Dan Vladar Shuts Out Penguins, Puts Flyers Up 2-0 in Round 1
Apr 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) defends the net against a wrap around attempt by Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) during the first period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers, against all odds, took both games in the city of Pittsburgh, and head back to Philadelphia with a commanding 2-0 lead. The Flyers owned the Penguins in almost every category, continuing to be more physical and faster.
Many aspects are absolutely needed during the playoffs, and the Flyers are excelling in them. Goaltending meshing with the defense is a big aspect that the Flyers have put together well, leading to the 3-0 shutout from Daniel Vladar. Another aspect that the Flyers took is the contributions from anyone. In Game 1, the young kids such as Jamie Drysdale and Porter Martone stole the show, and it was Garnet Hathaway and Luke Glendening who would give the Flyers the boost Monday night.
Flyers Survive Penguins’ Power Play in First Period
The first period, which ended scoreless in Game 1, also ended up scoreless in Game 2, as the shots and chances were both limited heavily. This time, however, the Flyers, whether the calls from the referees were correct or questionable, had to kill off what seemed to be half of a period, as the Penguins spent a lot of their time short-handed due to various penalty calls.
In the first period, the Flyers took three penalties total, to Pittsburgh’s one. A questionable high stick from Tyson Foerster, a rough from Rasmus Ristolainen that only went one way, and a high stick from Seeler after a non-called hold from the Penguins were all called, regardless of what the Flyers had to say about the penalties.
With the help of an equalizing penalty on Erik Karlsson and the defensive skills from forward Noah Cates, the Flyers were able to kill off all three attempts from the Penguins, becoming huge in this series.
The penalty kill, especially during the playoffs, is absolutely huge for the advantage, and the Flyers said no to the power play of Pittsburgh.
Flyers Put on the Pressure Even Strength and Shorthanded, Two Goals Get Potted in the Second Period
The score after one period was a repeat from Game 1, as was the team to strike first. The Flyers, after great pressure in the offensive zone from the first line, got the rebound and made no mistake, taking the lead after all the hard work in the zone.
The goal that put the Flyers ahead in game two in the second period was scored by, guess who, Porter Martone. Martone, who found the right position on the ice with his hockey IQ, crashed the net from the left circle in time to backhand the rebound into the net from what was almost point-blank.
“We really worked the corners,” Martone said postgame on NBC Sports Philadelphia, crediting the scoring chance to his line in Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak.
After both Saturday night’s snipe and Monday night’s crease crash, Martone becomes the sixth youngest player of all time to score two goals in their first two playoff games at 19 years old and 176 days, just 74 days younger than Crosby, who now sits eighth.
The Flyers-Penguins rivalry, which has seen a Flyers killer for the last two decades in Sidney Crosby, may soon see a Penguin killer by the name of Porter Martone.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, one-goal leads are just never enough, which is what makes the second goal of the period from the Flyers so much more important. They didn’t stop the pressure after Martone scored first.
After taking a cross-checking penalty with just over four minutes left in the second period, many teams would worry and stay in their diamond formation shorthanded. The Flyers, however, got crafty with the puck, as with the speed and dangling skills of Owen Tippett, the Flyers confused the Penguins on their power play, and fed Garnet Hathaway of all people the puck with the wide-open net.
“We were short-handed, and [Hathaway] was yelling that I had time,” Tippett said postgame, crediting the communication by Hathaway. “I was in the right spot.”
Hathaway, who had one goal on a deflection during the entire regular season this year, scored a goal as important as they can get, which just goes to show that anyone and everyone is counted on during the playoffs. The playoffs are a new season with a new meaning and clean slates all around. It doesn’t matter if Hathaway was poked from behind with an empty net in front of him late in the game against the Utah Mammoth, and it doesn’t matter if he only had one goal during the season. Hathaway contributed in a massive way for the Flyers Monday night, and everything in the past is in the past.
The Flyers went into the locker room with a 2-0 lead after two, looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
Vladar Stands Tall Through Pressure, Shuts out the Penguins 3-0
The third period, after such great aggression by the Flyers in the second period, played a lot of defense in their own zone, as Pittsburgh came out of the locker room with an unexpected bounce that almost caught the Flyers by surprise.
Out of all of these chances from Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of the Penguins, none saw the twin at the back of the net, as Vladar, who had been great all year, shut out the Penguins in a 3-0 final. Vladar, who had zero shutouts all year for the Flyers, now has his first in a Flyers jersey during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There is just not enough to say about Vladar. Has been the unanimous MVP of the Flyers this season and has clearly carried it over to the postseason. In Game 1, Vladar stopped 15 of 17, which is a good sheet to get the win, but stopping 27 of 27 in Game 2 just shows what he means to this team.
With an empty net goal from Glendening, who also was not on many people’s bingo cards to score, PPG Paints Arena was emptied, and gave Vladar the confidence he needed by emptying the Penguins’ confidence.
The Flyers return to South Philadelphia for Game 3 on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. With the scrum late in the game, the league could very well see an ugly and gritty game in Philadelphia, but until then, the Flyers continue to dominate the series.
Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
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