Dan Vladar turned aside Carolina's fourth shootout attempt, threw his arms in the air and waited for the swarm of Flyers to mob him in celebration. The Flyers skated to center ice and raised their sticks toward a packed and rowdy crowd that hasn’t enjoyed a home playoff series since 2018 as “CLINCHED!” flashed on the big screen. Yes, Philadelphia — long ago one of the model franchises in the NHL — is indeed back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.