Senators beat the Hurricanes 6-3 to move into the second wild-card spot in the East

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Brady Tkachuk scored twice and the Ottawa Senators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 on Sunday night to move into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Ottawa moved a point ahead of the New York Islanders for the last playoff spot with five games left. The Senators are five points behind Boston for the first wild card.

Carolina leads the East, two points ahead of Tampa Bay. The Hurricanes missed a chance to clinch the Metropolitan Division.

Both teams were playing the second half of back-to-back games, with Ottawa scoring twice in a 3:42 span in the third to take a 5-2 lead.

Shane Pinto made it 4-2 on a power play, beating Frederik Andersen to the short side. Ridly Greig then won a race to the net and, while Andersen made the initial save, the side was wide open for Tkachuk to bury his second of the game.

Carolina’s Taylor Hall wristed a shot past Linus Ullmark with 2:30 remaining to make it 5-3, but Claude Giroux added an empty-netter for Ottawa.

Dylan Cozens and Tim Stutzle also scored for Ottawa, and Ullmark stopped 25 shots. Defenseman Jake Sanderson played his 300th NHL game. He had an assist.

Logan Stankoven and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina, and Andersen made 25 saves.

Hurricanes: Host Boston on Tuesday night.

Senators: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson (19) defends against Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake (53) as he carries the puck during first period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, on Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) tries to play the puck in the air in front of Carolina Hurricanes' goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, on Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) tries to the play the puck off his skate in front of Carolina Hurricanes' goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, on Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7), centre, celebrates his goal on Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31), not pictured, with teammate Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24), left, and Artem Zub (2) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Shane Pinto (12) tries pass to teammate Nick Cousins (21) in front of Carolina Hurricanes' goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, on Sunday, April 5, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Porter Martone capped a fantastic first week in the NHL with a power-play goal to put the Philadelphia Flyers even closer toward ending a miserable playoff drought with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Martone — who just wrapped his season at Michigan State — is just the boost the Flyers needed down the stretch to earn that coveted playoff spot. His first career NHL goal in his fourth game put the Flyers into third place in the Metropolitan Division with five games left for them this season.

Flyers fans erupted when Martone capitalized on the 5-on-3 advantage — courtesy of a hook and a high stick — with 2:29 left in OT. Martone became the first player in Flyers history to score his first NHL goal in overtime.

The Flyers needed this win to get in Eastern Conference playoff position for the first time since Jan. 12.

The Bruins tied the score 1-1 only 35 seconds into the third period when Pavel Zacha knocked one past Dan Vladar on the power play for his 29th goal of the season.

Christian Dvorak took a perfect touch pass from Martone, the Flyers' 2025 first-round draft pick, and finished a 2-on-1 with a wrister past Joonas Korpisalo for the early 1-0 lead. Still buzzing from the early goal, Flyers fans erupted only moments later when Travis Konecny and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy briefly scrapped near the net.

The Flyers are playing meaningful hockey in the final week of the season for one of the few times over the past 15 seasons. Chicago beat Philadelphia in 2010 for the Stanley Cup, and the Flyers never recovered, winning only three playoff series since and they haven't made it all since 2020 in the bubble format. The Flyers haven't played a home playoff series since 2018.

The Bruins are safe in a playoff spot down the stretch while the Flyers play five pivotal games — the next three on the road, the final two at home — that will decide their postseason fate.

Bruins: Play Tuesday at Carolina.

Flyers: Play Tuesday at New Jersey.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak (22) celebrates his goal with right wing Travis Konecny (11) and right wing Porter Martone (94) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Flyers right wing Porter Martone (94) skates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)