percent) on the power play during the postseason, following a regular season that saw them finish last in the NHL (15.7 percent).
3. Lack of finish
Philadelphia was able to create chances throughout the series. Travis Konecny had an open look from the slot during overtime in Game 2 but missed the net. In the first minute of Game 3, Konecny hit the post, and Porter Martone did the same later in the period. And with 10 seconds left in the first period of Game 4, Konecny missed the net on an open look in the slot. In all, the Flyers missed the net 39 times in four games against the Hurricanes, including 14 times in Game 4. "We've got a lot of Grade-A (chances)," Tocchet said the day before Game 4. "Might not get a ton of chances, but we've had a lot of Grade-A (chances), three or four or five breakaways this series, 2 on 1s, and we've just got to convert."
