News Flyers Team Notes

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers’ Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale pairing shows immediate promise

Coming off of a big win over the Blues on Thursday, a game which got the Flyers going again after a four-day layoff, they were back in action last night with a much more challenging task ahead of them — taking down a much tougher (at least as far as place in the standings is concerned) divisional opponent as the Devils came to town. This was another game which could have gone sideways quickly on the Flyers, as they again gave up an early goal, but instead of getting down, they managed not just to get that goal right back not even two minutes later, but keep attacking to the point of piling on three goals later in the period in just 26 seconds (and setting a franchise record, in the process).

There was a lot to like in this showing from the Flyers, and while their forwards who led the scoring charge, and Dan Vladar for some of the truly spectacular saves he came up with in this one will likely take most of the spotlight — rightfully– coming out of it, the Flyers also got some more under the radar positive impacts from their newly arranged second pairing of Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale.

It’s a pairing that, given some of the size preoccupations the coaching staff showed during the preseason and into the beginning of the regular season, came as a bit of a surprise to see pulled together late in Thursday’s game against the Blues and kept together to start last night’s game, but with how well both Andrae and Drysdale are playing at the moment, and how their combined skillsets and offensive instincts could well give the Flyers who are still working up to scoring at a higher volume more consistently a boost, it seems an arrangement worth giving a look. And the early returns on it, all in all, were quite promising.

By the numbers​

If we dip first into some of the underlying numbers to begin to parse out how this pair fared in their proper debut, we’re immediately met with a bit of a mixed bag. This game on the whole, despite the lopsided final score, wasn’t a great one from a pure possession standpoint for the Flyers — they came out of it with a 39.33 CF% and 47.27 xGF% at 5-on-5 — and both Andrae and Drysdale came out for their own parts at least a tick below those team impacts, still. That is, Andrae graded out -2.5 CF% Relative while Drysdale was -4.01 percent, and then Andrae was -11.54 percent relative to the team’s share of the shots on goal (46.94 percent), while Drysdale was -22.01 percent, which tells us that while the Devils were getting the edge in chances at five-on-five across the whole of the night, they were getting an even better edge, still, while this pair was on the ice.

For what it’s worth, though, despite those less positive numbers, the Flyers were in much better shape as far as the quality of offense generated goes when those two were on the ice — Andrae came out with a 63.53 xGF%, and Drysdale had 57.06% (good for +21.86 percent and 13.47 percent relative, respectively). And this comes from both sides, as they were able to help contribute to a few really nice chances right in front of the Devils’ net, while still showing a nice bit of responsibility to keep their own netfront cleared out. Now, if this is a pairing that the Flyers really want to give some runway, a longer stretch of games together to see what they can do, if the share of overall chances generated remains that lopsided, that’s something to watch and potentially be concerned about, but in the short term, last night saw them bringing a sort of bend but don’t break approach, and that was enough.

A balanced approach​

And these numbers, in sum, more or less match with what the eye would tell us about how this pair did over the course of the game. They had a couple of shifts where they were pinned in their own end and getting cycled on, but they were able to limit the damage done in those situations, and away from them, there was a lot more good work done across the evening. They were holding up well defensively on the whole, keeping with the finer points of that side of the game and bringing a high level of energy and effort to be disruptive to the Devils’ would-be chances. And this is an assessment, too, that was shared by their head coach.

“I thought Drysdale was our best player tonight, first,” Rick Tocchet said postgame. “I don’t know if, the stats, points or not, but for defending, he was our best defender by far. And I thought Andrae too, Andrae’s not afraid to go into the corners. I thought those two guys were really defending hard.”

Of course, there was a lot that was working well for the two of them in how they were supporting the team’s offense, as well. Drysdale didn’t record any individual chances, but he was moving the puck nicely, his passing game crisp, but Andrae was stepping up in bigger ways offensively, making a good number of those same slick passing plays, but also showing some real confidence to jump in and lead the rush up-ice, and got one really good look right outside the Devils’ crease for his troubles. It was a nice bit of pop shown on top of a game which was still quite solid in the smaller areas, and it’s hard not to be optimistic about how this pair might continue to build up from here.

So far the pair seems to be working — both in their own shifts and for how their arrangement has allowed a third pair of Zamula and Seeler to take shape, and to positive results as well — helping to give the Flyers just the boost that they needed. Now, it’s a pairing that we also imagine might not be having the longest of leashes, one the coaching staff will be watching closely, but for now, things are clicking, and they’ve bought themselves a bit more runway to work with, to show what they can do at their best.

All stats via Natural Stat Trick and the NHL.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...mie-drysdale-pairing-shows-immediate-promise/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Matvei Michkov: The first 100 games

Matvei Michkov was still supposed to be playing in the KHL this season. At least, that was the expectation for him when the Flyers drafted him in the first round (seventh overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. There was speculation he could possibly get across the pond a year earlier than expected if the KHL team he was playing for let him go and released him prior to his contract ending. But the Flyers brass were there front and center when Michkov arrived in the U.S. He was here to start his career early and Flyers fans rejoiced.

Although the first year under John Tortorella had its lows and highs, Michkov was essentially snubbed for a Calder Trophy nomination despite racking up 67 points. Many looked at Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson who had great seasons, respectively, but they weren’t part of the worst power play in the league, nor were they coached by a taskmaster like Tortorella. Overall, Michkov silenced any skeptics with his high hockey IQ and ability to make inventive plays almost instinctually.

Thus far, Michkov has 73 points to his credit with 31 goals and 42 assists. He has 20 career multi-point games, nine power play goals, seven multi-goal games, five three-point games, and three game-winning goals. He has played a game-high 23:04 against Montreal on April 5, 2025 while playing just 8:30 against the Islanders on Jan. 30, a career low. He’s played 21:55 thus far three-on-three. And he’s been on the power play for 269:29 while playing just 1:52 on the penalty kill.

So, with Michkov playing his 100th NHL game Saturday night against New Jersey (and scoring on a breakaway), he’s been generally all that and more. Truth be told, he should have celebrated his 100th game Saturday night in Dallas, but the two games he was a healthy scratch last year pushed that back a bit. There have been bumps in the road this year, and the slow start is probably concerning to some, yet he’s completed his first 100 games looking quite well. He’s also been far better in his first 100 games than a handful of recent former Flyers and current ones. Take a look.

Goals first 100 games	Assists first 100 games	Points first 100 games	Points per game
Matvei Michkov	31	42	73	0.73
Simon Gagne	28	37	65	0.65
Claude Giroux	21	38	59	0.59
Jeff Carter	26	27	53	0.53
Mike Richards	11	32	43	0.43
Travis Konecny	15	23	38	0.38
Sean Couturier	15	19	34	0.34

As you can tell, Michkov has the most amount of points for a Flyer in his first 100 NHL games in recent memory. But he’s still behind a horde of players, mainly from the ’70s and ’80s when goals were bountiful and 5-4 results were considered tight-checking battles. Michkov is tenth with Eric Lindros (128 points), Dave Poulin (100), Mikael Renberg (96), Ron Flockhart (95), Pelle Eklund (94), Brian Propp (89), Bill Barber (88), Peter Zezel (84), and Andre Lacroix (78) ahead of him.

For more recent Flyers, he’s outscored all of them, edging Carter but doubling the goal output of both Konecny and Couturier. And close to doubling the points total of Konecny while doubling Couturier’s. Despite the first six weeks of 2025-26 that’s been arduous for Michkov, he has gotten off on the right foot. Perhaps the closest comparison among the above would be Simon Gagne, who had a rather impressive rookie campaign but, unlike Michkov, started his sophomore season like a house on fire. Gagne had eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in his first 20 games of the 2000-01 season.

In his era​

Although the Flyers mentioned above were from different eras and saw the clutch and grab that dominated a lot of the pre-lockout era, Michkov also has somewhat favorable numbers compared to a good chunk of those selected in both the 2022 NHL Draft and also his year in 2023. Here’s a look at some of those players in no particular order. Note that Macklin Celebrini isn’t on the list as, due to injury last season, he’s still a couple of weeks away from hitting game 100 in his career.

Goals first 100 games	Assists first 100 games	Points first 100 games	Points per game
Connor Bedard	29	58	87	0.87
Matvei Michkov	31	42	73	0.73
William Gauthier	32	34	66	0.66
Adam Fantilli	27	29	56	0.56
Logan Cooley	23	33	56	0.56
Shane Wright	26	29	55	0.55
Leo Carlsson	21	24	45	0.45
Zachary Benson	16	25	41	0.41
Juraj Slafkovsky	17	24	41	0.41

As you can tell, only Bedard has had a better opening 100 games than Michkov. And Gauthier’s quick start this season puts him briefly in the conversation in terms of points per game (21 of those points have been this season). Michkov is second only to Gauthier in goals in his first 100 games, and the Ducks forward scored a dozen of those in the first month to six weeks of this 2025-26 season. Other than that, Michkov has done quite well when compared with other high first-round draft picks who have been in the spotlight as much as the Mad Russian. Considering the slow start Michkov has had this season, some might see it as a disappointing start. Yet looking at those who have roughly the same vintage of the Flyers phenom, he’s done remarkably well. Recency bias might be coloring just how well he’s been in his first 100 games.

Michkov compared to some former number one picks​

It would be foolish to compare Michkov to some of the generational talents in recent memory. A handful of players — Sidney Crosby (132), Alex Ovechkin (128), Lindros (128), Teemu Selanne (152), Peter Forsberg (124) — have simply outperformed Michkov. There’s no getting around that. But there are also a handful of former number one picks that have had rather comparable numbers to Michkov’s over their first 100 games. You might be surprised at some of the names that Michkov finds himself in company with. That’s not to say Michkov will be the second coming of those superstars, but it’s a sign that the Flyer is trending towards being a cornerstone of any future Philadelphia success. It’s evident the Flyers definitely made the right selection back in 2023.

Goals first 100 games	Assists first 100 games	Points first 100 games	Points per game
Ilya Kovalchuk	50	33	83	0.83
Mats Sundin	30	46	76	0.76
Nathan McKinnon	29	45	74	0.74
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	21	53	74	0.74
Matvei Michkov	31	42	73	0.73
Taylor Hall	36	36	72	0.72
Steven Stamkos	38	32	70	0.70
John Tavares	32	34	66	0.66
Nico Hischier	24	41	65	0.65

Michkov outperformed the likes of John Tavares and Steven Stamkos, both future Hall of Famers, while also narrowly being edged by Nathan McKinnon who is on a tear this season. Again, Michkov doesn’t have the one-timer that Stamkos has, nor is he the bull in the china shop McKinnon can be. Yet, at the end of the day, he’s among those players at the same stage in their respective careers. So, yes, this season might be not living up to expectations, but he’s in the ballpark with some of the league’s elite players. And Cup champions.

The next 100 games for Michkov?​

This season might see Michkov end up with similar numbers (or a slight dip) in his point production. It shouldn’t be cause for alarm. A lot of players have ups and downs in year two. Perhaps the biggest plus is that Michkov might have caused a lot of this issue himself with the offseason training (or lack thereof). A 20-year-old will do some things that should be wake-up calls or learning lessons moving forward. The fact that he’s looked far better in the last couple of weeks than at any point in October is a good thing. How that fares the rest of the season remains to be seen. For now, Matvei Michkov is still learning while getting accustomed to his second head coach in as many years.

A safe bet might be looking to see Michkov take the next step in his game with the addition of Trevor Zegras to the lineup and thoughts of Porter Martone arriving sooner than later. It’s good to know that, for the most part, Michkov has been everything Flyers fans could have hoped for in his first 100 games.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/matvei-michkov-the-first-100-games/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers @ Lightning: How to watch, lineups, and gamethread

The Philadelphia Flyers have been kicking it back and after a lengthy break, they earned two fairly solid wins against the St. Louis Blues and the New Jersey Devils last week. Now, to kick off this road trip they are down in Florida facing a fairly ravaged Tampa Bay Lightning squad.

Puck drop: 7:00 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
: NBCSP
: 97.5 The Fanatic

Pregame reading​

• It has nothing at all to do with the upcoming game but Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko was traded in the OHL. Something so many fans have been asking for has finally happened: To see Luchanko on a contender and one of the best teams in junior hockey. [BSH]
• We’ll see it tonight but the early results of the defensive pairing of Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae have been very solid. [BSH]
• What have we seen from the first 100 games of Matvei Michkov? [BSH]

Pregame watching​

By the numbers​

Philadelphia Flyers – 11-6-3 (4th in Metro)

Goals: Trevor Zegras/Tyson Foerster (7)
Assists: Trevor Zegras (14)
Points: Trevor Zegras (21)

Tampa Bay Lightning – 12-7-2 (2nd in Atlantic)

Goals: Jake Guentzel (12)
Assists: Nikita Kucherov/Victor Hedman (12)
Points: Jake Guentzel/Nikita Kucherov (22)

Projected lineups​

Philadelphia Flyers

Matvei Michkov — Sean Couturier — Bobby Brink
Tyson Foerster — Noah Cates — Travis Konecny
Trevor Zegras — Christian Dvorak — Owen Tippett
Nic Deslauriers — Rodrigo Abols — Garnet Hathaway

Cam York — Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae — Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler — Egor Zamula

Sam Ersson
(Dan Vladar)

Tampa Bay Lightning

Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Nikita Kucherov
Jake Guentzel — Dominic James — Gage Goncalves
Zemgus Girgensons — Nick Paul — Yanni Gourde
Curtis Douglas — Jack Finley — Oliver Bjorkstrand

JJ Moser — Darren Raddysh
Charle-Edouard D’Astous — Emil Lilleberg
Declan Carlile — Steven Santini

Andrei Vasilevskiy
(Jonas Johansson)

Storylines to watch​

Lightning dealing with major absences

The Tampa Bay Lightning are already a pretty shallow team when everyone is healthy, but now with their first-line center Brayden Point still out, the monstrous Victor Hedman on the sidelines, Erik Cernak not playing as he’s out week-to-week, and even depth player like Pontus Holmberg on injured reserve; they’re a little messed up right now.

Does this mean the Flyers can take advantage of this? Possibly. They certainly do have the depth advantage as Zegras and Foerster only have to potentially deal with Gage Goncalves and Zemgus Girgensons of all players.

Sam Ersson gets the start

After earning the shootout victory in St. Louis in relief of Vladar, Sam Ersson is in between the pipes in more of an alternating fashion. Dan Vladar got the decisive win over the Devils, and Ersson only managed to save 12 of the 17 shots he faced on Saturday against the Blues, but the results are somehow there for the lesser netminder.

While Rick Tocchet isn’t going back to simply going back and forth between his goalies, there is something to the Flyers earning seven of the eight available points in Ersson’s last four appearances.

Nikita Grebenkin on the sidelines once again

It’s become a little bit of a frustration point for Flyers fans, but rookie and fan favorite Nikita Grebenkin remains out of the lineup for the first game of this road trip. Nic Deslauriers is somehow about to play in his 11th game of the season despite earning zero points, fighting just twice, and taking 10 total shot attempts while averaging 8:28 TOI. We get it that Deslauriers does something (punch faces) but so can Grebenkin and do much, much more.

It won’t be so much of a big deal if this stops happening eventually this season, but it’s a little bit annoying right now.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-lightning-how-to-watch-lineups-and-gamethread/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers can’t beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, get shut out for first time this season

After a pretty exciting week, the Flyers went to Tampa and left without a goal. Brandon Hagel was the star of the game with two goals and an assist, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 20 shots fired his direction. A sluggish start lingered well beyond the first period, with the Flyers never really finding their offensive game. In the end, the Flyers left Tampa Bay with a 3-0 loss.

The basics​

First period: 15:34 – Brandon Hagel (Emil Lilleberg, Nikita Kucherov)
Second period: 16:00 – Anthony Cirelli (Hagel, Kucherov)
Third period: 19:45 – Brandon Hagel (Kucherov, Cirelli) (EN)
SOG: 20 (PHI) – 18 (TBL)

Takeaways​

Dlo does what Dlo does

It was hardly surprising to see Nic Deslauriers drop the gloves in the opening frame, this time taking on a big opponent. Literally. Deslauriers found a more than willing combatant in Curtis Douglas, the Lightning’s 6-foot-9 face-punching winger. Despite the height difference, Deslauriers got the best of Douglas, eventually getting the takedown. Deslauriers certainly isn’t one to shy away from a fight against a bigger guy, as we’ve previously seen him take on the likes of Matt Rempe and Logan Stanley, and he’ll usually come away with the decision.

While there may have been some thought that this would wake the Flyers up, it did not. The Lightning continued to get the better of the Flyers through the remainder of the period, with Hagel getting the first and only goal of the period. Speaking of the first period …

Another slow start

In a now-familiar theme, the Flyers came out flat once again, with just four shots on goal through the first twenty minutes. This is a concerning trend, one that absolutely needs to be fixed if the Flyers want to stay in the playoff picture.

The first period shot total isn’t completely fair to them — they were credited with generating seven scoring chances — but they have to get more of these chances on net. It’s been a problem for them from the start, and while they’ve manufactured a number of comeback wins, constantly playing from behind isn’t a recipe for long-term success.

Checking in on the Andrae-Drysdale pair

The Flyers have a new, exciting pair on the blue line in Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale. Since being put together two games ago, they’ve shown a lot of promise and have both elevated their games even further. Unfortunately, that positive momentum came to a halt tonight. The two were on the ice for Tampa Bay’s first two goals, with Andrae in particular looking outmatched on both.

Hagel first danced his way through the Flyers’ neutral zone set-up, maneuvering around check attempts, before getting the puck to Kucherov along the boards and finding his way to the front of the net. There was enough forward help for Andrae to force a dump-in here, however he plays the entry very passively and essentially concedes the space to Hagel. It is then Andrae who is defending Hagel in front of the net, who gets the goal.

Brandon Hagel was in front.

1-0 TBL. pic.twitter.com/A9Lz32E1UT

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) November 25, 2025

It was a tough look for Andrae, who had been playing some great hockey lately. Late in the second period, the Andrae and Drysdale pair had a strong offensive zone shift along with the Sean Couturier line, and looked threatening, but the Lightning were able jump on the counterattack and turned a positive shift into a disaster.

2-0 TBL. pic.twitter.com/pHmfrnpnJe

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) November 25, 2025

Not much needs to be said here: that’s a hard watch. It’s a tough spot, a 3-on-2 that was looking like a 4-on-2 from the neutral zone, but Andrae’s decision to hit the ice that early made it way too easy for Hagel. Despite the diving effort from Drysdale, Cirelli was able to double the Lightning’s lead with an easy tap-in.

The numbers weren’t any prettier. Shot attempts were positive for the pair, but shot quality and chances were heavily in the Lightning’s favor. With Andrae and Drysdale on the ice at five-on-five, the Lightning owned over 76 percent of the expected goal share, and scored both of their non-empty net goals. The two must be better, and will have their hands full with an tough opponent in the Florida Panthers up next.

Of course, these rush chances aren’t all on the defense. If a team is giving up a ton of odd-man rushes, as the Flyers were, it’s more on the forwards to adjust and be more responsible defensively. While they were the line burned on the second goal, it wasn’t a problem just for the Sean Couturier, Matvei Michkov, and Bobby Brink line. It was a problem that was present throughout all of the forward lines tonight.

Rolling all four lines

Recently the Flyers had been rolling all four forward lines, and with an extremely busy week ahead of them, it would have made sense for that to continue. Interestingly, the fourth line barely saw the ice in the third period. Down 2-0, it makes complete sense, but given previous usage, it might signal that Rick Tocchet really did not like what he saw from the line tonight — and for good reason.

The line of Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols, and Garnet Hathaway finished with a corsi-for percentage below 20 percent, and generated little to no offense at all. We’re not looking for the fourth line to put up a ton of points, but they can’t lose their minutes this badly. With Nikita Grebenkin still hanging around out of the lineup, it’s time to make a change. With three more games this week, it would be understandable to want to give the fourth line a bit more ice time than they did tonight, but their play really did not warrant more than the one shift they had in the third.

Ersson was fine

Last, while this wasn’t some great showing from Sam Ersson, who did once again finish a game with a save percentage below .900, this one really wasn’t his fault. The first goal was deflected, with a heavy screen in front, and while a huge desperation save would’ve been great, it’s hard to blame him for the Cirelli goal. It’s been a tough start to the season for the Flyers’ goaltender, with an .850 save percentage in seven games played. The numbers weren’t good in this one, but Ersson wasn’t an issue in this one. Hopefully Ersson can build off of a solid enough individual performance moving forward.

All data via Natural Stat Trick

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...vskiy-get-shutout-for-first-time-this-season/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

What each Flyer should be thankful for this Thanksgiving

The Canadian Thanksgiving was last month, but this week marks the annual Thanksgiving in the U.S. A day marked with family (some of whom you don’t care for), turkey (leftovers of which you don’t care for), and plenty of NFL football (many of the teams you don’t care for). So on this holiday for reflection and appreciation, let’s see what each Flyer player has to be thankful for this season thus far. Some have a bit more to be grateful for than others, but everyone should be looking at the glass as half full this time of year. We’ll start with the goalies and work our way out. Note: John Tortorella’s absence won’t be mentioned for every single player. Just some of them.

Dan Vladar – A fresh start

Vladar came to Philadelphia with a bit more money, a little bit more term (two years), and with many thinking he was going to play a backup or supporting role. Well, everyone so far was quite wrong. Vladar has been a revelation, starting in roughly two-thirds of the games and performing remarkably well. His save percentage has been over .900 and he’s come up huge in a lot of games. Vladar has arrived with the goal of making Ersson’s life difficult. He’s been one of the cornerstones to this 2025-26 season.

Sam Ersson – Dan Vladar

We’re not sure how he’s doing it. Nor do we know where he’s hiding the smoke and mirrors. But Sam Ersson has one regulation loss this year with a save percentage that is still well below .900. The dichotomy between this poor save percentage and being one of the best goaltenders of all-time in the shootouts is incredible to fathom. Yet here we are. Ersson should be thankful that Vladar has taken some of the pressure off Ersson this season for now. And also be grateful that the Flyers coaching staff and his teammates put him on equal footing with his fellow netminder.

flyers win. pic.twitter.com/mh7ZUnith0

— Absolutely Hammered (@ah_pod) October 29, 2025

Noah Juulsen – Getting into the lineup

Juulsen should be thankful he’s not Dennis Gilbert. And that Rasmus Ristolainen is still a few weeks away. He’s what you’d expect from a borderline third-pairing blueliner. With Egor Zamula’s great effort against New Jersey, Juulsen might end up in the stands a bit more moving forward.

Nick Seeler – No longer blocking 90 shots a game (it seems)

Although paired with Jamie Drysdale most of the season, Nick Seeler was put down into a third-pairing role with Juulsen and Zamula. Seeler isn’t on the trading block by any stretch. But in the meantime he should be grateful that he doesn’t wake up looking like a puck pinata with the emphasis on shot blocking put somewhat on the backburner.

Emil Andrae – A fair shot

Andrae put in the work after being yo-yoed a bit between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley to start this year. Citing that he was pissed by the demotion, the small but crafty defenseman has been eye-catching in the past few games. He’s been able to avoid getting hemmed in his own zone, and has made some sly passes that led to goals. Andrae is going to make life difficult for the Flyers management and coaches if he continues playing well. He’s grateful for the opportunity he got and deserved, and seems to be making the most of it.

Egor Zamula – A fantastic 60 minutes

Zamula was out of the lineup for weeks, was plopped into the New Jersey game and had a game to remember, being a +5 in terms of plus/minus while also having a ridiculous share of expected goals. Zamula, like Andrae, needs to play well to keep his name in the conversation regarding the top six blueliners. The return of Rasmus Ristolainen will cloud the picture a bit. For now he should be grateful, like Andrae, for another chance.

Jamie Drysdale – Ziggy

Trevor Zegras. Trevor Zegras. And Trevor Zegras. No addition in personnel has altered one player’s level more than Zegras coming to Philadelphia and making Jamie Drysdale take off. Drysdale has been a big plus this season, looking far more confident in his own end then probably at any time last season.

Roughly a quarter of the way in Drysdale has roughly one-third of the playing time five-on-five that he did all of last season. The defenseman, since being paired with Emil Andrae, has seen his game take another step forward. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way, but for now Zegras looks to be the panacea for all of Drysdale’s woes.

The Flyers finally got rewarded after controlling the play and it’s Jamie Drysdale to tie the game up at 2-2.
Goal: Drysdale (2) pic.twitter.com/ZSy6ImwvUM

— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) November 8, 2025

Travis Sanheim – A slight reprieve

When John Tortorella unleashed Travis Sanheim post-Ivan Provorov, the blueliner was eating minutes all over the place. Sometimes 28 minutes to 30 minutes wasn’t unusual. However, with the rise in play of Cam York and Drysdale, it seems like Sanheim might not need to be the workhorse he was required to be in recent years. He will still earn his minutes and play more than his share against the opposition’s best.

Knowing that those minutes might be shaved a bit over the long run should only make him more durable both short-term and long-term. His usage is down roughly two minutes per game in November versus October, a result of York being back in the fold.

TRAVIS SANHEIM WINS THE GAME IN OVERTIME!!!#FLYERS pic.twitter.com/PtMrhRcHjG

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) November 21, 2025

Cam York – Hasta la vista, Tortsy!

No Torts. York has thrived after Tortorella was shown the door. York already has nearly four times the ice time on the power play than he did all of last year under Tortorella (an astoundingly low 9:36). And he has over half of last year’s point production (17) in the first 17 games this year (10). No rocket science needed. York very good since Tortorella firing.

Rasmus Ristolainen – His job is still there

Nobody has really won the spot for the sixth defenseman, although Andrae might be making a case. Ristolainen should know he’s probably returning to the lineup at some point after some injury-riddled seasons.

Travis Konecny – Less spotlight glare

Konecny has had probably one of the quietest 17 points in the first 20 games. He’s been producing, but it’s not taking the team on his shoulders like he may have needed to do in previous years. That burden has been picked up by somebody else, yet Konecny is doing his job. The winger probably appreciates the fact he’s been separated from Matvei Michkov as his other winger and is currently on a line with Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates. It’s been a small sample but the results are speaking for themselves.

Sean Couturier – No mind games

It was revealing when Couturier said he had more conversations with Tocchet over the summer than his entire time (ordeal?) with former head coach John Tortorella. He has a fresh start, a coach that has opened the lines of communication, and a winger in Matvei Michkov that is finally starting to get going in recent games. Couturier is thankful he will never have to endure the mind games Tortorella played often. It was bad enough recovering from back surgeries and the rehab that came with it. Couturier had another hurdle he’s now looking at in his rearview mirror.

Nic Deslauriers – Fighting for a spot

Deslauriers was expected to be out of the lineup far more than in it. After 20 games, he was in half of them. He hasn’t produced anything offensively and the energy line with him, Rodrigo Abols, and Garnet Hathaway has looked a little better of late. Deslauriers perhaps shouldn’t be dressed as much as he is. As it stands now he could be in the lineup roughly 40 times, which is rather damning to some other players on the bubble for the fourth line.

Owen Tippett – Given time to find consistency

Tippett, once again, is streaky. He spent the first month of the year primarily scoring with just one helper. In November, he has six helpers but just one goal to his name. With the way other forwards have picked up the slack, Tippett is still learning Rick Tocchet’s system. If he can start putting the puck in on a consistent level then all will be well. For now, Tippett is lucky that he’s not really in the spotlight for his hot and cold production. For a player with that cap hit, he should be around 60 to 65 points this season. He’ll have to pick up the pace to achieve that target.

Bobby Brink – Chance to shine with The Mad Russian

As well as he played with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, Brink might end up with the plum role of being the recipient of a lot of great passes by Matvei Michkov. The line looks good and will take a little longer to gel, but Brink seems ready for the challenge of getting pucks on his stick maybe one other player on the team could deliver as accurately. It’s a great situation for Brink as this is a contract year for him before he becomes a restricted free agent. The Flyers control his rights, but a bump in pay might be in the offing if he, Couturier, and Michkov can produce.

#Devils 1 @ #Flyers 5 [P2–8:18]:

Goal: Bobby Brink (6)
38' Deep Wrister

Assists: S.Couturier (11)#NJDevils #LetsGoFlyers #NHLpic.twitter.com/Ii8ogFR6hZ

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 23, 2025

Matvei Michkov – Shaking the rust off

A few things Michkov should be thankful for. Michkov is with a coach who isn’t quite the taskmaster Tortorella is. But who is? Unless the Flyers rehire Mike Keenan, Michkov should have a slightly easier time moving forward with his Tocchet. Also, Michkov is almost rust-free following the rather lethargic first few weeks that saw the ice time dwindle and the defensive zone coverage not great.

With a line that sees him currently with Couturier and Brink, look for Michkov to start piling some multi-point games together as the Flyers head into a rather draining and daunting jaunt before the Christmas break. He hasn’t been awesome this year, but he’s been healthy. Given the rash of injuries around the league, it’s another blessing.

Garnet Hathaway – Beer

With no points in his first 20 games, Garnet Hathaway should be thankful he can drown his sorrows in his own Engine 19 India Pale Ale beer.

Christian Dvorak – Doing it all

Dvorak has made a good impression so far, being a jack-of-all-trades up and down the lineup while also doing some of the grunt work on a line with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett. The forward is providing a few benefits for Philadelphia in the meantime and down the road. A strong season from Dvorak could — depending on the team’s record and their playoff possibility — result in a good return before the trade deadline.

Nikita Grebenkin – Sticking with the big club

Grebenkin has been in the lineup a handful of times. He’s had his good games and games that left something to be desired. Like Zamula’s game against New Jersey, Grebenkin is going to have to have a great, head-turning effort in his next appearance in order to make life harder for Philadelphia’s coaching staff to take him out. The Russian forward also has three more points than Hathaway, meaning he has three points this season.

Tyson Foerster – Avoiding IR (or LTIR)

After avoiding serious injury blocking a shot against the Leafs, Foerster has been getting back to his high level of play. Tied with Konecny in goals with seven, Foerster ended up scoring twice in 17 seconds, one of the fastest two-goal bursts in franchise history. But not the fastest. Foerster has his health which is a big plus after a trying 2025 with his elbow and the recent injury. And with Cates and Konecny now his linemates, it could end up being a bright remainder of the season. If he goes on a tear would consideration for Team Canada’s Olympic roster be completely out of the question? Maybe not.

TYSON FOERSTER!!!!! 2 GOALS IN 9 SECONDS!!!!!!! 3-1!!!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/mft6iUwNgX

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 23, 2025

Noah Cates – A new line brings new potential

While seeing Brink, Foerster, and Cates broken up, it might be an opportunity for Cates to possibly become more of an offensive threat with Travis Konecny on his wing. The center remains one of the more consistent forwards this season although he’s not atop the team point totals. And at this pace, he could end up with his highest point totals in his career, somewhere between 50 to 55 points. It’s not quite the jump in production that Sean Couturier had in his back-to-back 76-point seasons. But increasing your offensive output by 25 per cent isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s sad to see the strong, hard-working line split up. It seems that it could be for the best, particularly if the victories begin to pile up sooner than later.

Rodrigo Abols – A place to call home

Outside of the rink, Abols has enjoy his first 16 weeks not in the minors and with his family no longer living in a hotel room. It might not be a huge factor in his time with Philadelphia, but by being the reliable fourth-line center probably ensures that he is going to be here the rest of the season. Abols is responsible for the lone goal he, Deslauriers, and Hathaway have garnered this season. And that was recently. Head coach Rick Tocchet praised the line for playing more as a unit and not being a defensive liability. The center earned his place with a fine training camp, avoiding the cuts each time they were made. He’s not reaping the money some of his fellow Flyers are, but compared to where he’s been, this is a step up for the forward and his loved ones.

Trevor Zegras – Danny Briere (and Pat Verbeek)

Trevor Zegras should thank Pat Verbeek every day. Both Pat Verbeek and Danny Briere. Well, more Danny Briere. Briere wanted Zegras, parted with Ryan Poehling as part of a package to get him, and is finding out the gold he has struck with the trade. Zegras has been terrific, leading the team in points, resurrecting the power play to some respectability, and increasing his shootout success percentage with each passing attempt.

To think he remains a restricted free agent after this season is shockingly good. The Flyers should be able to back up the truck and give Zegras what he and the Flyers agree on. He has arguably been the Flyers most valuable player this season (Vladar is close). Zegras should be thankful he got out of Anaheim and landed with a team that is only to happy to have him. There has been no bigger win-win situation in the National Hockey League this year.

Trevor Zegras is UNBELIEVABLE in the shootout. First official SO goal as a Flyer.#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/e43WUxcy9z

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) October 25, 2025

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/what-each-flyer-should-be-thankful-for-this-thanksgiving/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers reportedly interested in acquiring Quinn Hughes from Canucks

One of the best defensemen in this era of the NHL is potentially going to be traded and the Philadelphia Flyers are one of the teams who are expected to have some interest.

Quinn Hughes has planted himself at the top of the pile of blueliners across the world and for the Vancouver Canucks, has been a major difference-maker ever since he stepped foot onto the ice at Rogers Arena. But with the team going nowhere but mediocrity and Hughes’s upcoming unrestricted free agency status in 2027, the Canucks might try to get something back for one of the best hockey players on the planet.

Trades like this rarely happen. Hughes just turned 26 years old last month and would immediately transform the fortunes of whatever team he ends up on. But the Canucks have dug themselves in such a hole where there really is no future without needing to get more and more younger talent and potentially even get involved in a few draft lotteries. That’s no place for Hughes to be in through his prime years. Vancouver just needs to bite the bullet and make the hardest decision in franchise history to move on from their star player to go in a new direction. And one team who is eyeing up the situation and might try to be a benefactor from the misery over there on the West Coast are the Flyers.

According to Frank Seravalli on Monday’s episode of Oilers Now, the Flyers are in the mix to land Hughes.

“I think they’re one team in the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference that would be salivating to try and get their hands on Quinn Hughes, but they’re far from alone,” Seravalli said.

It is maybe the most obvious conclusion ever — a team that wants to get better and needs a top-pairing defenseman is looking at one of the best defensemen to play the game this millennium, who might be available for trade. As Seravalli said in the hit, so are a lot of teams looking at Hughes.

There has been a notion that the rival New Jersey Devils seem to be the frontrunners to land Hughes for some time, but Seravalli continued to say that it isn’t a sure thing and to not make it a supposed obvious conclusion just because his two brothers play for that team. Especially after the Devils handed Luke Hughes a sizeable contract with a $9-million AAV — it was pointed out that it might not make the perfect sense for them to acquire Quinn and shuffle Luke down as an overpaid second-pairing defenseman who isn’t even on the top power-play unit potentially.

Which is possibly why the attention is now turned to the Flyers and their want for a game-breaking player like Hughes.

Flyers make sense as landing spot for Hughes​

The Flyers have desperately needed a No. 1 defenseman ever since Chris Pronger had to unfortunately hang up the skates. There have been several very solid top-pairing blueliners, but not a player that can simply take over a game and be the go-to player from the back that makes all teams worry. It’s been a point of conversation for so long that it feels automatic.

But that could all change if the Flyers really set their eyes on Hughes. Of course, it won’t be easy as roughly 31 other teams will be vying for their trade package to be the most enticing for the Canucks to accept, but there are just so many factors that makes it make sense for Philadelphia.

First, they have the assets. Whether it’s top prospects or first-round picks, the Flyers’ cupboards are full enough to make the future look bright in Vancouver — but also they have enough NHL-level talent to supplement any trade necessary. Whether it’s a player off their blue line, or one of the many wingers they boast, there is a perfect fit for the Canucks to get back players, picks, prospects, and whatever else they want from the Flyers for this elite-level defenseman.

And if we’re talking about New Jersey so much, Hughes would still be extremely close to his brothers and while that isn’t a selling point for a trade to go down, it would certainly increase the chances that there is a contract extension coming before free agency in two years.

Plus, we’ve gone on endlessly about how the Flyers are aiming to do something “big” to really jump into an era where they’re competing for the playoffs for several years. Adding Hughes to this team right now would get them so much closer to exactly that. Oh, and throw in that Rick Tocchet is one of Hughes’s favorite coaches ever and there’s a real bundle of reasons why the Flyers might be trying to make this happen.

But does it make sense right now?

Hypothetical Hughes trade might not happen until summer for Flyers​

The Canucks might try to squeeze as much value out of Hughes and that could be selling him off to a team to get two guaranteed playoff runs with him instead of waiting later as a potential one-year rental. That would mean trading him in the next few months, but can such a complicated deal formulate in such a short amount of time?

And, Vancouver might even be better off waiting until the offseason when there’s more cap space and teams are more willing to make big splashes like this without rustling up their locker room dynamic or some other silly little reasons. If the Canucks wait until the summer to pull this trigger, that only heightens the likelihood that the Flyers will be getting involved — they might not really see the desire to nab Hughes up for a “playoff run” that might feel a little fake to begin with. Instead, just make the move in the summer to then approach next season as one that truly has expectations to be a playoff team.

That would make a little bit more sense. But, we’ll just have to wait and see. The Canucks have the leverage right now and if they have decided that their season is done and it’s time to focus on trades for the future, there’s an easy connection to Philadelphia.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ested-in-acquiring-quinn-hughes-from-canucks/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyperblog: A handful of Flyers fans resist falling in love with Trevor Zegras

It is extremely important to note that absolutely none of the below is real. This is an entirely fake work of satire by an individual who could and should probably put his brainpower to better use. Thanks for reading!

Trevor Zegras is off to a fantastic start with the Philadelphia Flyers, having scored 21 points in 20 games. This start puts Zegras up there with Peter Forsberg, Danny Briere, Jaromir Jagr, Tony Amonte, and Jeremy Roenick, who all had 20 or more points in their first 20 games as Flyers. This is elite company for Zegras, who was traded to the Flyers from the Anaheim Ducks over the summer for Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Zegras’ impessive start is great news for Flyers general manager Danny Briere. Briere did not pay a high price for the former Ducks star, but the move was still seen as risky by many due to Zegras’ poor production over the past two seasons. Zegras has brought a burst of offense to a team that has struggled to score. Despite this great start, some Flyers fans are still dubious. Speaking to these fans, they had been too hurt by the past 15 years of mediocrity and were not ready to believe.

Sean O’Shawnessee from Roxborough expressed doubt about Zegras’ role as a center. “I mean, they have to basically tie him up to Christian Dvorak, what kind of life is that? Zegras should be allowed to roam free. He should be allowed to float the ice and accept all of the responsibilities and troubles that come with being a center.” When asked if he was a little high, O’Shawnessee looked up with his red eyes and said, “Oh, most definitely.”

Ryan Buddy from Upper Darby was picking up his usual Wawa order of a 3 cheese hoagie (reduced fat swiss, extra sharp provolone, pepper jack) with extra mayo and pepper shooters on top. Ryan did not like that all Zegras did was provide offense. “Oh yeah, sure, he scores a bunch of points, but where’s the defense? This team is the second best in goals allowed this season, why aren’t they number one? Zegras needs to do more than just score.”

Eileen Allez from Port Richmond did not care for Zegras’ hair. “I like my hockey players tough, ya know. Can’t be having any of these hippie dippie long-haired guys. Bobby Clarke, Dave Schultz, Frank Bialowas, now those were MEN. Those guys were hockey players!” Allez did not respond when it was pointed out that all of the players she mentioned had long hair and lit up another Marlboro Light on her front stoop.

Doug Skeeter from Bluffington, NJ expressed disappointment that Zegras had not already signed a long-term contract for the league minimum before the season. “You see Sidney Crosby out here signing contracts below market value for the good of the team every couple years. If Zegras really was a true Flyer, he would sign for 7 years at league minimum now. Just seems selfish to me.” Skeeter then went back to hoarding all of the discount Tastykakes at Acme before anyone else could get to them.

Vincent Sgradevole from South Philadelphia near Oregon Avenue expressed frustration that Nic Deslauriers wasn’t getting more playing time. “They got one tough guy and they barely use him! What’s the big Frankenstein guy, Deloogers, get, like five minutes a game? Teams are beating up the Flyers, it’s ridiculous. We used to be the bullies, now we’re the ones getting bullied!” When asked what specifically he did not like about Zegras, Sgradevole did not seem to know who the newest Flyer actually was. “Is he the Russian kid? No? He’s not one of the old guys, is he? I don’t know, I don’t really watch much. I don’t know him. When does the Eagles game start?”

While most Flyers fans are excited about the Zegras era, it appears that their young center still has a ways to go to win over everyone.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ns-resist-falling-in-love-with-trevor-zegras/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers mount another comeback to beat Panthers 4-2 in strange matchup

The Flyers wrapped up the Florida leg of their road trip tonight with the third and final matchup of the season against the Panthers. It was a wild game, to be sure, complete with strange breakdowns, unconventional approaches to attempting to create chances, and another huge comeback on the Flyers’ part to come away with a 4-2 win, and ultimately, a win in the season series.

The Basics​

First period: 5:21- Brad Marchand (Bennett, Verhaeghe)
Second period: 5:16- Carter Verhaeghe (Bennett, Ekblad), 7:57- Emil Andrae (Drysdale, Tippett), 11:13- Matvei Michkov (Andrae, Drysdale)
Third period: 19:14- Tyson Foerster (Sanheim, York), 19:35- Sean Couturier (Dvorak)
SOG: 18 (PHI) – 27 (FLA)

Some Takeaways​

Another slow start

The start of this game was, if nothing else, predictable. The Flyers, to their credit were able to come out for this one with a good bit of jump, and were able to get a bit of possession to work with in the first few minutes of the first period, but things ended up going sideways on them all the same. The Flyers were struggling with the Panthers’ forecheck across the board as they seemed to pick up steam, but this wasn’t the piece which ended up biting them. It was a strange breakdown which saw the Flyers get a chance in the Panthers’ end, Nick Seeler’s stick breaking, that shot getting blocked and a rush started up going the other way, Seeler trying to get a stick at the bench and then not coming up with one, so he tried to defend without it and slide along the ice to take away the passing lane, didn’t seal up the ice so the puck slid under him and the pass to Brad Marchand, wide open on the other side of the crease, was completed anyway, and he was able to sneak a shot past Vladar.

It was sort of a goofy goal, not a play that the Panthers could easily replicate if they tried, but the result was the same — for the 16th time this season, the Flyers found themselves in a hole to start the game, and having to find a way to pull themselves out.

Vladar keeping them in it

The Flyers hit that first intermission trailing by a goal, but in truth, it felt like something of a miracle that it was only one goal that they were down by. For much of this game, the Panthers were all over them, cycling and wearing them down and just over and over knocking on the door with great chances, but Vladar stepped up time and again to stone them. His play wasn’t completely perfect, but he brought a high effort game and was absolutely instrumental to the Flyers pulling off this win in the end.

There was a bit of a nervous moment that unfolded in the third period, when Vladar was run into by Marchand and seemed to be a little bit shaken up, but after a moment speaking to the trainer, he was able to shake it off and finish the game. If there’s something that lingers as a result of that play, we’re filing that away, but the Flyers seemed to dodge a bullet there, and Vladar was able to keep things locked down long enough for the Flyers to complete their comeback and close out this game.

For better or worse, it’s the Emil Andrae show

After a weaker showing on Monday in Tampa, Andrae got the chance to redeem himself tonight, holding on to his same role on the second pair, and what played out for him was certainly a high-event night. His first period was on the shakier side, as he had a couple of mistakes with the puck and in coverage that had us wondering if Monday’s performance might be seeping into this one after all. But, to his credit, Andrae was able to take the first intermission as a chance to reset, and brought a, while not perfect, improved showing.

To recap: he was the one to finally break through for the Flyers to get them on the board in the second period, and he followed that up by taking a high-sticking minor and putting his team on the penalty kill, but once that was killed, he then followed that up by putting another good shot in the direction of the net, in perfect position to be tipped by Matvei Michkov to tie things up at two goals. He picked up some steam from there too, continuing to create in the offensive zone and showing a confidence not diminished by some of the shakier moments in this game. It was, on the whole, a wild one for him, and even though there were some mistakes mixed in there as well, he also showed how dynamic his game can look when he’s at his best, and that’s a true reminder of why he is and should be given the continued runway to smooth out those rougher spots.

Waking up… sort of

The Flyers, after the jumpstart that Andrae’s goal gave them, were able to pick up their offense a bit and ultimately closed out this game with four goals scored, which does feel like a positive step forward from the ugly shutout they were dealt on Monday against the Lightning. The Flyers got themselves on track, and in some ways, it feels difficult to quibble too much when they’ve managed to do that, and do it in such punchy and exciting fashion late in a game like that. But, at the same time, despite the scoring output, this was another game when the Flyers failed to hit to 20 shot on goal mark, as they registered just 18 across the whole of this game, offensive flurries and all. Now, in this one, it was still enough to get them the win, but it remains a bit of a concerning emerging trend. The goals are coming for them again, at least for now, but it’s still fair to wonder if the underlying process needs some refining, still.

Having a super normal one

This game was, all in all, certainly not a dull one. It was strange in many ways, and in a lot of ways too, truly illustrative of where this team is at right now.

Perhaps emblematic of this was the shorthanded almost chance they had in the second period, when Christian Dvorak put together perhaps the worst shorthanded rush we’ve ever seen.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS LMAOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/95socAnHcV

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 27, 2025​

The perfect one-on-one look passed up in favor of a bit of ultimately over-passing, a good look evaporating, is just another instance of the Flyers taking a less than opportune approach and leaving a good chance on the table.

But the way that the Flyers were able to bounce back from that slow start and that leaving of chances on the table was also just incredibly par for the course. That is, late in the third period, with the game still tied and two goals apiece and it looking like we were hurdling towards another overtime game, the Flyers not only managed to pull into the lead on a great second chance goal for Tyson Foerster, but doubled up on their lead by the end with a goal from Sean Couturier.

So, once again, in spite of the odds, the Flyers managed to get it done and pull off this win. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked, and if that isn’t the story of much of this team’s success so far this season, we don’t know what is.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...back-to-beat-panthers-4-2-in-strange-matchup/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers just had the worst breakaway attempt ever in NHL history

The Philadelphia Flyers have made history. On Wednesday night, Sean Couturier and Nikita Grebenkin combined to

There have been a handful of shootout and breakaway attempts that have been quite memorable for the fact they were so awful. On April 11, 2010, New York Rangers forward Olli Jokinen needed to score against Brian Boucher for the Rangers to stay alive, keep the shootout going, and avoid elimination in the final game of the year. Boucher needed to stop the puck for the Flyers to win and get into the playoffs. Jokinen’s three or four loops around the faceoff circle to Henrik Lundqvist’s left heighten the drama of the moment. But his simple, geriatric-ish, and feeble attempt through the five hole was stopped by Boucher. A horrible try Jokinen remains known for, at least in Flyers circles.

On Jan. 14, 2020, Boston’s Brad Marchand was the fifth shooter for the Bruins in a shootout, needing to score to avoid defeat. Marchand’s sprint up the ice was great except for one problem: the puck didn’t follow.

The puck didn’t move the length of itself, but did go forward. Marchand realized the screwup and, after officials determined the puck moved forward, it was over. And Marchand’s gaffe was another memorable one for all the right reasons. The Flyers won.

Flyers’ Sean Couturier and Christian Dvorak combine for worst breakaway attempt we’ve ever seen​

Last night in Florida, Marchand might have been having flashbacks about that blooper five years ago during the game. There was no shootout needed. The Flyers stormed back to defeat the Stanley Cup champions 4-2 in Florida. But one play in the second period might have changed the momentum completely. With the Flyers down a goal and killing a penalty roughly midway through the frame, Travis Sanheim managed to clear the puck out of harm’s way. The puck bounced high off the glass and out to center ice, where Flyers forward and penalty killer Christian Dvorak outraced Florida’s Seth Jones for the puck. Dvorak didn’t have to dig for the puck as the bounce put the rubber in the middle of the ice, quite deep inside the Panther’s blueline between the faceoff circles. You couldn’t ask for better puck positioning.

What not to do on a breakaway by the Philadelphia Flyers pic.twitter.com/mcSdt8SVGc

— Everything Hockey (@EHClothing) November 27, 2025

Dvorak, who had Jones by a step, could’ve deked Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, or tried the five-hole shot, or roofed something over the keeper’s shoulder and under the crossbar. Any semblance of a shot was possible. There was also little to no chance of Jones taking the puck away given Dvorak’s body positioning, shielding the puck from the opponent. Sadly, Dvorak took anything to mean inexplicably delivering a backhand pass to an oncoming Sean Couturier.

Couturier, possibly surprised at the pass, had time to get off a quality shot as three Panther skaters and Bobrovsky looked on. But he essentially said to his teammate, “Hold my beer.” Rather than shooting, the Flyers captain attempted a cross-ice pass back to Dvorak. If you pause the clip below you’ll note that Dvorak is about a foot behind the goal line and nearly in the corner to Bobrovsky’s right when the pass is made. So Dvorak is basically in a far better position to get a shot at Dan Vladar than he is the Panthers’ netminder. Granted Dvorak has a decent shot, but he’s not hockey’s equivalent of Lionel Messi or David Beckham who can curl or bend their shots around a goalkeeper into the net.

Couturier realized his mistake as soon as the puck left his stick, looking up and probably muttering “WTF!?!” to himself. The pass went into the corner where Dvorak got it. But it simply killed more time off the Philadelphia penalty. Bobrovsky was that shocked at the pass he even lost his goalie stick, looking temporarily paralyzed and in shock from the stupidity of the play he had just witnessed. He held onto his post for dear life with his blocker, possibly to avoid falling over backwards and laughing like a lunatic at what happened. Seconds later, Bobrovsky’s stick — laying prone on the ice behind the goal line — was able to take the puck away from Dvorak trying to stickhandle behind the net. Even Flyers’ television play-by-play announcer Jim Jackson was almost at a loss for words at what transpired.

The eight to nine seconds of play might have changed the game. The Flyers might have been so embarrassed by such a paltry short-handed attempt that they found another gear and looked far better the last 30 minutes than they did the first 30. And the Panthers might have still been shaking their heads at just how asinine the breakaway chance turned out, losing their focus and thus losing the game in the dying seconds. Thankfully, Couturier put the nail in Florida’s coffin with a nice deflection from Dvorak as Philadelphia put their foot on Florida’s neck, not allowing them any chance to pull Bobrovsky for the extra attacker. Both atoned for the miscue with far better execution on this effort than the previous one.

In the end the Flyers won 4-2 and head coach Rick Tocchet told the team afterwards that they “f–king earned” the two points, they didn’t steal them. Although they’re traveling to New York on this Thanksgiving day, it wouldn’t be surprising for both Dvorak and Couturier to be getting a little bit of good-natured ribbing from the likes of Trevor Zegras or Matvei Michkov on the flight. And deservedly so. Meanwhile, should the Panthers not win their third consecutive Stanley Cup, this play will be the turning point, losing to a team who somehow screwed up a perfect breakaway attempt.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...-worst-breakaway-attempt-ever-in-nhl-history/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Friday Morning Fly By: More like orange and black Friday

*Happy National Day of Commerce! We hope you’re all prepared to do your patriotic duty and buy a lot of goods and/or services. Related, the Flyers are having a sale, if you’re interested. [Flyers]

*Today is also the annual Flyers Black Friday game, though for some reason this one is being played in Long Island. Before this afternoon’s game, though, let’s talk about Wednesday’s fun as heck come-from-behind win over the Florida Panthers. RECAP!

*Before the comeback though, the Flyers executed what might just be the worst play ever made by two professional hockey players. Just breathtaking stuff. [BSH]

*Charlie had some Thoughts about the game, if you’re a paying member of his website. [PHLY]

*We’ve been seeing the Flyers popping up in trade rumors pretty consistently since Danny Briere took the reigns, and that’s probably because the Flyers will almost certainly be making a big trade at some point. Because they need to. [The Athletic]

*We always love a story about a guy who is From Here making a name for himself in the Flyers organization, don’t we folks? [Inquirer]

*Power rankings, in the form of the guy on each team that you’d call a turkey. Because yesterday was Thanksgiving. Get it? [Sportsnet]

*Related, here’s one reason to be thankful for each and every team in the league. Even the Islanders, apparently. [The Athletic]

*And finally, the latest 32 Thoughts. For your reading enjoyment. [Sportsnet]

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/friday-morning-fly-by-more-like-orange-and-black-friday/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers @ Islanders: How to watch, lineups, and gamethread

Our beloved Philadelphia Flyers are out here playing hockey on Black Friday…but somewhere not in Philadelphia? They’re off to an island to go face the New York Islanders in this classic matchup in which we sort of dread watching. Here’s hoping for nothing too controversial to come out of this game and the Flyers put the sleepy Long Island boys to bed early.

Puck drop: 4:00 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
: NBCSP
: 93.3 WMMR

Pregame reading​

• Well, hopefully this game has better breakaway attempts than the last one. On Wednesday night, Christian Dvorak and Sean Couturier combined to maybe have the worst one we’ve ever seen. Thank goodness the Flyers won that game, though. [BSH]
• A handful of Flyers fans are resisting hard to not fall in love with Trevor Zegras. We spoke with them. (Parody.) [BSH]
• Flyers prospect report!! Porter Martone and Jett Luchanko had big weeks and the top guys are killing it. [BSH]

Pregame watching​

By the numbers​

Philadelphia Flyers – 12-7-3 (6th in Metro)

Goals: Tyson Foerster (8)
Assists: Trevor Zegras (14)
Points: Trevor Zegras (21)

New York Islanders – 13-9-2 (4th in Metro)

Goals: Bo Horvat (14)
Assists: Bo Horvat/Mat Barzal/Kyle Palmieri/Jonathan Drouin (11)
Points: Bo Horvat (25)

Projected lineups​

Philadelphia Flyers

Matvei Michkov — Sean Couturier — Bobby Brink
Tyson Foerster — Noah Cates — Travis Konecny
Trevor Zegras — Christian Dvorak — Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin — Rodrigo Abols — Garnet Hathaway

Cam York — Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae — Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler — Egor Zamula

Sam Ersson

(Dan Vladar)

New York Islanders

Emil Heineman — Bo Horvat — Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee — Mat Barzal — Jonathan Drouin
Maxim Shabanov — Calum Ritchie — Simon Holmstrom
Maxim Tsyplakov — Casey Cizikas — Anthony Duclair

Matthew Schaefer — Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech — Tony DeAngelo
Adam Boqvist — Scott Mayfield

Ilya Sorokin
(David Rittich)

Storylines to watch​

Watch out for the Horvat-Heineman connection

The Islanders have been unpredictably having a very solid season so far and a lot of that offensive juice that they have has been stemming from a combination upfront that they have kept consistent throughout. Emil Heineman and Bo Horvat have been linked together in their top six for some time and have consistently put together solid results.

No matter what play-driving metric you want to throw out there, whenever a forward line has these two guys on it for the Islanders this season, they have the advantage over the opposition. While it doesn’t necessarily translate to an immediate goal advantage — when Heineman and Horvat are on the ice, the Islanders have outscored the opponent 14-12 this season — they have managed to get at least 55 percent of the shot attempt and shot on goal share. They’re just playing some solid hockey so Noah Cates might have his work cut out for him this afternoon.

Flyers’ power play back to being a dud

While it may be looking better and there was a stretch this season where it felt like the Flyers were destined to get at least one power-play goal in the game, this team has now gone through six consecutive games without putting one in the back of the net on the man advantage. Through that timespan, the Flyers have gone now 0-for-10 with their opportunities — so it’s not like they’re getting ample time out there, but it’s still disappointing to see that big goose egg once again.

For the month of November, the Flyers have scored just four power-play goals. That’s not great considering we’re just a couple days away from the calendar turning.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...slanders-how-to-watch-lineups-and-gamethread/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers blow three-goal lead but show resilience in 4-3 shootout win over Islanders

The Flyers had a 3-0 lead in the second period, but saw that erased by the end of period two. The dynamic duo of Trevor Zegras and Sam Ersson in the shootout frame was enough as Philadelphia defeated the host New York Islanders 4-3 on Friday afternoon.

The basics​

First period: 8:30- Tyson Foerster (Unassisted), 8:52- Sean Couturier (Unassisted)
Second period: 1:48- Trevor Zegras (Emil Andrae, Matvei Michkov) (PPG), 5:42- Emil Heineman (Jonathan Drouin, Kyle Palmieri), 8:11- Matthew Schaefer (Anthony Duclair, Ryan Pulock), 19:13- Anders Lee (Maxim Shabanov, Matthew Schaefer) (PPG)
Third period: No scoring
Overtime: No scoring
Shootout: Trevor Zegras- Goal, Mathew Barzal- No goal, Matvei Michkov- No goal, Simon Holmstrom- Goal, Travis Konecny- Goal, Bo Horvat- No goal
SOG: 21 (PHI) – 31 (NYI)

Some takeaways​

A 2-0 lead? Yes.

The Flyers had all of three shots in the first nine minutes of the game. But thanks to two bad Islander turnovers, Philadelphia had a quick 2-0 lead. A giveaway in the middle of the ice led to Tyson Foerster beating David Rittich with a wrister for the game’s opening goal.

Tys will take that one, thx! #PHIvsNYI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/2cWxkQMZON

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 28, 2025

Then, 22 seconds later, the Islanders made another disastrous gaffe that put the puck on Sean Couturier’s stick. Couturier ended a goalless drought with a low wrist shot that hit the iron and went in. It was almost a flashback of the three goals in 26 seconds against New Jersey. But Philadelphia didn’t score in the ensuing few seconds.

We like to score in bunches.#PHIvsNYI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/XXpGYYt1O0

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 28, 2025

The Flyers ended the first with three shots on goal, riding the 2-0 lead into the first intermission and delivering a rather textbook (and boring) road period. Plenty of tight checking, hardly any flow through the neutral zone, and making the most of their chances. This despite the Corsi For percentage after 20 minutes being a horrid 28.57 per cent five-on-five (down 8-20). It wasn’t pretty, but points aren’t awarded for style.

Michkov watch

After 20 minutes, Matvei Michkov has the second fewest minutes (3:52) in usage with only Bobby Brink (2:24) being used less. With two penalty kills the Flyers saw their special teams used a little more. But it wasn’t a huge highlight reel period for the Mad Russian. Both Brink and Michkov was used on the Flyers’ second power play alongside Couturier. The line didn’t generate anything despite keeping the puck in New York’s zone. Fortunately, Tocchet was using Michkov (who had an assist on the Flyers power play goal) a bit more in the middle period as after 40 minutes he had 10:15.

With the score tied 3-3, Michkov slithered across the Islanders blueline early in the third, but his shot through traffic was stopped by Rittich. Unfortunately, Michkov took a needless four-minute high-sticking penalty after a fantastic game-saving stop by Sam Ersson on Calum Ritchie with just over six minutes to go in regulation. Tocchet didn’t tie Michkov to the bench, as he was on the ice with under a minute left as the Flyers earned the one point through regulation. And also during overtime. A ridiculous play by Ersson to try to keep play alive nearly bounced off Michkov back into Philadelphia’s net. Overall Michkov (who was foiled in the shootout), ended up with nearly 16 minutes of ice time (15:55) and looked, aside from the high-sticking penalty, not bad.

Special teams

The Flyers got in penalty trouble early when Tyson Foerster was called for high-sticking. They were quite efficient in not allowing any chances and spending very little time in their own end. Later in the first, in the Islanders zone, Rodrigo Abols dove for the puck but caught Islander forward Simon Holmstrom, resulting in a tripping minor. New York, who were 0-for-23 entering the game, were far from great on this one, with Philadelphia getting in the lanes and keeping things nice and tidy in front of Ersson.

Meanwhile, the Flyers got their first power play late in the first, most of which carried over into the second. The Flyers had some good looks including one by Emil Andrae which didn’t connect. Finally, Philadelphia hit paydirt when Trevor Zegras got a fortunate bounce to get a power play goal and a 3-0 lead for the Flyers.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯#PHIvsNYI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/zBrYlQxNpu

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 28, 2025

The Flyers biggest test of the night was trying to kill a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Michkov. Emil Heineman had a one-timer that nailed the crossbar. But outside of that the Flyers were great, saving Michkov’s hide and keeping the game tied.

Ersson was fine

Ersson has one game with a save percentage over .900. That was a month ago against the Penguins. On Black Friday, the netminder had another chance to continue his mastery over the Islanders as he was unbeaten in four games over his career. Ersson was tested early as Jonathan Drouin had a chance in the slot. And he was a bit fortunate nearly eight minutes in when Maxim Shabanov beat him but hit iron. The chance came after Nick Seeler delivered a nice, heavy hit on Ritchie.

In the second, after a terrible gaffe by Emil Andrae which ended up behind Ersson, the Islanders found another gear, forcing their way into the Philadelphia zone far easier than they did in the first. Ersson was tested a bit in the second, keeping the Flyers ahead while trying to stop some momentum New York was gaining. Philadelphia appeared to regain their composure later in the second, turning the tide back in their favor. He also had a huge save on Mathew Barzal before Anders Lee scored the game-tying goal late in period two on a deflection. The Islanders had a man advantage thanks to a rather questionable tripping call on Travis Konecny that had the Flyers forward chuckling at what happened.

ANDERS LEE TIPS IN MATTHEW SCHAEFER'S SHOT TO TIE THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/jk3TQY5S1s

— Islanders Videos (@SNY_Islanders) November 28, 2025

Ersson was fine the rest of the way, including the overtime and in the shootout. And he just eked over the .900 save percentage for the night, ending the evening at .903.

Andrae’s awful miscue

Emil Andrae was having a good game. But a mental miscue by him was costly. Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri looked to be hurt as the Flyers went up ice. Officials never blew the whistle. The puck went back to Andrae, who, didn’t realize Palmieri was behind him. Palmieri (who never returned to the game) stripped Andrae of the puck, which went to Emil Heineman who beat Ersson to get New York on the board and make it a 3-1 game. Head coach Rick Tocchet was clearly pissed at what transpired. As good as Andrae has been at times, it’s mistakes like that he still needs to iron out of his game.

#Flyers 3 @ #Isles 1 [P2–14:18]:

Goal: Emil Heineman (10)
35' Deep Snapshot

Assists: J.Drouin (12), K.Palmieri (12)#LetsGoFlyers #Islanders #NHL pic.twitter.com/0AZLRpjcMU

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 28, 2025

The gaffe seemed to energize the Islanders who minutes later made it a 3-2 lead as rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer beat Ersson low on the glove side. The Flyers needed to get back in control and had a few chances to make it 4-2, but Michkov missed on a chance near the side of the goal.

All stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...esilience-in-4-3-shootout-win-over-islanders/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers @ Devils: How to watch, lineups, and gamethread

It’s another quick turnaround, as the Flyers are back for the second half of their third back-to-back of the month, and looking to close out the month of November on a high note in tonight’s rematch with the Devils. The first meeting went pretty emphatically the way of the Flyers, but this Devils team is heating back up again, and the Flyers will have a more challenging matchup in front of them than the last time around. We’ll see how they fare here.

Puck drop: 7:00 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
: NBCSP
: 97.5 The Fanatic

Pregame reading​

• We have a very quick turnaround on our hands here, with the Flyers right back at it after a bit of matinee action against the Islanders yesterday. And how did that game go for them? Let’s revisit it. [BSH]
• On the prospect front, Michigan State got themselves back on track this weekend, and Shane Vansaghi seems to finally be picking up steam. [BSH]

Pregame watching​

By the numbers​

Philadelphia Flyers – 13-7-3 (5th in Metro)

Goals: Tyson Foerster (9)
Assists: Trevor Zegras (14)
Points: Trevor Zegras (22)

New Jersey Devils – 16-7-1 (1st in Metro)

Goals: Jack Hughes (10)
Assists: Jesper Bratt (17)
Points: Jesper Bratt/Nico Hischier (22)

Projected lineups​

Philadelphia Flyers

Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Bobby Brink
Trevor Zegras – Christian Dvorak – Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway

Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – *Noah Juulsen

Dan Vladar
(Sam Ersson)

New Jersey Devils

Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat – Dawson Mercer – Arseny Gritsyuk
Paul Cotter – Cody Glass – Connor Brown
Juho Lammikko – Luke Glendening – Stefan Noesen

Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes – Simon Nemec
Brenden Dillon – Colton White

Jacob Markstrom
(Jake Allen)

Storylines to watch​

Keeping the energy up

The Flyers, hitting the second game of this back-to-back, will all but certainly come into this one with one of their biggest concerns being the maintenance of a high level of energy and compete, to keep themselves in this game. It will be a steep task, as they’re coming off of a hard fought game against the Islanders (which of course ended in the high of the shootout win) but also working against their ongoing struggles with slow starts (something they were able to overcome yesterday at least, grabbing an early lead, but struggling still to hold on to it). The good news is that the Devils won’t necessarily have an advantage in the rest department, as they played against the Sabres yesterday — beating them by a 5-0 score, we should add — but they will certainly be an extra motivated bunch, as they’ll be looking to exact a bit of revenge after the walloping the Flyers gave them in their last meeting. The Flyers will have to be on it from the start, but we’ll see how that goes for them.

Shifting luck

Just as the Flyers will be hoping (and indeed, needing) to break from an old pattern and get off to a better start in this one, they’ll be hoping too that they can find a better break broadly in this game, find themselves a better result. That is, this will be the third back-to-back the Flyers have played this month, and while the results in the first halves have varied (two wins and one loss), the outcomes of the second halves have been unilaterally unkind to the Flyers — they lost a close one 2-1 to the Flames, and then were thrummed 5-1 by the Stars in the second go. It’s a small sample that we’re looking at, sure, but the early datapoints are what they are, and the Flyers have a chance to avoid turning this into an outright pattern of poor results in the second half of back to backs. It won’t be easy, as the Devils have been picking up steam of late (they haven’t lost in regulation since the Flyers beat them in that first meeting), but their fate, at least in part, sits in their own hands.

Back to Vladar

After the Flyers got a good showing from Sam Ersson in goal yesterday evening, they’re going back to Dan Vladar for the start to close things out tonight. The bet on him here is a good one — Vladar has been largely dependable for them all season, and he held up very well against the Devils last time out, stopping 32 of the 35 shots they threw at him on the way to the win. This isn’t going to be an easy task laid out ahead of him, facing this high powered and extra motivated Devils squad, but there’s little doubt that if he’s as on as he has been, he’s the Flyers’ best chance at pulling off another win here.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-devils-how-to-watch-lineups-and-gamethread/