Flyers back in NHL Playoffs: Schedule, bracket, how to watch, tickets, and what you need to know about the Penguins
For the first time since the COVID-19 bubble in 2020, the Flyers are in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Playoff hockey will be played in Philadelphia for the first time in eight years.
With a 3-2 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, the Flyers secured their spot as the third and final team from the Metropolitan Division in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Flyers haven’t made the playoffs since the COVID-19 bubble during the 2019-20 season, and haven’t played a postseason game on home ice since the 2018 playoffs.
» READ MORE: Flyers clinch a playoff spot with a 3-2 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes
Here’s everything you need to know about the postseason, tickets, and the Flyers’ first-round matchup.
Who do the Flyers play and when does their series begin?
As the third seed in the Metro Division, the Flyers will play the second seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in the first playoff edition of the Keystone Rivalry since the 2018 postseason. Pittsburgh won that series in six games.
The NHL announced that Saturday will be the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the date and times for each matchup have yet to be announced and are expected to come once the standings are set. The regular season ends on April 16.
Postseason history
The Flyers last made a postseason appearance in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans weren’t allowed at games and the playoffs featured two bubble locations, Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Philly was the top-seed in the Eastern Conference after a round-robin round for seeding. They beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in the first round before falling to the New York Islanders, 4-3, in the second round.
The Flyers have not made the playoffs since that season.
A return to the playoffs means this will also be the first postseason featuring Gritty, who was introduced at the beginning of the 2018-2019 season and wasn’t in attendance during the bubble playoffs.
It’s hard to imagine anything more unhinged than regular season Gritty, but that’s only because this playoff side of him has yet to be seen.
Jumping on the bandwagon?
If you’re just joining the Flyers bandwagon now that they’re a playoff team, that’s quite OK too.
Between their hot streak and the NHL viewership surge from the Milan Olympics, the Flyers have welcomed a lot of new fans in the past few months.
» READ MORE: Four reasons no NHL team wants to face the Flyers in a first-round playoff series
They are one of the hottest teams in hockey since returning from the Olympic break, with a 17-7-1 record. Goaltender Dan Vladař has been crucial to their surge, with a 29-14-7 record and a .906 save percentage this season.
Pope Leo XIV might be another reason, but the jury is still out on that one.
If you’re looking for more information on what you should know as a new Flyers fan, here are five things to know.
How can I get tickets?
Tickets are available on secondary markets such as SeatGeek and StubHub, but have yet to be released, although in-house tickets have not been made available yet. On April 6, the Flyers shared a prize wheel on X that will give all participants priority access to playoff tickets. However, no official lottery has been shared yet.
The Flyers will play at Xfinity Mobile Arena for Games 3 and 4, and Game 6 if necessary.