RSS Flyers Team Notes

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk resumes skating

The Flyers are back from their quick road trip over the weekend, during which they split their back-to-back against the Blues and Stars, and after a surely much-needed day off on Sunday, they’re right back on the ice for a good practice, the first in their runway up to their next game on Thursday. And while the Flyers are working with some of the usual headlines coming out of the practice session — the shuffling of some of the forward lines, as well as an absence for Cam York which is, it seems, just for maintenance — the big news of the day is that they also have one of their top prospects returning to the ice as he works his way back from injury.

Oliver Bonk resumes skating​

For the first time since he took an upper-body injury during rookie camp, Oliver Bonk was back on the ice with the Flyers. It’s been a long road for him, as his injury was initially thought to be more of the day-to-day variety, but it’s turned out to be more serious, keeping him out now for upwards of two months, so it’s nice to see him getting back into the mix, albeit briefly and still in that non-contact jersey.

Looks like Oliver Bonk is back on the ice, skating with the big group. He's wearing a different color jersey than everyone else, presumably non contact.

Great to see him out there. He'll get sent down to the AHL once he's fully cleared for a return. pic.twitter.com/lxTOqeclNt

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) November 17, 2025​

Now, as reported by some of the boots on the ground at practice this morning, Bonk didn’t take the full practice with the NHL group, but rather came out for a bit of warmup work with the main group, and then headed over to the other ice sheet to continue with some individual rehab skating. So, it would seem that Bonk isn’t yet pounding on the door for a full return to action, but it’s encouraging all the same to see the recovery process continuing to move along nicely for him, as he gets closer to a return to playing, and eventually, his professional debut with the Phantoms.

The Phantoms’ defense, as it stands​

Getting Bonk back into the mix would be a pretty significant boost for the Phantoms in terms of raising the floor of the raw skill level of the group, particularly with veteran Dennis Gilbert remaining out with injury.

This will be, though, the first time in recent memory when the Phantoms will have a surplus of bonafide AHL level talent on the right side of their defense. The Phantoms were running for much of the early part of the season with just one right-shooting AHL regular in the mix, in Helge Grans, and filling in the rest with bubble players. Now, though, between the team getting right shooting Christian Kyrou back in the trade for Samu Tuomaala last month, and getting Ethan Samson back from injury over the weekend, the Phantoms are now running a full group of at least marginally more veteran defensemen on the right side of their defense. When Bonk returns, though, this will mean the coaching staff will either have to establish some kind of platoon rotating two or more of these players in and out of the lineup — as they’ve already been doing with some of their players up front — or else move someone over to play on their off-side and push one of the bubble players (like a Berger or a Sevigny) out to prioritize the AHL regulars.

At some point, though, some kind of rotation is going to have to be established, as the Phantoms will be adding to their mix the literally just now acquired Maxence Guenette who is another righty, and with Rasmus Ristolainen also progressing through his recovery track and looking like he could be back in action before very long, the Flyers will also need to send at least one defenseman back down to the Phantoms to make space to activate him, so their surplus of players will grow even more significant. This isn’t an impossible situation that they’ll eventually find themselves in, but it will be a challenging one, as they work to strike the balance between fairness and optimizing their lineup to best help them secure wins.

What Bonk can offer them​

All of this said, though, Bonk is going to get games. Not just because he needs to — as one of the organization’s top prospects and one who needs reps at the pro level to advance his development — but because his game is one which can offer a lot to the team, once he’s able to really get going. His details focused, well-rounded style of play is one which should lend him some versatility in that lineup, as he could be a good stylistic fit with just about any of the other pieces on the back end. His ability to move the puck cleanly and with some pace will also be an element of his game which will work particularly well within the Phantoms’ game plan, as they’re shifting their play style to a more uptempo transitioning team.

And on top of that, while Kyrou has been carving out a nice role for himself running the Phantoms’ top power play unit, the spot (or spots) on the second unit have been a little less locked down, as the Phantoms are still looking for the right mix, and Bonk could quite easily see himself sliding into a role there to help round out the second unit, building up from some success found in a similar role at the junior level.

Of course, ultimately it will take him some time to work himself up to speed and adjust enough to the professional game where he can again get to the top of his game, just like every other rookie in the league, but the Phantoms are running a system which should support his growing game nicely.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-prospect-oliver-bonk-resumes-skating/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers trade Dennis Gilbert to the Senators for young defenseman

The Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators have made a one-for-one swap for defenseman and it makes one team younger but with less certainty, and the other one with some stability in the blue line depth chart.

Announced by the team on Monday afternoon, the Flyers have traded defenseman Dennis Gilbert to the Senators in exchange for defenseman Maxence Guenette. It’s a blockbuster, we know.

TRADE ALERT: We’ve acquired defenseman Maxence Guenette from Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Dennis Gilbert.

We have also agreed to terms with Guenette on a one-year, two-way contract. https://t.co/T6i6n9iPhj

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 17, 2025​

Gilbert was a free agent acquisition by the Flyers this summer as someone who can at the very least be a minor-league depth veteran on the blue line. And, well, he was exactly that. The 29-year-old defenseman was on the NHL roster for a very little bit but never played in a game, and was always clearly just someone signed to just hang around the lower half of the depth chart just in case of injuries or underperformance from someone like Adam Ginning or Egor Zamula (well, they did underperform and he was still in the AHL).

Since being cut from the roster, Gilbert has appeared in six games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and earned a total of one assist. On a blue line with other more prominent prospects like Hunter McDonald and Ethan Samson, Gilbert wasn’t really needed a whole lot in the minors.

So, the Flyers have traded him to one of the teams that he played for just last season as an extra defenseman. And in return, the Flyers received a 24-year-old blueliner that has put up solid AHL numbers but hasn’t really figured it out in the NHL yet.

Flyers get younger, trade for Maxence Guenette​

Other than immediately having one of the best names in the Flyers organization, Maxence Guenette adds an interesting wrinkle to the Phantoms blue line. He is clearly an offensive player with 25 goals and 116 points in 236 games through his last four seasons, and just came off a solid 2024-25 season with AHL Belleville where he finished second in scoring among defensemen with 23 points in 58 games. There is more of that edge that Gilbert ever provided.

Guenette was an unsigned restricted free agent and has not played in a game yet this season. Just last week reports came out that he asked for a trade out of the Sens organization since he was clearly not viewed as a key piece there, despite being an alternate captain for their AHL team. Now, he gets to be added to an already talented Phantoms team who are on the rise with a very exciting group of young players like Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Alexis Gendron lighting the lamp.

Where does Guenette fit on the Phantoms, though?​

But, there is a little bit of a problem. Guenette shoots right and the Phantoms already have a lot of those dudes laying around.

Helge Grans and Christian Kyrou are two right-handed defenseman who are at the top of the Phantoms blue line. And then factor in that Ethan Samson made his return to the ice after missing the start of the season due to injury. And that’s not even considering that high-end prospect Oliver Bonk will eventually be making his way back to the team as well. Something has got to give eventually since the Phantoms won’t be running five right-handed defensemen when everyone is healthy.

Whether it’s another trade or maybe the Flyers really want to give someone like Kyrou (who has been red hot since Philadelphia acquired him earlier this month) or Grans a shot in the NHL — but, Emil Andrae and Noah Juulsen are certainly an above-average bottom pairing right now. We’ll all find out soon enough what the solution is,

For now, the Flyers got a new young(ish) defenseman and as a plus, he’s ginger.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...gilbert-to-the-senators-for-young-defenseman/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Is it time to start talking about Alex Bump?

Alex Bump is coming off of another productive weekend for the Phantoms. The team has just come off their firs three-in-three of the season, and while it wasn’t a perfect showing from them on a collective level, it’s one that saw a number of flashy performances from a number of the top prospects in their mix, with Bump chief among them.

Alex Bump with some great work to set up a pretty wacky second goal of the night for Denver Barkey (this line is really buzzing!) pic.twitter.com/xCirSjFMT4

— Madeline Campbell (@madelinecampbll) November 15, 2025​

With a goal and four assists over the first two games of the weekend — no scoring in the third, though he did maintain a nice level of energy, which is something — Bump has seemed to take a step forward in his game, and it’s a turn of events which has certainly turned a number of heads. It’s about now when the recall buzz begins to build around prospects as hot as this, but Bump’s case for one, in particular, is something of a complicated one. Let’s dig into it.

Heating up​

Bump had himself a big weekend, as the Phantoms’ leading contributors, with those five points, and it’s a weekend that came nicely on the heels of what’s been three quite solid weeks running of play for him. Since his promotion to the Phantoms’ top line with fellow rookie winger Denver Barkey and veteran centerman Lane Pederson on October 31, Bump’s game has looked renewed. While he had just three points over the first eight games of the season, in the seven since that shakeup, he’s put up three goals and 10 points, and strung together a four-game points getting streak, for his longest in his time at the AHL level.

All told, this step up in production has shot him up to the top of the team’s leaderboard in points, and up into a tie for second among rookies across the whole league in points, as he’s put in some huge work to overcome that slow start to the season.

The big question, though, is whether this step forward should beget a step up to join the mix with the Flyers and show what he can do there — and potentially help jumpstart their offense — but that question is a trickier one.

The logistics​

The biggest roadblock in front of Bump on his road to an NHL job at the moment is, of course, the fullness of that NHL roster. As it stands, the Flyers are carrying 13 healthy forwards, with a top-9 that effectively locked in, and a fourth line which has had Nic Deslauriers and Nikita Grebenkin in a rotation for a spot on its wing. The Flyers, while they’ve been doing some shuffling of the organization of their top three forward lines, have largely had the same players making up that mix, and while everyone in that group is healthy, it’s hard to pinpoint anyone who would feel like a natural choice to be pulled from the lineup to sit for more than a game at a time to make a space for Bump.

Because this is the biggest thing — if Bump is going to be given time with the NHL team, whether for his benefit or in hopes that he can bring them some more offense, he’s going to need a consistent and sustained open runway to do that, but that’s not an easy thing to come by at the moment for a player on the outside looking in.

Now, if another injury crops up for them in that top-9 group, that’s another story, but for the time being, there’s no easy route to get Bump the consistent NHL games he would need that wouldn’t also come at the expense of another player, be it someone younger who the team is also trying to develop, or a veteran with both a bit more cachet in the league and who the Flyers might still be evaluating for their continued fit within the new system. The only option would be to shoehorn him into some kind of rotation, but it’s hard to imagine this being something that would benefit him or the team in the long run.

Is Bump even ready to make the jump anyway?​

It’s true that Bump has managed nicely to get his game on track after a bit of a frustrated start to the season, and tapped into a higher level of play, and greater level of success over these last seven games. And it’s not just been a matter of his luck shifting, bounces suddenly going his way, but of a process improved overall — he’s playing with more confidence, he’s been able to hold on to pucks for a bit longer and has been able to get himself into better spots for shots (and shooting at a slightly higher volume, at that), and he’s been finding a great deal of chemistry with his linemates, working in space to feed off of each other.

All the same, though, this is still just seven games that we’re talking about. It’s an excellent start to the process of mastering play at the AHL level, but seven good games doesn’t necessarily make a true pounding on the door for an NHL recall. In all of the positives that he’s been able to bring in his game, of late, there’s still too some work left to be done. For one, Bump is holding up well physically recently, throwing the body around some but, more importantly, looking much improved in his puck protection, but there’s still room for him to continue to grow in this area and become a bit more dominant physically before moving to the next level. Also, his offensive game has been clicking nicely, but there has still been a bit of it left on the table (his 8.6 shooting percentage actually feels a little bit low for how strong his shot is overall), whether that’s from missing some shots or needing to get himself into better positions in select moments, and there’s another level left yet untapped. And finally, while his line with Pederson and Barkey has looked close to unstoppable through much of these last few weeks and while Bump has been doing a lot well for his own part to drive their success, a true mark of his mastery of the game at the AHL level would be for him to step up as a player who could be dropped down to another line to help them get going, to be even more of a driver in that regard.

At the end of the day, Bump remains a really exciting prospect for the Flyers, a player with high potential to factor in as a key contributor towards the top of their lineup before long. There’s a lot to like in how his game is manifesting at the present moment, and a lot to be pleased about in how he’s been able to improve his game from where it was just 15 games ago.

At the same time, there’s still some fine tuning left to be done on his game, and he’s better off doing that in a top of the lineup role with the Phantoms than being rushed up to an NHL team which, as it stands, isn’t even a lock to be competing for a playoff spot this season. This season began with the sense that the patient approach was the one the Flyers would be taking as far as Bump’s development in concerned, and while it’s clear that he’s embracing that approach and making major strides within it, that approach still presents as the best one.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/is-it-time-to-start-talking-about-alex-bump/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers should claim former first-round pick off waivers

The Philadelphia Flyers are no strangers to a reclamation project, and there’s another worthy one on waivers.

The Pittsburgh Penguins waived Philip Tomasino on Tuesday, with teams able to claim him for free. The 24-year-old center has a cap hit of $1.75 million and is a restricted free agent after this season.

Tomasino was selected 24th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators. He put up 100 points in 62 OHL games the following season before graduating to the AHL, where he’s recorded 82 points (36 goals, 46 assists) in 89 games.

The forward has primarily played wing at the NHL level, taking just 112 faceoffs in 218 career games. He also hasn’t put up a ton of points with 34 goals and 61 assists, but that’s still an 82-game pace of 36 points.

Tomasino has plenty of skill but didn’t work out in Nashville, and the Predators traded him to Pittsburgh last season for a fourth-round pick. The change of scenery didn’t help too much, though, as he put up 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 50 games last year and just one assist in nine games this year before being waived.

The Flyers’ fourth line simply isn’t living up to expectations this season.

Garnet Hathaway is irritating opponents, but isn’t contributing offensively. Rodrigo Abols looked good in the preseason, but has also looked pedestrian in the regular season.

They’ve combined for no points in 31 games. The only fourth liner to record a point this season is Nikita Grebenkin, who has a goal and two assists, and still gets healthy scratched.

Tomasino already failed once as a reclamation project, but it would cost nothing for the Flyers to give him a shot.

If it works out, great! He’s on a low enough cap hit and could be in the mix for next season.

If not, it’s not too much of a loss. And perhaps more importantly, claiming him would remove the possibility of him turning it around and becoming a contributor for the Penguins.

The Flyers have over $8 million in cap space and could add a former first-round pick with scoring upside to their bottom six. He may not fit the prototypical mold of a fourth liner, but perhaps the Flyers need to get away from that and add some skill alongside those grinders.

We’re not expecting it to happen because it would require the Flyers sending a player like Abols through waivers, but Tomasino would improve the team on paper, and could find his game in an organization that has found some diamonds in the rough.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-should-claim-former-first-round-pick-off-waivers/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

6 reasons why Flyers will make playoffs or be destined for Draft Lottery

Through 18 games, the Flyers find themselves with 19 points. They’re at least even in games played with everyone in the Eastern Conference and will have a few games in hand on some by Thursday night when they take on the Blues. They have had some bright spots, they’ve had some problems. Yet they find themselves within reach of a wildcard spot. Not buried behind seven or eight teams, nor are they trailblazing in the Metropolitan Division. If the Flyers were part of an episode of The Simpsons, they would be the epitome of “frogurt.” See below.

So, with that being said, there are different things that could go right or wrong for the Flyers in the remaining 64 games. Here then are three things that would bode well for Philadelphia getting themselves into one of the two wildcard spots. And, on the flip side, three things that could see them plummet down the standings and end up looking for more lottery balls in April.

Flyers land wild card spot if…​

Michkov takes off

Matvei Michkov had an off-season he’d like to forget. A car accident in Dubai, an injury to his ankle that impeded his training and conditioning, and coming into camp not in shape hasn’t helped him in the first 18 games of the season. He has been getting better and shaking the rust off the last few games, but the expectations entering camp was for him to be the team’s leading point-getter. Or at least near the top. Instead, he’s eighth (tied with Bobby Brink) with nine points (four goals, five helpers).

Head coach Rick Tocchet isn’t putting Michkov in the doghouse yet. But he has a tighter leash on him than many thought he would. He’s averaged just under 15 minutes a game thus far. And he’s been glued to the bench at times in close games late in regulation. He’s starting to win Tocchet’s trust, albeit slowly. But his play away from the puck at times (like some of his linemates) leaves a little bit to be desired. He’s going to need to continue to score and produce offensively if he wants to get himself out of the muck.

A sophomore slump happens to a lot of players. Should Michkov avoid that and end up with a strong three-quarters of a season, that will certainly go a long, long way in helping the Flyers stay in playoff contention. And possibly get into one of the wildcard spots.

Dan keeps dominating

If anyone would’ve believed Dan Vladar was one of the saviors for Philadelphia nearly 20 games in, that’s a bet nobody would’ve put good money (or any money) on. Vladar was originally thought to be Sam Ersson’s support, and Ersson would see around 50 games, Vladar would see the rest. That still might happen, but 18 games in, Vladar has nearly two-thirds of the starts so far, with a .909 save percentage. And has kept the Flyers in a lot of games, stoning opponents more often than not in overtime and the shootouts.

Vladar is going to have to keep that high level of play going for the Flyers to stay in the hunt. They’re not scoring a lot of goals, so the run support the average National Hockey League goaltender would get isn’t something Vladar can depend on. It’s not there, making the line for error very thin. The goalie has played well but has come back down to earth somewhat, as the .930 save percentage he had to begin the year has dipped. The Flyers should be over the moon that it’s almost American Thanksgiving and a goaltender has a save percentage over .900. That standard has to continue. If Vladar — who played only 30 games last year — begins to have Ersson-esque games (.850 or lower save percentages) once a week, that’s going to make the playoffs extremely difficult if not impossible.

Power play keeps chugging

Flyer fans have to reflect quite a few years ago to remember an effective power play. Otherwise there’s no comparison to put this current 2025-26 Philadelphia power play into context. Prior to Tuesday’s games the Flyers are seventeenth in the league (19.6 per cent). To see this special team actually look competent is tear-inducing at times. They’re not great, but to see them essentially in the middle of the league is a step up from being in the cellar most of last year.

The power play might still be horrid if not for the arrival of Trevor Zegras. He’s been in on a huge chunk of their power play goals. If Michkov can begin to find his game and gain more confidence, that could extend into the other non-Zegras unit. One unit still looks like last year’s, one looks vastly new and improved. And for a team that is still scratching and clawing to score goals five-on-five, it’s vital they are able to do a bit of damage with the man advantage.

Flyers gain lottery balls if…​

Injuries

Every team has them. Montreal is suffering mightily because of them (or will be soon). The Flyers thus far have avoided major ones. Yet if the Flyers suffer one long-term injury to one of probably three key players then the playoffs or dream of a wildcard spot will be off the table. The Flyers need to have Trevor Zegras healthy, Dan Vladar healthy, and Travis Sanheim healthy for nearly all of the 82-game slate if Philadelphia has any hope. An injury to any of them will significantly hamper their chances.

If Vladar went down, the Flyers are left with Ersson and Kolosov. We know how that went down in 2024-25. Or, barring a call up of Carson Bjarnason, they’d have to try and find something off the waiver wire heap as a stopgap. Meanwhile a Zegras injury (even for a few weeks) could be enough to stall the Flyers’ power play and end up losing most of the shootouts. As for Sanheim, trying to find someone to adequately munch up between 24 to 26 minutes a night as the top blueliner would be next to impossible.

That’s not to say the Flyers would roll over and die if one of these things happened. It would be extremely difficult to logically believe they could overcome an injury to one of these three. It would probably mean the Flyers being sellers yet again at the trade deadline despite what general manager Danny Briere hoped for last summer. And their record being one of the worst in the league.

Schedule strength

The Flyers are up against it regarding their schedule and the strength of it. Some have them as having the worst schedule remaining in the league while others have them with the fifth or sixth-hardest the rest of the way. It’s not going to be easy. They’ve had just a pair of back-to-back games this year, losing the second game of both rather miserably. They have 12 more of those this year. And after going 1-12-2 in the latter of the two games since the start of 2024-25, Philadelphia has to improve dramatically on that record. They don’t have to sweep every back-to-back, but a .500 record is probably the goal to stay afloat in the playoff chase. If they only have one win this year in those second games it’s going to be a slow but steady drop in the standings.

The schedule gets much tougher the rest of the way, as the Olympics means squeezing a lot of games in on either side of the break. And the Flyers played a lot at home so far, so that will mean more travel and less practice time. Philadelphia have their work cut out for them. If they’re unable to win on the road, and win games where they don’t have their legs or “A” game, the Flyers could be in a world of hurt much sooner than later.

5-on-5 goals remain needles in haystacks

Philadelphia has just 31 even-strength goals this year, which puts them twenty-eighth in the league heading into Tuesday’s games. That’s 1.72 goals a game. Not a lot. Only Calgary, Nashville, Minnesota, and Seattle are tied with them or beneath them. The Flyers need to find a way to generate offense at even strength. The longer this scarcity of goals continues, the worse things are going to get. It will put more pressure on the goaltenders, more pressure on the defensive side to be near perfect, and a lot more stress on the power play to compensate for the lack of scoring five-on-five. That doesn’t include the pressure on the forwards having to finish nearly all of the handful of great chances they can muster each game. That’s a recipe for eventually far more losses than wins, and far greater chances of tumbling down the standings into the Gavin McKenna (or Alberts Smits) sweepstakes.

Tocchet isn’t a fan of putting up a less substantive high volume of shots, he wants quality. But if you can’t get quality shots, and avoiding quantity, then you’re not taking any shots in his system. That’s not good. Hopefully the Flyers start heading towards the land of even-strength goals soon. Otherwise it’s going to be a thorn in the side of a team that wants to distance itself from the draft lottery, not end up hoping for balls to fall the right way next May.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...team-3-things-that-could-lead-to-the-lottery/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Rick Tocchet breaks up Flyers Foerster – Cates – Brink line

The Philadelphia Flyers have had one consistent line for nearly the last year.

Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink were put together by John Tortorella last November, and they formed one of the most consistent lines not only for the Flyers but in all of hockey during their time together.

However, new head coach Rick Tocchet has already had to do some line juggling with Tyson Foerster out of the lineup. He did reunite that line upon Foerster’s return, but it looks like Tocchet may finally be breaking up that trio.

Here is how the Flyers lined up in practice on Wednesday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall:

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

Foerster and Cates are sticking together on that line, with Konecny replacing Brink on the right side.

That slots Brink down to the second line with Michkov and Couturier, which should hopefully provide some forechecking and playmaking from the right winger.

The bottom two lines stayed together, and rightfully so. Zegras, Dvorak, and Tippett combined for all five of the Flyers’ goals in St. Louis as well as the only goal in Dallas.

Grebenkin remains in the lineup on the fourth line with Abols and Hathaway, which means that Nic Deslauriers is the healthy scratch.

Is now the right time to break up Foerster – Cates – Brink?​

Even with Foerster missing a few games, this is by far the most-used line by the Flyers this season. They’ve played 147 minutes together at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck, with an expected goals share of 51.4% while being outscored 4-3.

This has largely come against the opponent’s best lines, though, and it’s interesting timing to break them up with two home games coming up.

The Blues have had more than their fair share of struggles this season, so keeping that line together to shut down St. Louis’ top line would’ve made sense. Perhaps Tocchet wants to spread the matchups around, though, since the Blues do have a decent second line with Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou on the wings of youngster Dalibor Dvorsky.

Still, it’s tough to see the Flyers’ most consistent line taken apart. It had to happen at some point, but you’d think that it would be out of necessity during a losing streak or to get some offensive spark going. That’s not the case for the Flyers, who have points in five of their last six games.

Line changes could get Michkov, Konecny going​

One of the exciting changes to the lines is Michkov getting a new winger to play with. Brink doesn’t need the puck as much as Konecny does, as the small winger does his work in the corner and battling along the walls. That should help the Flyers win possession with Michkov and Couturier on the ice, allowing the young Russian to work his magic in the offensive zone.

It’s also potentially a great sign that Michkov is feeling a lot more confident. He scored in three straight games recently, creating his own shot on two of them.

This won’t be a completely new line, either. They’ve played 34 minutes together with 43.5% of the expected goals share.

On the other hand, moving Konecny to the right side of Foerster and Cates could get him going a bit more. Yes, he had an eight-game point streak snapped in St. Louis, but he just hasn’t looked like his usual self out there.

Putting Konecny on a line with Foerster and Cates can allow him to play a more straightforward game while being able to be the one who leads the rush up ice and controls the puck in the offensive zone.

We’ve seen Konecny and Foerster have success with Couturier as their center back in the 2023-24 season. They had 60.6% of the expected goals share in 229 minutes together. Cates is the new Couturier in a few ways, so perhaps they can replicate that.

Zegras – Dvorak – Tippett still holding strong​

This line has been the Flyers’ second-most-used line this season, with an impressive 69.2% expected goals share in their 102 minutes together. Tocchet broke them up when Foerster returned last week, but they were put back together in St. Louis, and it paid huge dividends.

Zegras is the crafty playmaker, Tippett the speedy shooter, and Dvorak the solid two-way presence in the middle. It makes a lot of sense on paper, and the chemistry has shown on the ice.

These three all have six goals this season to tie for the team lead. Zegras leads the team with 13 assists and 19 points, and Dvorak and Tippett are third and fourth with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

---

We’ll see how these new lines fare on Thursday night at home against the St. Louis Blues, and if they can stay together through that game to Saturday night’s showdown with the New Jersey Devils.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/rick-tocchet-breaks-up-flyers-foerster-cates-brink-line/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov are probably better off apart in Flyers’ line combinations

Flyers wingers Travis Konency and Matvei Michkov should, on paper, be a strong force on the ice together. Both have scoring ability. Both seem capable of keeping plays going in the offensive zone, whether working for the puck in the corners or weaving their way methodically into open space. And both had over 20 goals last season for Philadelphia, even if Konecny’s second half of the year was a drastic drop in production. With Sean Couturier down the middle between them, the thought was the line could be a means to get Michkov going while enabling Konecny to have a highly-talented linemate to feed to.

Well, it appears that combination is going to be put on hold at least for a while. If we are going by the line juggling Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet used Wednesday in practice, Konecny will see himself with two-thirds of Philadelphia’s most consistent line in Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Michkov is still going to be paired with Couturier but will see winger Bobby Brink replacing Konecny. Fans might be irked at the line of Noah Cates, Brink, and Foerster broken up after being so darn effective the last calendar year. Yet if this is what it takes to get Michkov (and Konecny) going, and generating more five-on-five offense, then even the diehards would have a hard time arguing at keeping things the same.

“He’s a smart player, I don’t want him to play too safe, sometimes he’s playing too safe because everybody’s got to participate in a certain part of the system,” Tocchet said Thursday morning about Couturier on this new line. “So we got to make sure Couturier can be a little more aggressive too. But I think Bobby can help that line a little bit with his forechecking, getting to loose pucks. I think he can help that line.”

The coach also addressed having Konecny alongside Cates and Foerster. “We want to play aggressively,” he said. “I mean shutdown, we don’t want the Cates line to play a one-four, we want them to be aggressive. If you have the puck it’s the best defense. We’re just trying different things, maybe it helps getting TK going, it’ll gets some other people going sometimes when you switch lines.”

Konecny and Michkov this year​

Konecny hasn’t had the glare on him the last two seasons despite the long-term contract he’s now 18 games into. Last year, a lot of the spotlight was around Michkov and his rookie season. This year Trevor Zegras has taken the team on his shoulders (particularly on the power play) and has been nothing short of fantastic. So obviously Zegras is going to get a lot more attention being the new guy on the block. Especially with a contract extension looming as a restricted free agent. Konecny is even in terms of plus/minus this year with five goals and nine assists heading into Thursday night’s game against the Blues. He has one game-winner against Seattle and is still looking for his first power play goal of 2025-26. Konecny is currently on a four-game goalless streak with his last goal in a 3-1 win against Nashville.

On the other side of the coin, Michkov got off to a rocky start as has been well-documented. He has four goals and five assists through 18 games and is a minus-4 on the plus/minus scale. He has just one power play goal and is still looking for his first game-winner. Both he and Konecny aren’t anywhere near their production pace of last season, so breaking them up now could end up being a blessing for all concerned. The duo just haven’t clicked the way each individual player has with other linemates. It’s not a personality issue or anything of that nature. It just seems that it’s not a fit.

So, having said all that, Konecny and Michkov aren’t mixing. A comparison between them would make one wonder just who has the 14 points so far this season and who appears to be struggling somewhat. Let’s take a look at just what Konecny and Michkov have done so far in terms of the five-on-five underlying metrics.

Time On Ice	CF%	FF%	SF%	GF%	xGF%	HDCF%
Travis Konecny	255:40	47.20	49.04	48.82	47.83	44.60	47.30
Matvei Michkov	217:04	51.39	49.63	51.96	50.00	53.32	59.21

All statistics via Natural Stat Trick.

As you can see, Michkov is ahead of Konecny in all metrics outside of usage, with Konecny having roughly 40 more minutes of playing time over Michkov. Michkov, who has been paired with Couturier from the start of training camp (and prior to that), might find more chemistry with Brink on the other side while knowing Couturier probably better than any Flyer forward in his young career. At the same time, seeing Konecny with two younger forwards — who seem defensively sound while also driving play — could be the catalyst to see the winger get back in the swing of things like he was the first half of last year. At least that’s the hope with these changes.

Will separating them work?​

There is a small sample of ice time with Konecny on a line with Foerster and Cates this season. It hasn’t been for an extended period of time, but when they were together, the ice was tilted in their favor. The trio have just under 10 minutes of ice time together five-on-five (9:36) but had a Corsi For percentage of 72.22 (13-5), and a Scoring Chances For percentage of 71.43. Again it wasn’t a huge amount of time, but they looked like they could turn into something. At the very worst it was a decent stopgap until Tyson Foerster returned from injury. But could this turn into something promising? Nobody knows, but they made a very decent first impression.

Here’s some other data showing how Michkov and Konecny worked when they were paired with Couturier and what they’ve done away from each other. It looks like separating them could be a step in the right direction.

Time On Ice	CF%	FF%	SF%	xGF%	SCF%
Konecny/Couturier/Michkov	51:37	41.49	45.16	42.86	54.37	40.82
Konecny/Couturier/Tippett	50:10	54.26	54.79	58.82	53.99	51.22
Brink/Couturier/Michkov	34:34	63.34	61.76	69.57	48.36	50.00

Although the line combinations won’t be what you see for Konecny in terms of being with Couturier and Tippett, it appears that his metrics look better when he’s not with Michkov. His numbers are far better overall in those categories with a slight drop in the expected goals percentage. And as you can see from Michkov’s short time with Brink and Couturier, he seems to be thriving in that combination in several categories but, sadly, a slight drop in the expected goals for percentage. Looking at this data, it’s fairly evident that Michkov and Konecny might have all the time in the world for each other and the utmost respect for their teammate. But when push comes to shove they’re not wingers that for now work well with each other.

So, while the cries will be heard to reunite Cates, Foerster, and Brink if losses pile up, it hasn’t resulted in Michkov or Konecny finding their game. If sacrificing that line’s chemistry to get Michkov and Konecny going works, then it’s well worth it. As much as this writer loathes the notion of not seeing 71, 27, and 10 together, it’s worth it. These two wingers have to produce. Or at the very least find two linemates who can accentuate their strengths. The quicker Michkov and Konecny find their games and scoring touch again, the easier things should be in getting the even-strength offense going while having three potential scoring lines.

Tocchet is hoping the lines catch lightning in a bottle. Otherwise more juggling means more time needed to find chemistry. It’s a vicious circle you want to stop. Hopefully Michkov and Konecny being apart can make Philadelphia’s offense come together.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...better-off-apart-in-flyers-line-combinations/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers come from behind again to take down Blues

You’ll never believe it, but Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Philadelphia Flyers had yet another game go to overtime. They’ve struggled in overtime as of late, but thanks to a clutch play from their No. 1 defenseman, the Flyers pulled off a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues in dramatic fashion.

The Basics​

First period: 5:31 — Justin Faulk (Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker), 12:08 — Faulk (Jake Neighbours, Jordan Kyrou)
Second period: 17:57 — Rodrigo Abols (Owen Tippett, Trevor Zegras)
Third period: 11:49 — Tyson Foerster (Emil Andrae, Travis Konecny)
Overtime: 3:51 — Travis Sanheim (Konecny, Sean Couturier)
SOG: 29 (STL), 28 (PHI)

Takeaways​

Sanheim comes up clutch

Despite being spectacular in the shootout all season, the Flyers’ luck hasn’t exactly been optimal during the 3-on-3 period.

Thanks to Travis Sanheim, though, the tables turned Thursday night.

With a little over a minute remaining in overtime, Travis Konecny sprung Sanheim for a 2-on-0 rush alongside Sean Couturier. But instead of sliding the puck over to his captain, Sanheim buried the game-winning goal with a wrister that beat Blues netminder Joel Hofer over the glove.

SANNY ENDS IT IN STYLE. #PHIvsSTL | @fwwebb pic.twitter.com/ncYywkM6AI

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 21, 2025

The game-winner marked Sanheim’s first goal in over a month, but the modest scoring numbers are not indicative of his overall impact. Sanheim is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and it’s sort of poetic that he was the one to seal the deal against the team he was nearly traded to back in 2023.

How ’bout them Abols?

The Flyers haven’t gotten much offense out of their fourth liners to start the season, but one of their depth forwards finally broke through for a goal against St. Louis.

Rodrigo Abols netted his first of the year to cut the St. Louis lead in half late in the middle frame. Trevor Zegras got the play started with some magnificent work along the boards. He then nudged the puck to Owen Tippett behind the net, who fed Abols with a nifty between-the-legs pass to earn the primary helper.

The Flyers are used to seeing Zegras and Tippett generate offense. Abols, however, has largely been quiet since beating out Jett Luchanko for the fourth-line center role, so it’s good to see him getting involved in some fashion.

Our first Rodrigoal of the season. #STLvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/olZ8Zi0xsN

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 21, 2025

Abols didn’t just look dangerous on that one shift, either — he put together arguably his best performance of the season, as did his regular linemates on the fourth line. The trio of Abols, Nic Deslauriers, and Garnet Hathaway was far and away the Flyers’ most efficient line of the night from a 5-on-5 play-driving perspective, logging a downright fantastic Corsi For percentage of 86.67 in 8:15 of 5-on-5 ice time.

Not too shabby.

Another early hole

The Flyers just can’t seem to get out of their own way early in games. In what has become an all too familiar trend, the Flyers fell into another early hole Thursday night, allowing a pair of Blues goals within the game’s first 20 minutes. Blues defenseman Justin Faulk scored both markers for St. Louis, first beating Dan Vladar with a blast from the point, then burying a one-timer off a nice feed from Jake Neighbours.

The Flyers have managed to earn a first-period lead just one time out of their last eight games, which came when they scored three goals in the first period against the Montreal Canadiens on November 4. Sure, the old “It’s not how you start, but how you finish” adage exists for a reason, but the Flyers haven’t been finishing either.

At this point, something has to give. If the Flyers want any chance at being a competitive hockey team, they cannot continue fighting from behind.

Vladar bounces back

A big reason why the Flyers found themselves in the early hole was largely due to a pair of suboptimal goals allowed by goaltender Dan Vladar. Vladar was surprised by Faulk’s quick point shot on the Blues’ first goal, and he was visibly frustrated with himself after Faulk’s one-timer that made it 2-0. But after Faulk’s second marker, Vladar was perfect, turning aside all 24 Blues shots on goal for the remainder of the game.

Vladar wasn’t just bouncing back from a rough first period, though — he was also coming off his worst performance of the season. He allowed a season-high five goals against the Dallas Stars on Saturday, and while he certainly wasn’t the primary reason why the Flyers were routed in Dallas, there’s no question that he wasn’t at the top of his game that night.

Save for a few minutes early on, Vladar was as good as we’ve seen him for the majority of the game Thursday night, and he was a major reason why the Flyers ended up earning a pair of points — especially taking into account his highway robbery on Jordan Kyrou in overtime.

VLADAR GAME-SAVING SAVE! TRAVIS SANHEIM OT WINNER!

TIM SAUNDERS AND @FRIDGE29 ON THE CALL pic.twitter.com/wV7qnJ19Z7

— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) November 21, 2025

The Flyers certainly appear to have found a reliable goalie, folks.

Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/takeaways-flyers-come-from-behind-again-to-take-down-blues/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers reportedly eyeing trade for another center

The Philadelphia Flyers season has gone surprisingly well. The new additions to the roster are doing their part and contributing to a team that finds themselves in a playoff spot by points percentage, and there are some internal improvements that are thankfully compensating enough for some disappointments elsehwere.

We don’t need to get into all that. But, it means that the Flyers are actually icing a somewhat competitive roster and there isn’t the creeping thought in the back of our heads that eventually we will be cheering for them to drop in the standings as much as possible for better draft lottery odds. And while we could still see them sell off some pending free agents as a smart way to not completely bottom out but to gain as many assets as possible for the long-term outlook of this team, the Flyers are looking to make some additions as well.

According to one recent report, general manager Danny Briere is working the phones to try and get another center for this team.

Flyers are in the trade market for a center​

On Friday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast Elliotte Friedman reported that the Flyers are looking to acquire a new player, specifically a center.

“It’s not the biggest thing, but I did hear from a couple places that Philly’s looking for another center. Maybe more of a depth guy as much as anything else, but definitely another center.”

Friedman’s co-host Kyle Bukauskas then hypothesized that the Flyers are trying to stay in the playoff hunt, and Friedman agreed — essentially confirming what Flyers management has been saying all along this season, that they don’t want to take a step back.

“I’m formulating some thoughts on them,” Friedman continued about the Flyers. “Might take another pod or two but I’m formulating some thoughts on them. I’ve been watching them a lot more lately.”

It’s an interesting tidbit. We might not see anything formulate from this report for months, but the Flyers are still looking to add more than subtract at this point in time. As Friedman speculates, it’s not like Philadelphia is eyeing up the biggest fish that can play down the middle and be here for the next decade, but just a solid depth option so that they have some security and possibly knocking Rodrigo Abols out of the lineup.

Is Rodrigo Abols’s roster spot in jeopardy?​

The 6-foot-4 Latvian easily won his spot as the Flyers’ fourth-line center in training camp and was only not included in the lineup every single game because of Jett Luchanko’s presence and the team wanting to see if the 19-year-old could stake a claim to it. Once the prospect was sent back to the OHL’s Guelph Storm, Abols has been there ever since and while he just managed to earn his first point of the season Thursday night, scoring a goal against the St. Louis Blues and having an all-around good game, he hasn’t been rocking anybody’s world on the ice.

The 29-year-old Abols has been perfectly neutral. He’s not generating any offense but he’s also not messing up so much that he’s a defensive weak link. Exactly in the middle — not a driver one way or the other, just there and not doing any harm. Essentially, Abols is the perfect candidate to be a replacement-level player and the Flyers are clearly looking for his replacement.

Abols has been a great story — coming back to the NHL after being a draft pick that stayed overseas for his entire career until his late-20s and signing with the Flyers as a free agent in 2024 — but he does suit the roster more as a 13th forward and to hang around Nic Deslauriers in the press box whenever head coach Rick Tocchet doesn’t need someone to punch a player on the other team.

Considering Tocchet has been rarely using his fourth line — Abols is averaging just 9:22 TOI per game — maybe Briere is hoping that by making an addition down the middle to play with Nikita Grebenkin and Garnet Hathaway for the rest of the season, that it can ease the burden on the rest of the lineup and not have Sean Couturier burn out by January.

Who could this mystery trade target be? Could it be someone on the younger side to solidify that depth center role for years to come? Or is it just a patchwork player that does something a little bit more than Abols currently does? We might find out soon enough, or never find out at all and the large Latvian will be the fourth center until the summer.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/flyers-reportedly-eyeing-trade-for-another-center/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Flyers need to start winning in regulation to improve playoff chances

When the Flyers take on New Jersey Saturday night, they will be playing their twentieth game of the season. The quarter pole is often a decent sample size of where a team is at or, more importantly, where it isn’t. Philadelphia still isn’t looking for its first win of the year, so that’s a good thing. Some might argue facetiously they’re still seeking their first five-on-five goal but they’ve done that too. Not a lot, but they’ve reached that achievement. The Flyers still haven’t been shutout yet, another plus. And they are now four games over .500 in the National Hockey League Standings.

The optimist would look and argue they’ve only come up empty in six out of 19 games this year, meaning two-thirds of the time they’ve moved or inched up in the standings with a point or two. Yet one huge concern which might be posing a bit of a problem is that the Flyers have all of four regulation wins. Prior to Friday’s action, the four was the least out of all the Metropolitan Division teams. They were six regulation wins back of Pittsburgh and Washington (both with 10) and five behind Carolina and the Islanders (both with nine). Heck, even the lowly New York “can’t score at home” Rangers have eked out seven regulation wins. Meanwhile when looking at the Atlantic Division, only Montreal, Buffalo (five each) and Toronto (six each) are within spitting distance of them in terms of this statistic.

People might feel that if the Flyers are winning, it shouldn’t matter how they get the Ws. They would be correct. If Trevor Zegras continues his wizardry in the shootouts, and Philadelphia churns out overtime wins like they did against St. Louis on Thursday night, then great. If the goaltending stones the opposition, great! Two points is still two points at the end of the season. Unfortunately, given how closely packed teams are this far into the season, teams need to keep winning to stay in the hunt. A four-game or five-game winless (or pointless) streak would make things difficult. The biggest concern if believing the Flyers have a chance at a wildcard spot may come down to tiebreakers. And the first tiebreaker is regulation wins. Not wins in overtime or in the shootout, but wins that saw Philadelphia defeat their opponent in sixty minutes. No extra session or sessions required.

Last season the Flyers had 21 regulation wins. So doing the layman’s math, they are essentially on pace for probably 16 to 18 regulation wins this season. That’s not a lot. And it’s miles from where they need to be in terms of being a seeded team in the Eastern Conference. Or of earning a wildcard spot. Last year Washington (43), Carolina (42), Toronto (41), and Tampa Bay (41) were the class of the East. Florida (37) and New Jersey (36) rounded out the top three seeds in each respective division. As for the wildcard seedings, Ottawa (35) and Montreal (30) all had a decent glut of victories without the need of a three-point game. Looking back at the last few seasons post-pandemic, the team with the lowest amount of regulation wins to eke their way into the playoffs was the New York Islanders in 2023-24. They squeaked in with a rather lowly 29 regulation wins in a season where they had ample games go into three-point game territory.

Outside of that outlier, the average would suggest that the Flyers need between 32 to 35 regulation wins to be in the conversation of a playoff spot. In 2021-22 Washington earned a spot with 35 regulation wins while the following year both the Islanders and Panthers had 36 of them, the fewest of the eight Eastern Conference teams in those years. The lone outliers from that number was in 2023-24 where the Leafs nabbed a playoff berth with 33 and Washington with 32. Needless to say, all of those numbers are a long way from the current four that Philadelphia has.

So what does this all mean?​

The Flyers shouldn’t change their structural framework having so few regulation wins so far. It’s not to the point of pulling Dan Vladar or Sam Ersson in a tie game late in regulation to go for the win before overtime. That’s just asinine thinking. There’s a lot of hockey left to be played. What’s quite apparent is that the Flyers have their work cut out for them when it comes to the rest of the season. It’s conceivable they win a slew of games in shootouts and overtimes and end up edging other teams for a wildcard spot by a point or two. Going down that path is needing to play almost perfect hockey in a season where the scheduling is nothing short of hellacious on both sides of the Winter Olympics. With 63 games left prior to the Devils tilt, the math would suggest the Flyers need to win between 28 to 31 more games in regulation alone to make a playoff spot more realistic. So just about half of their games need to be regulation wins for Philadelphia. If they end up in a tiebreaker situation, Philadelphia will lose that easily with so few victories after three periods.

In terms of the bigger picture, getting victories is important in creating a level of play that should help push a rebuild along. Philadelphia talked about adding pieces this season and they still might do that depending on how the next 40 to 45 games pan out. And wins are always good, regardless of how they might be achieved. What’s quite evident though is this manner of wins is often the exception when it comes to teams wanting to get into the playoffs. Philadelphia could get there this way in 2025-26, but it’s an anomaly most of the time. It becomes even tougher when you look at divisional games. Trying to gain on division rivals requires regulations wins, gaining a pair of crucial points on the likes of the Penguins, Capitals, or Islanders while they gain none. Three-point games are rarely the recipe for creating distance between teams in the standings. Otherwise, you would have to be damn near perfect in those contests to create any sliver of breathing room in the Metropolitan Division.

Philadelphia hit 30 regulation wins as recent as 2023-24 before plummeting down to 21 last season. In the pandemic-shortened season of 2019-20, they ended up with 31 of them in 69 games. That’s close to a 50 per cent success rate in terms of shutting down an opponent without giving them a loser point. If Philadelphia sees themselves as a playoff team this season, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and his staff are going to have to find ways of scoring more than their opponent in 60 minutes. And probably much sooner than later. Otherwise, all the dramatic, exciting, and nerve-wracking overtime and shootout sessions probably won’t account for anything other than a first-round pick somewhere in the middle come next June.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ing-in-regulation-to-improve-playoff-chances/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Two Flyers prospects connect for a sick goal

The Michigan State Spartans entered Friday night’s contest against the Wisconsin Badgers riding a nine-game winning streak and a perfect in-conference record. Up two early and seemingly in control, a rough second period forced the Spartans to chase the game. While their comeback bid fell short, and their winning streak may have ultimately come to an end last night, not all was lost. Before things turned sour, two members of the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2025 draft class combined for a pretty sweet goal.

About midway through the first period, the Spartans, while already on a power play, drew another minor and were about to get a two-man advantage. However, a Porter Martone shot finding the back off the net off of a Shane Vansaghi pass cancelled the delayed call and put the Spartans up 2-0.

After Owen West makes a great keep at the blue line, the puck finds Gavin O’Connell. With a quick deke around a Wisconsin penalty killer, O’Connell would find Vansaghi just left of the faceoff circle. Meanwhile, having just come off of the bench as the extra attacker, Martone rushed to the middle of the ice. With both Martone and Ryker Lee on the opposite side of the net, Vansaghi makes a quick one-touch royal road pass to Martone who makes no mistake.

Porter Martone makes it 2-0 Spartans on the power play! His second point of the night.

Assists to Anthony Romani and Shane Vansaghi pic.twitter.com/6zwKBnXaOw

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) November 22, 2025

It’s the first time the two have connected for a goal this season, which isn’t too surprising given that they have yet to play on a line together nor are they on the same power play unit. Still, it was a cool moment to see two members of the Flyers’ future getting one on the board.

Vansaghi has had a bit of a quiet start to the season offensively, with this assist being his first point since game four, and still with just one goal this season. It looked as if Vansaghi and Cayden Lindstrom had been building some chemistry coming out of their strong series against Boston University, however, after missing last weekend’s games, Lindstrom was once again out of the lineup on Friday night. In his absence, senior center Tiernan Shoudy has been moved up from the fourth line in his place. While effectively a defense-first, checking line to balance out the all freshmen third line, the Spartans are going to need more offense from Vansaghi and his line moving forward. There have been positive signs, with Vansaghi in particular having a strong game possession-wise and on one shift in particular extending the Spartans’ offensive zone time with a couple of takeaways along the boards. Still, both Michigan State and the Flyers’ brass are likely hoping to see a bit more offense out of him, and perhaps breaking this cold streak will get his offensive game flowing.

For Martone, it was another multi-goal game for the 2025 sixth overall pick. Picking up his eight and ninth goals of the season, as well as a primary assist on the opening tally, Martone’s freshman campaign continues to impress. Through 11 games, Martone now has 9 goals and 8 assists for 17 points. His 0.82 goals per game rate is good for seventh among NCAA skaters (min. 10 games played) and his 1.55 points per game rate ranks third. Over the last decade, only a select few players have put up points at this rate over a full season in their draft or draft+1 seasons per Quanthockey: Jack Eichel, Adam Fantilli, and Macklin Celebrini, who did it in their draft years, as well as Kyle Connor, Will Smith, and Gabriel Perreault in their draft+1 seasons. We’re just a fourth of the way through the season, but if Martone is able to keep pace, this bodes really well for his NHL future.

Michigan State was uncharacteristically sloppy in their own end in this one, with the two teams trading chances for much of the night. The second period in particular was a disaster for the Spartans, allowing four unanswered goals. It was by far their worst period of the season, though that maybe goes without saying given that it was pretty much the first time they had to play from behind all season. While they technically played from behind in game one, it was only the last five seconds of the game. This was the first true stretch they’ve had while down a goal. While they were able to close the gap twice — Lee made it a 4-3 game midway through the third, and later Martone scored to make it 5-4 — they were unable to complete the comeback.

The two teams will meet again tonight to close out their season series, as Michigan State looks to prevent the weekend sweep. With the loss, Michigan State drops to 9-2-0 on the season, and 4-1-0 in Big Ten contests.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/two-flyers-prospects-connect-for-a-sick-goal/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Takeaways: Flyers give Devils their due with strong 6-3 victory

The Flyers scored three goals in 26 seconds, scored a season-high six goals (all at even-strength), and registered their fifth win in regulation with a convincing 6-3 victory over visiting New Jersey on Saturday night.

The basics​

First period: 7:37 – Timo Meier (Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier) (PPG), 9:00 – Noah Cates (Unassisted), 12:06 – Matvei Michkov (Sean Couturier), 12:15 – Tyson Foerster (Noah Cates, Travis Konecny), 12:32 – Tyson Foerster (Noah Cates, Nick Seeler)
Second period: 11:42 – Bobby Brink (Sean Couturier), 16:16 – Nico Hischier (Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt)
Third period: 13:27 – Nico Hischier (Simon Nemec, Jesper Bratt), 15:21 – Trevor Zegras (Owen Tippett, Christian Dvorak)
SOG: 29 (PHI) – 35 (NJD)

Some takeaways​

Sleepy start by both

The two teams looked like they were waking up for an afternoon contest, at least from the initial shifts. Neither team showed much flow with the first shot by Brenden Dillon that Dan Vladar stopped rather easily. The Flyers were forced to kill a Cam York minor, resulting in in the Devils (minus Jack Hughes) establishing some zone time and having some glorious chances before they finally cashed in. A great opportunity to clear the puck by Sean Couturier failed miserably. The goal marked the third consecutive game Philadelphia conceded a power play goal. And the seventh consecutive game giving up the game’s first goal. Not great streaks to continue.

WTF was that in 26 seconds?

Matvei Michkov’s 100th game was slow-starting. Although he nearly had a takeaway five minutes in, he could’ve had a great scoring chance seconds later. Bobby Brink didn’t see Michkov racing up ice to feed him a pass. But it didn’t matter minutes later when Michkov went in alone on a breakaway. Michkov got a great pass from Couturier before beating Allen through the five hole to put Philadelphia up 2-1.

MATVEI MICHKOV!!!!!! IN HIS 100TH GAME!!!!! 2-1!!!!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/d3pnxcBguF

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 23, 2025

Then, faster could you say Matvei Andreyevich Michkov, the Flyers made it 3-1 when Noah Cates delivered a delicious backhand pass to a rushing Tyson Foerster. Foerster buried the shot to put the Flyers up 3-1.

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

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 23, 2025

Then, faster than you could say Tyson Foerster and Matvei Andreyevich Michkov, Tyson Foerster put his second of the night by Allen, who was looking more like a sieve than simply leaky. The low-percentage shot beat Allen and gave Philadelphia a rather incredible 4-1 lead. Three goals in 26 seconds was something that the Flyers were screaming for in terms of five-on-five goals and gaining confidence. And it also set a franchise record for fastest three goals, shedding the previous record by nine seconds! But Foerster wasn’t fast enough to tie or beat Jeff Carter’s record of two goals in 13 seconds.

TYSON FOERSTER AGAIN!!!! WHAT IS GOING ON???? 3 GOALS IN 26 SECONDS!!!! 4-1!!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/Idn6y4Jy1u

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 23, 2025

Vladar solid

The pre-game showed highlights of the late Bernie Parent. A video montage of his career and life was shown, concluding with his goalie mask atop Dan Vladar’s net, similar to what the Montreal Canadiens did in honoring their late icon Ken Dryden earlier this season. And Vladar was great after the puck drop, doing the late icon proud. Despite giving up the first, and seeing the Flyers explode offensively minutes later, the goaltender was great during a Devils power play that carried over into the second period.

He was also great during an extended shift halfway through period two when Cam York lost his stick. The Flyers were hemmed in their own end for some time before they got the much needed clear. Vladar had no chance on New Jersey’s second goal after the referee missed or turned a blind eye to Travis Sanheim being pushed from behind into the boards. However, Vladar was money late in the second period with the Flyers fourth line on the ice and the Devils turning things into a shooting gallery.

In the third, the Flyers again were sloppy early and Vladar stood tall. None were probably better than a two-on-one chance where he stoned Evgenii Dadonov midway in the final frame. Although it was a three-goal lead that was cut to two late, Vladar was sensational the last 25 minutes of regulation. Thankfully, Trevor Zegras put the game on ice with under five minutes to go on a breakaway.

TREVOR ZEGRAS WITH THE INSURANCE GOAL!!!

6-3 #FLYERS!!! TOUCHDOWN!!! pic.twitter.com/JvHqRbkHQ5

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) November 23, 2025

Michkov’s intensity apparent

Aside from scoring a goal in his 100th game, Michkov also got into a tussle with Arseny Gritsyuk. Neither player dropped their gloves but did some pushing and shoving which resulted in minors to both parties. But through the game, Michkov looked like he had a level of intensity that wasn’t seen too often in the opening weeks of the season. Another good sign that he’s coming around.

EZ peasy

Egor Zamula, making his first start in a while, ended up being crucial on Philadelphia’s opening goal minutes after New Jersey opened the scoring. Zamula’s shot resulted in a meaty rebound that Noah Cates buried into an open net.

Noah Cates answered right back for the Flyers pouncing on a rebound. Credit to Egor Zamula to pinch in on the goal. 1-1.
Goal: Cates (5) pic.twitter.com/e6ro6YQ5vl

— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) November 23, 2025

It had to be a confidence boost to Zamula who has been trying to battle his way back into the lineup. Or at least ahead of Noah Juulsen in the pecking order. The defenseman also made a good clear late in the first while Philadelphia killed a New Jersey power play. Overall, Zamula was in fine form, something that wasn’t the case in his first eight appearances. After 40 minutes he had 81.25 per cent of the attempts and an expected goals for of 81.79 per cent five-on-five. Oh, and he was also +5 on the plus/minus scale after two.

Konency with chances

While he did have an assist in the opening 20 minutes, Travis Konency looked a bit snakebit in the second. A golden opportunity on the power play saw Konecny hit the outside of the net. Then minutes later Konecny located an aerial pass and was in alone on Allen. Allen was up to the challenge. The winger also nearly set up Foerster’s third of the night when he took the puck from the Devils’ keeper and fed it to his linemate. Nico Hischier got his stick between Foerster and the goal to prevent the hat trick tally.

Whether it was through necessity or eventually getting some puck luck, the lines Tocchet threw together in the last two games have caught fire quickly. Bobby Brink, who finds himself now with Couturier and Michkov, scored on a nifty wrister after Couturier fed him a short pass at the New Jersey blueline to make it a 5-1 Flyers lead.

BOBBY BRINK TOE-DRAG RELEASE SNIPE!!!! WHAT A SHIFT FROM SEAN COUTURIER. 5-1!!!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/FDBzWRYKOh

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 23, 2025

All stats courtesy Natural Stat Trick

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...ive-devils-their-due-with-strong-6-3-victory/

 

[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/