Vladar stopped 26 of 30 shots in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 3.
Vladar has lost all three games in the second round, giving up 10 goals on 95 shots in those defeats. The netminder is still 4-5 for the postseason, but this was the first time he's allowed more than three goals in a playoff game this year, so he's not trending in the right direction. It's looking likely that the Flyers are simply not on the same level as the Hurricanes. Vladar is likely to get the chance to save the season in Saturday's Game 4.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Set to start Game 3
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Vladar is expected to patrol the crease at home for Game 3 versus the Hurricanes on Thursday, Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Vladar has given up three goals in four of his last five outings, all losses, while recording a 42-save shutout in the fifth. While the 28-year-old backstop did enough to get the Flyers past in-state rival Pittsburgh in the first round, head coach Rick Tocchet may have to consider giving Samuel Ersson a look if Vladar comes out flat again in Game 3.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Downed in OT by Carolina
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Vladar made 40 saves Monday in the Flyers' 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes in Game 2 of their second-round series.
Philadelphia grabbed a 2-0 lead before five minutes had elapsed in the first period, but Vladar couldn't make it hold up as he faced his highest shot volume yet in the postseason. The 28-year-old netminder still hasn't given up more than three goals in any of his eight playoff starts so far, posting a dazzling 1.89 GAA and .929 save percentage, but he and the Flyers are down two games to none as the series shifts to Philly for Game 3 on Thursday.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Starting Game 2
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Vladar will start Monday's Game 2 on the road against Carolina.
Vladar drew the Game 1 start in Carolina and allowed three goals on 23 shots (.870 save percentage) in the 3-0 loss. However, he posted shutouts in two of his six first-round appearances and will attempt to bounce back in Game 2 of the second round Monday.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Allows three goals in loss
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Vladar stopped 20 of 23 shots in Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the second round.
Vladar and the Flyers were down 2-0 by the 7:30 mark of the first period as the Hurricanes' second line showed no rust after a week off. While Vladar was able to settle in after that, the Flyers' offense made no inroads against the Hurricanes' defensive structure, totaling just 19 shots on net for the game. Vladar would have to really struggle to lose his spot as the Flyers' No. 1 goalie. He's 4-3 this postseason and has allowed no more than three goals in any of his seven games so far. Expect him back between the pipes for Game 2 on Monday.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Slated starter Saturday
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Vladar is expected to start on the road in Game 1 against Carolina on Saturday.
Vladar went 4-2 while posting a 1.61 GAA and a .937 save percentage in six appearances against Pittsburgh in the first round. Although he did excel against the Penguins, Carolina is another challenging adversary. Pittsburgh ranked third in goals per game during the 2025-26 regular season with an average of 3.54, while Carolina finished second at 3.55. Vladar did well against the Hurricanes in the 2025-26 regular season, going 1-0-1 while stopping 54 of 58 shots (.931 save percentage).
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Blanks Pens in OT win Wednesday
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Vladar stopped all 42 shots he faced Wednesday during the Flyers' 1-0 overtime win over the Penguins in Game 6 of their first-round series.
The 28-year-old has been brilliant while carrying Philly to its first playoff series win since 2019-20, but Vladar raised his game to another level in the clincher as he recorded his second clean sheet of the first round and set a new season high for saves in a single game. The former Flame has had a breakout campaign with the Flyers, and he'll take a 1.61 GAA and .937 save percentage in the playoffs into a second-round clash with the Hurricanes.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: First goalie off Wednesday
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Vladar was the first goalie to exit the home ice ahead of Game 6 against the Penguins on Wednesday, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports, indicating he'll be in goal.
Vladar has given up six goals on 42 shots (.857 save percentage) in back-to-back losses to the Penguins. Overall, the 28-year-old netminder is sporting a 2.03 GAA and .914 save percentage this playoffs, including one shutout. He'll have his third crack at closing out Philadelphia's opening-round series versus the Penguins on Wednesday.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Bad bounce leads to Game 5 loss
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Vladar made 18 saves Monday in the Flyers' 3-2 loss to the Penguins in Game 5 of their first-round series.
After falling into a 2-0 hole, Philly rallied for two goals in the second period to tie it up, but the momentum was short-lived. Late in the second frame, Kris Letang flipped a shot from the point that went wide of the net but then kicked off the boards, pinballed off Vladar's pads and trickled across the goal line for the game-winner. The 28-year-old netminder has yet to allow more than three goals in any game in the series, and he'll take a 2.03 GAA and .913 save percentage for the postseason into Game 6 on Wednesday as the Flyers try again to advance to the second round.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Tending twine in Game 5
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Vladar will defend the road net in Game 5 against Pittsburgh on Monday, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Vladar stopped 17 of 20 shots in Game 4's 4-2 loss to the Penguins on Saturday, with the fourth goal being an empty-netter. He has gone 3-1 this postseason, allowing only seven goals on 94 shots. The Flyers can advance to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with one more victory.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Takes first loss of playoffs
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Vladar allowed three goals on 20 shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Penguins in Game 4. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
Vladar was questionable due to an arm injury sustained in Game 3, but he was able to play. It's unclear how much that injury might have impacted his performance in this contest. The 28-year-old is 3-1 this postseason, allowing just seven goals on 94 shots over four contests. Assuming the injury concern doesn't resurface, Vladar will likely be between the pipes again for Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Monday.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Tending twine in Game 4
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Vladar (arm) will patrol the home crease against Pittsburgh on Saturday in Game 4, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Vladar appeared to sustain an injury to his right arm in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Penguins in Game 4. However, he will return to the crease in Saturday's matchup with a chance to advance to Round 2 with a victory. Vladar has gone 3-0 this postseason while stopping 70 of 74 shots.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Game-time call for Saturday
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Vladar (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision in Game 4 versus Pittsburgh on Saturday, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com reports.
Vladar has not practiced the last two days after stopping 27 shots in a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh on Wednesday, giving Philadelphia a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Vladar has been outstanding in the series, posting a 1.33 GAA and a .946 save percentage. He was 29-14-7 with a 2.42 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 52 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. Should Vladar sit out Saturday, look for Samuel Ersson to get the start in goal.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Slated to start in Game 3
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Vladar is expected to start at home against the Penguins on Wednesday in Game 3 of their first-round series, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Vladar earned a 27-save shutout over the Penguins in Game 2 after turning aside 16 of 18 shots in the series opener. His efforts have enabled Philadelphia to take a 2-0 series lead. He finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 29-14-7 record, 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage in 52 appearances. While Vladar has done well in the 2026 playoffs, Pittsburgh still figures to be a challenging adversary going forward. The Penguins finished third in goals per game during the regular season with an average of 3.54.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Set to start Game 1
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Vladar will defend the road cage against Pittsburgh in Game 1 on Saturday, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports.
Vladar was a major reason why the Flyers are in the playoffs. He posted a 29-14-7 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .906 save percentage across 52 regular-season contests in 2025-26. However, he did struggle against the Penguins, going 1-1-0 while allowing eight goals on only 50 shots.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Nabs playoff-clinching win
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Vladar stopped 24 shots in regulation and overtime and all four shootout attempts he faced in Monday's 3-2 win over the Hurricanes.
Carolina was resting stars like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, having already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but the visitors still grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period. Vladar kept his focus and shut the door the rest of the way, and in the process, he helped the Flyers lock up their first playoff berth since 2019-20. The 28-year-old has reasserted himself as Philly's No. 1 netminder down the stretch, going 5-1-0 over the last six games with a dazzling 1.81 GAA and .921 save percentage.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: First goalie off Monday
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Vladar was the first goalie to exit the ice ahead of Monday's home game against the Hurricanes, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Vladar will make his sixth straight appearance in the crease, having gone 4-1-0 with a 1.80 GAA in his previous five outings. As long as the Flyers are fighting for a playoff spot, fantasy managers can expect to see Vladar guarding the cage, which includes possibly taking both ends of Philadelphia's back-to-back and playing Tuesday at home versus Montreal.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Bounces back vs. Winnipeg
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Vladar stopped 27 of 28 shots in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Jets.
Vladar was beaten in the first period by Haydn Fleury, but Philadelphia's netminder was excellent the rest of the way, and the offense provided him enough support to get the job done easily. Vladar has won four of his last five starts, posting a 1.80 GAA and a .921 save percentage over that stretch. He's been one of the best goaltenders in fantasy over the last two weeks, posting a save percentage of at least .940 in four of his past five starts.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Gets hook Thursday
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Vladar gave up four goals on eight shots before being replaced by Samuel Ersson early in the second period of Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Red Wings.
Three goals in the first five minutes of the second frame chased Vladar from the crease and handed the Flyers a very untimely loss. Philly is hanging onto third place in the Metro Division, but the Islanders, Blue Jackets and Capitals are all still within three points, with three games to play. Vladar may be fading late under the biggest workload of his career, as Thursday's start was his 50th outing of the season -- 20 more than he saw with Calgary in 2024-25. Over his last seven starts, the 28-year-old netminder has a 4-3-0 record with a 2.83 GAA and .875 save percentage.
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Flyers' Dan Vladar: Gets starting nod Thursday
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Vladar will guard the road goal in Detroit on Thursday.
Vladar has been great of late, winning three in a row while allowing three goals on 65 shots in victories over the Islanders, Bruins and Devils. He is 27-13-7 with a 2.40 GAA and a ,907 save percentage over 49 outings in 2025-26. The Red Wings are 22nd in NHL scoring, producing 2.90 goals per game.
