Flyers in the playoffs: Check. Sixers too: Check. And now, a UFC championship bout to boot.

Why it matters: In the past week, Philly's sportiest year has gotten even sportier.

The big picture: Local fans have a packed summer slate: next month's PGA Championship, the FIFA World Cup in June, the MLB All-Star Game in July, and the newly announced UFC 330 in August.

• But the fun starts now: The Flyers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

🏒 Zoom in: The Flyers will play the Penguins in Game 1 in Pittsburgh tomorrow at 8pm.

• The best-of-seven series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. If necessary, Games 5 and 6 will alternate between Pittsburgh and Philly, with Game 7 in Pittsburgh.

🏀 What's next: The 76ers' playoff series against the Celtics starts Sunday at 1pm in Boston.

• Games 3 and 4 are in Philly on April 24 and 26.

Reality check: With the new additions to the schedule, some locals are in triage mode, having to decide which expensive bucket-list sporting events to indulge in and which to skip.

🤔 For Flyers superfan Kate McGinnis, there's not even a close second.

• "It's like, 'Nope, the Flyers are going to take complete priority for as many home games as we can get tickets for,'" McGinnis tells Axios.

The intrigue: The Sixers, who missed the playoffs last year, were better equipped to handle injuries to their stars this season, as players like Andre Drummond and rookie VJ Edgecombe stepped up.

• But at the start of the NHL season, some prognosticators gave the Flyers a less than 5% chance of getting to the postseason.
• The team has failed to win at least 40 games 10 times since 2006-07. And Philly hasn't hoisted a Stanley Cup since it won back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975.

What they're saying: For years, McGinnis' therapist — a Penguins fan — helped her through the trauma of watching her team repeatedly lose. The Flyers' newfound success has made for some spirited sessions lately.

• "You kinda have to be Gritty to be a Flyers fan," she says.

The bottom line: For a sports-obsessed city, it's an embarrassment of riches.

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The reboot of Thomas Paine Plaza in Center City is ready for its debut.

Why it matters: It's likely to become an al fresco hot spot on sunny days.

Driving the news: The $18 million, three-year overhaul brings a fresh look and new possibilities to the highly trafficked public square at the base of the Municipal Services Building.

What's new:

• 😎 Pergola canopies with chairs and tables under them.
• 🚲 Bike racks.
• 🌳 Trees and plantings.
• 🪑 Granite, wood and metal benches.

🛹 1 cool thing: A small skateboarding area featuring a grind-box designed to look like a domino game piece — with salvaged material from the original Love Park.

Context: The makeover is the first for the plaza since it was created in 1962.

• The plaza was formerly known for its popular "Your Move" game pieces and oversized statue of the controversial former police commissioner and mayor Frank Rizzo.

What's next: A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at 3pm, followed by a skateboarding event with giveaways.

Plus: Next year, the city will install a new statue of civil rights activist Sadie Alexander near the entrance to the Municipal Services Building.

👀 Check out the design for a new Philadelphia Stars mural (above), which Mural Arts unveiled this week. It'll be at the Negro League Baseball Memorial Park in West Philly.

• The mural is big: 85 feet long and 12 feet high. A previous Stars mural was lost earlier this year to development.

📉 QVC Group plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it struggles with more than $5 billion in debt.

• This comes after the parent company of QVC and HSN reached a restructuring agreement with its creditors. (Wall Street Journal🔒)

🚇 SEPTA says it won't gouge transit riders during the World Cup this summer and will keep subway fares at $2.90. (Inquirer🔒)

• Unlike New Jersey, where NJ Transit is considering a plan to charge $100+ for a trip between New York's Penn Station and MetLife Stadium for matches. (The Athletic)

🐼 Panda Fest returns to Dilworth Park Saturday and Sunday with 60+ vendors and 100+ Asian street food dishes. Plus, live performances, crafts, and family-friendly fun.

• Expect Instagram-worthy panda attractions, cultural showcases, and new food and entertainment offerings after last year's sold-out debut.

🎭 Miniball Festival has a lineup of 20 performances and events from dozens of artists, along with installations. You know it'll be good because it's put on by FringeArts and Cannonball. Runs through Sunday.

• Tickets: $5-$200

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The cranberry-walnut loaf at Stephen Starr's Parc restaurant in Rittenhouse Square is America's best free restaurant bread, per The Atlantic.

Why it matters: On his rise to the top, Starr has redefined the bread basket.

How it works: Atlantic writer Caity Weaver based her choice on more than 550 responses, months of research and 13,000 miles traveled.

By the numbers: Parc bakes 1,500 loaves a day — 200 of which are the cranberry-walnut.

• Starr told The Atlantic that Parc's bread basket, which has three varieties of bread including the cranberry-walnut loaf, costs about 60 cents a pop.
• At roughly 10,000 customers a week, Parc hands out nearly $500,000 in free bread every year (sans butter costs).

Plus: You can also find the loaf at Starr's French brasserie Le Diplomate in D.C.

What they're saying: The goal was to "create a breadbasket so satisfying that you didn't have to spend any money," Starr told The Atlantic.

• "You could just come in here, order the breadbasket, a glass of wine, and you're good for the next five, six hours. We just wanted it to be joyful.'"