Flyers Top Bruins 3-1 in Wild-Card Race

Konecny and Vladar lead Philadelphia to crucial victory over Boston.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 3:39am

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The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday, with goals from Travis Konecny, Jaime Drysdale, and an empty-netter from Sean Couturier. Konecny opened the scoring in the third period and assisted on Drysdale's goal, while goaltender Dan Vladar made 26 saves for the Flyers. The win moves Philadelphia within six points of Boston for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Why it matters

This game was crucial for the Flyers' playoff hopes, as they look to make a late-season push for a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins, meanwhile, have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL lately, making this a significant victory for Philadelphia.

The details

Konecny scored his team-leading 23rd goal of the season, sliding the puck past Jeremy Swayman off a drop pass from Christian Dvorak in the third period. He then set up Drysdale for a wrister that made it 2-0 with 8:05 left. Charlie McAvoy scored for Boston on a deflection with 6:57 to go, but Couturier added an empty-netter to seal the win for the Flyers.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 1, 2026.

The players

Travis Konecny

A forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who scored a goal and had an assist in the game.

Dan Vladar

The goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers who made 26 saves in the victory.

Jeremy Swayman

The goaltender for the Boston Bruins who made 14 saves in the loss.

Sean Couturier

The captain of the Philadelphia Flyers who scored an empty-net goal to seal the win.

Charlie McAvoy

A defenseman for the Boston Bruins who scored the team's lone goal in the game.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play with this level of intensity and focus if we want to make a push for the playoffs.”

— Travis Konecny, Forward, Philadelphia Flyers

What’s next

The Flyers will look to build on this momentum when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night, while the Bruins will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

The takeaway

This victory was a crucial step for the Flyers in their quest to secure a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The team's strong defensive effort, led by goaltender Dan Vladar, and timely scoring from players like Konecny and Couturier, could be a sign of things to come as Philadelphia continues to fight for a postseason berth.