Cam York scores in OT as Flyers beat Penguins 1-0 in Game 6, reach Round 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam York flicked a wrist shot from the point, chucked his stick into the stands and chased away years of bad hockey in Philadelphia.

York snapped the tension and a scoreless tie with the goal of the former first-round pick's career, burying the winner 17:32 into overtime that ignited a wild celebration and sent the Philadelphia Flyers into the second round for the first time in six years with a 1-0 Game 6 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

The Flyers are set for a second-round showdown against Carolina.

“Just tried to put it there,” York said. “We knew that it was going to be a greasy one. It felt really good to see that one go in.”

Dan Vladar was again sensational in the net and stopped all 42 shots and prevented the Penguins from playing for a shot at playoff history.

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins tried to become just the fifth team in NHL history to win a series after trailing 3-0. They won two straight to force Game 6.

It is the Flyers who are moving on in coach Rick Tocchet's first season.

“It's been a long time,” Tocchet said. “I know there's been a lot of frustration.”

Arturs Silovs made 31 saves. Crosby skated over and consoled Silovs on the ice as the Flyers' theme song — Olivia Dean's “Man I Need” — blasted throughout the arena.

“We were a shot away from going back to Pittsburgh for Game 7,” Crosby said. "It comes down to bounces sometimes. Putting yourself in that position is tough. I think we all had a lot of belief we could dig ourselves out of it. It's just unfortunate we got behind early in the series.”

The last playoff game to head to overtime scoreless was Winnipeg and Edmonton in a 2021 first-round series. The Jets won 1-0 in the first OT.

The Flyers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they last reached the second round in the bubble season. They are in the second round in a full NHL season for the first time since 2012.

“So happy for the guys in that room,” York said. “We battled all year long for this position.”

Silovs, who allowed about four goals per game over his last 10 starts of the regular season, steadied the Penguins in place of the ineffective Stuart Skinner with wins in Games 4 and 5 and about played like a Vezina Trophy winner in Game 6.

Matvei Michkov, the Flyer's leading scorer after the Olympic break, was scratched in Game 5. He returned to the lineup determined to be a postseason difference-maker. He had a great chance in the second period on a breakaway but was stopped. The Flyers kept the puck in the offensive zone and Michkov swooped in and tried to poke the puck into the corner of the net, only for Silovs to again clamp down and deny the goal.

The Flyers, the last team in the Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot, had 10 giveaways in the first period and made it six straight games in the series without a goal in the first period.

They can try to end that streak against a Hurricanes team that just swept the Ottawa Senators.

Kris Letang dropped Travis Konecny with a right hand as the second period ended and the long-time Penguin started the third in the penalty box. No matter. The Flyers came up empty with the man advantage — Michkov was wide on a one-timer — and they fell at that point to 2 for 17 on the power play in the series.

Vladar played like the team MVP he was in the regular season, willing the Flyers to the second round. Crosby early in the third flicked the puck from behind the net at Vladar. Perhaps auditioning for a spot in the World Cup, Vladar headed it like a soccer star over the back of the net and the game remained scoreless.

That was just one sign the night belonged to the Flyers.

“It's a lot right now,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “At no point am I expecting the season to end today.”

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar reacts after the Flyers won Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier (14) and Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) meet after the Flyers won Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Cam York (8) celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal during overtime in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Parker Wotherspoon, left, tries to keep the puck away from Philadelphia Flyers' Tyson Foerster during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust, right, attempts to get the puck past Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar during the first period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Ryan Shea, left, is grabbed by Philadelphia Flyers' Luke Glendening during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Parker Wotherspoon (28) collides with Philadelphia Flyers' Tyson Foerster (71) during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny, right, leaps past Pittsburgh Penguins' Samuel Girard during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

CLEVELAND (AP) — On the heels of his team blowing a 12-point, second-half lead Wednesday night, Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic has bigger problems as the Raptors look to stave off elimination.

All-Star guard Scottie Barnes was kneed in the quadriceps by Thomas Bryant during the first half of Game 5 of the Raptors' first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Barnes was also poked in the eye during the first half on a play underneath the basket.

Meanwhile, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram didn't play the second half because of right heel inflammation. And reserve center Sandro Mamukelashvili did not play the final 12 minutes after appearing to tweak his knee on a 3-point attempt to end the third quarter.

With Barnes hobbled and Ingram sidelined, the Raptors missed their first 12 shots of the fourth quarter and fell to the Cavaliers 125-120.

“Obviously, it had some effect. I couldn’t play with that same pace that I was trying to play with," Barnes said about the quad injury, which occurred on a drive to the basket.

Barnes — who had 17 points and 11 assists in Game 5 — is averaging 24 points and eight assists in the series. RJ Barrett is the Raptors' leading scorer in the playoffs, averaging 24.4 points.

Ingram has been dealing with the heel injury for a couple of weeks. Raptors trainers tried to retape his foot during the second quarter before Ingram was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Ingram was 0 for 2 from the field and had one point, one rebound and two assists in 11 minutes. He is averaging 12 points in the series and was coming off a 23-point effort in the Raptors' Game 4 victory on Sunday.

Ingram averaged 21.5 points while playing a career-high 77 games during the regular season.

“Obviously, we need him out on the floor. His playmaking ability and his defense and everything he brings," Barnes said.

Point guard Immanuel Quickley hasn't been available during the series due to a strained right hamstring

Barnes said he would play in Game 6 on Friday night as the Raptors look to stave off elimination, but Rajakovic took a more cautious view.

“Tomorrow, we’ll know more. It’s 48 hours until the next game. I’m hopeful we’re going to have guys available,” Rajakovic said.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram drives on Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, In Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Fans react after Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, front, made a 3-point basket in the final minutes of the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)