Photo: Nick King ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
EAST LANSING ~ Porter Martone has already left his mark on the NHL postseason, even as the road has gotten steeper. The 19-year-old winger announced himself in the first round by scoring the game-winning goals in each of the Flyers’ first two playoff games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, swinging momentum and etching his name into league history. The moments weren’t loud because of celebration, they were loud because of timing. When Philadelphia needed a scorer, Martone was the one who delivered, showing an instinct for pressure situations that players twice his age often struggle to find.
SOCIAL MEDIA
(CONTINUED) That composure is being tested again in the second round. Facing the Carolina Hurricanes, the Flyers have fallen behind 2-0 in the series, and the looks have been harder to come by. Carolina’s depth, structure and speed have squeezed space and demanded patience, forcing Martone into a different kind of playoff education. Even without finding the scoresheet, his minutes have remained meaningful, net-front battles, puck retrievals and small plays that don’t always show up in the box score but matter in postseason hockey.
It’s a challenge that feels familiar if you watched his year at Michigan State. Before turning pro, Martone was the heartbeat of the Spartans, handling heavy minutes, physical matchups and defensive attention every night as a freshman. That season built the edge and maturity that are now carrying him through his first NHL playoffs. The goals against Pittsburgh showed his ceiling; the series against Carolina is showing his growth. Either way, Martone isn’t shrinking from the moment, he’s learning inside it, and that may be just as important for the player he’s becoming.
