Category: Flyers/NHL

NEWARK, N.J. — The Flyers’ slogan this year is “Here for the Rise,” but right now their efforts are falling flat.

They followed up a disastrous loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday with a slightly better performance but still lost, 3-2 in overtime, to the New Jersey Devils.

Here are two major storylines from the loss.

Joseph Woll is good

There was a lot of talk over the summer about Joseph Woll being an upgrade between the pipes. On Thursday, in his Flyers debut, he proved it.

Throughout the night, as the guys in front of him struggled to find their game, Woll bailed his new teammates out left and right. Early on, he read the play well and ate up a shot by Jack Hughes, the eventual overtime scorer, from the right circle. It seemed to settle Woll in for a game where he’d be peppered.

Woll faced 44 shots, with 33 coming at five-on-five. He seemed to relish the chance to shut down his former coach Sheldon Keefe’s squad, as Natural Stat Trick had him stopping 11 of 12 shots from high-danger spots, 10 of 11 mid-danger, and 20 of 21 low-danger.

“Woll was outstanding, like he was terrific” coach Rick Tocchet said.

Like Sam Ersson, with whom he swapped spots via trade to be the backup to Dan Vladař, Woll is calm in net. That calmness allows him to read the play and track the puck, like when he stoned Jesper Bratt sneaking in early in the second, or stopped Dawson Mercer a few minutes later atop the crease on a bouncer.

After his preseason debut in Hershey, Woll said he has been prioritizing his athletic ability and skating. Well, he showed it in the third period when he made a Martin Brodeur scorpion-like save — Woll said he “threw a crab leg” — to rob Bratt with the score tied 1-1.

“He kept battling all night,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “We wouldn’t have been in the game without him. What a performance from him, and obviously good to see and happy for him. And the way that he was able to play, it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t have gotten the win for him.”

The Flyers are still out of sync

It’s a bit shocking to see, because across the first two games of the season, the Flyers have spent a lot of time in their own end, but they don’t rank in the bottom third of the league in terms of time spent in the defensive zone. That doesn’t mean everything is OK, of course, as NHL Edge has the Flyers spending 45.8% of the time on their side of the ice at even strength. In direct correlation, they are well below the league average at 37.7% of time spent in the offensive zone.

Part of that is turnovers; they had 23 giveaways and just three takeaways on Thursday. Part of that is a disconnect — the word tossed around when John Tortorella was in charge feels apt — whether in their passing, their puck protection, or their puck support.

“We are choppy with the puck,” Tocchet said.

He added: “A little bit better in the D zone [than in the opener], but still some hockey IQ mistakes, not smart hockey. We’ve got to really buckle down here, and the problem is we don’t have much practice time, so we’re going to have to do it on the fly here.”

Defensively, the structure was better as they kept the Devils to the outside more, and there wasn’t as much running around. As Sanheim said, guys were battling harder, and it was the same group, outside of Woll, getting a chance to get things right. But it still wasn’t good enough.

“I wish I knew the answer,” forward Christian Dvorak said when asked why they have struggled so much with the puck.

“We’ve been leaving our goalies out to dry here these first two games. We’ve just got to execute better. Maybe just play simple hockey and can just go from there.”

The Flyers have gone from one of the stingiest teams last year — 25.5 shots against per game, fourth fewest — to allowing the most (41.0). Yes, it’s two games, but a) it’s not sustainable and wears the team down, and b) they are about to face the team that averaged the second-most shots last year, the Carolina Hurricanes, on Saturday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

And the Flyers are not helping themselves in the offensive zone. It’s been a lot of one-and-dones, a lack of consistent pressure, and missed opportunities. They are averaging 22 shots per game, which, to be fair, is only 3.5 shots off their average last season.

But the biggest discrepancy is in getting to the net.

According to Natural Stat Trick, last season the Flyers were seventh in high-danger chances for percentage (52.89%) and seventh in high-danger goals for percentage (53.47%) at five-on-five. This season, while a small sample size, they are dead last in the former (16.13%) and have not scored a high-danger goal while allowing two. The good news is they’re not last in high-danger chances, as they have five, but they have given up 26, the most entering Friday.

Rasmus Ristolainen scored the Flyers’ first goal of the season from atop the crease on a deflection, but it came during a six-on-five with a delayed penalty on the Devils. Sanheim’s goal was a monster slap shot past the glove of Jake Allen.

“We’re probably just, by the time you get the puck, you’re tired, you’re at the end of the shift, and you have to set up, try to make a play, get a puck deep, and put the next line in a good spot,” Dvorak said. “So I think if we do that, that’ll help us moving forward. Yes, I think we’re just trying to make too many plays in the neutral zone, and forecheck was a strength last year, so I think we’ve got to get back to doing that.”

Although it was the same group, Tocchet shifted some line combinations on Thursday.

Porter Martone started the game back on a line with Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak, and Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Matvei Michkov were reunited from last season. It seemed to give them a lift, but as the game wore on, Tocchet cut his lines down to three. Martone (12:27), who got his first shot on goal of the season, Alex Bump (8:18), and Carl Grundström (8:30) were planted more on the bench; Bump and Grundström played one shift in the third apiece, and Martone played four for a total of 2:03.

Tocchet said he shortened the bench because Hughes’ line was caving in that group and he felt he was “going with the best nine.”

It didn’t feel like 144 days had passed.

The roars — at the start — seemed to roll on from that spring day in May when the Flyers’ season ended. The fan appreciation felt as they left the ice following a sweeping loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes was still palpable, especially when coach Rick Tocchet and players like Denver Barkey (who is injured), Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, Trevor Zegras, and Dan Vladař were introduced.

But that, and a thundering open-ice defensive-zone hit by Rasmus Ristolainen early on, were about the only times the hometown faithful were happy, as the Flyers were thumped 7-0 by the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. Almost like whiplash, the cheers quickly turned to boos.

“It’s the first game. If this is going to be happening in a steady [way], it’s not a place you want to be around,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I think the fans, obviously they hate losing to the Penguins [but] I just thought when you get a battle, and the fans pay good money, that’s what they’re mad about. We didn’t come up with any loose pucks.”

“I don’t know. You [the media] saw it. I honestly don’t have an answer,” he said. “I don’t know if we won a battle tonight. When you go win battles, they have the puck. They outcoached us tonight. They outplayed us. They did everything better.”

The Flyers ended the Penguins’ season last year on Cam York’s overtime winner in Game 6. Pittsburgh played like a group looking for revenge and handed the Flyers a loss so lopsided it equaled the worst opening-night dud in the team’s history. The Flyers also lost 7-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 21, 1971, at The Spectrum.

“We got to wake up. Last exhibition game [a 5-1 loss to a young Washington Capitals group] we played was the same way, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s training camp, we’re going to ease our way into the season, but we got to wake up here,” captain Sean Couturier said.

“I mean, there’s no panic. Nothing. But I just think we’ve got to realize that we’re not that good. What happened last year is last year, and you’ve got to move on, and it’s a fresh year.”

The Flyers were a mess at both ends of the ice Wednesday. Although the roster from last year largely remains intact — Noel Acciari and Simon Benoit made their debuts — the players were disconnected when passing the puck in the Penguins’ end and, in turn, in their defensive structure. The Flyers often allowed Pittsburgh to breeze through the middle, drive to the net untouched, and pile 38 shots on goal compared to their 19.

As a team, they had 21 giveaways to the Penguins’ 11, with veteran blueliner Travis Sanheim and rookie winger Martone leading the way with four each.

Martone did not play the final 4 minutes, 21 seconds of the first period after he was part of a bad line change that led to Ville Koivunen’s goal that made it 2-0. Koivunen received a stretch pass from Sam Girard, got behind the Orange and Black’s defense, and out-deked Vladař to score five-hole.

The teenager was then demoted to the fourth line halfway through the second period as Tocchet started shuffling lines, with every other right winger moving up a spot, including Michkov moving to the second line to skate with Tyson Foerster and Christian Dvorak.

But it didn’t matter who was with who. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers did not put a single high-danger shot on Penguins goalie Artūrs Šilovs at five-on-five. Vladař faced 12. This easily translates to: the Flyers did not drive to the net, and they let the Penguins swarm theirs.

“We shot ourselves in the foot on a couple of them,” said Sanheim, who was on for two goals against. “We gave them probably half their goals.”

Nick Robertson quieted the crowd less than 8 minutes into the opening frame with his first as a Penguin, scoring on a nifty redirect of a pass by Kris Letang near the right post. Crosby got the secondary assist, and the crowd, of course, booed mercilessly as he registered his 140th point against the Flyers, the most in NHL history.

Evgeni Malkin made it 3-0 on a give-and-go with Hendrix Lapierre during a Penguins power play. The future Hall of Famer passed the puck to Lapierre at the left flank and rotated down from the point into the bumper, opening up his body for the quick strike.

Lapierre added his own tally 2:23 later, scooping up the puck in the neutral zone, catching Carl Grundström flat-footed as he blew past him, and scoring short-side on a late-developing two-on-one. Filip Hållander then made it a handful of goals with just his second career marker, scoring on his second swipe atop the crease as everyone crashed down.

In the third period, Robertson added a sixth during a Flyers power play when his missed shot went off the end boards, off Vladař’s skate, and in. Finally, Egor Chinakhov wrapped up the scoring with a power-play tip-in off of a shot from Erik Karlsson.

And to compound things, although it is expected these days, a Flyers power play that ranked dead last last season (15.7%) and tied for the fourth-most short-handed goals allowed has picked up right where it left off. According to Natural Stat Trick, the man advantage had 13 shot attempts, six shots on goal, and six scoring chances. It still went 0-for-3, allowed two scoring chances, and that goal.

“If we won 7-0, I’d say the same thing: It’s a long year. We can’t get too high. We can’t get too low. So you have to have that approach, but there’s alarming things,” Tocchet said. “We obviously didn’t want to battle. We had a lot … snowblowers. It was a couple of plays [where] we don’t go through people. We don’t have to kill them, but you can’t play this game if you don’t win battles.

“I don’t know if guys are reading the press clippings. I don’t know. But it wasn’t good, even the last two exhibition games, the same thing. We play like this tomorrow with a team like Jersey; it’s going to be worse. So we’ve got to be careful.”

Breakaways

Alex Bump and Nick Seeler were the only two players who were not on the ice for a goal against. … Owen Tippett led the team with seven shot attempts, including four shots on goal, and six hits. Michkov had five shot attempts, with one needing to be saved by Šilovs. … Konecny had the best Flyers chance of the night, tipping in a pass from Tippett as he stood atop the crease on a power play. … Benoit got drilled by Robertson from behind in the second period but the Penguin was only given a minor. … Malkin became the sixth player in NHL history to notch 100 or more points against the Flyers, joining Crosby (140), Mario Lemieux (124), Jaromír Jágr (120), Bryan Trottier (117), and Wayne Gretzky (100).

Up next

The Flyers get right back to action on Thursday, taking on the Devils in New Jersey (7 p.m., ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+).

Orange and black Flyers jerseys decorated the lawn of Stateside Live! as fans attended the Flyers’ fan fest ahead of the team’s season opener. After the orange carpet, they stood in front of the large stage in the back of the venue, patiently watching the bottom of the 10th inning as the Phillies clung to a 4-3 lead in Game 2 of their National League wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves.

As soon as the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system confirmed the last pitch was a strike, fans threw their hands in the air and cheered as the Phillies sent the series to Game 3. Now, it was time to turn their attention to the Flyers and their lid-lifter against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“When I came in today, it was kind of quiet,” said Roxborough native Mark Posusney. “But the back-to-back home runs from [Kyle] Schwarber and [Bryce] Harper, it just got juiced. … I think it’s an 11 out of 10 with the atmosphere here with the Flyers starting.”

Here’s everything you missed from Flyers fan fest:

The orange carpet rolls out

Just a few hours before puck drop, the orange carpet was rolled out for the player walk-ins. The Flyers players, dressed to the nines, were greeted by a line of fans before heading over to Xfinity Mobile Arena.

“Seeing them interact with the fans and seeing that they want to be here, it’s huge for us,” said New Jersey native Robby Seitziager. “Seeing that they actually care is the biggest thing for me.”

Owen Tippet, who has been featured in Annie O’Donnell’s rapid-fire NHL fit reviews on Instagram, showed up in a monochromatic look perfect for the fall.

‘Our players have to do their part’

Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones hopes the Flyers can continue to ride the success they found late last season — making their first playoff appearance since 2020 — especially with the attention surrounding the city following the arrival of LeBron James.

“It’s interesting to be able to see the type of talent that’s electing to come here in the other sports,” Jones said. “It has to make them feel like they’re part of something important in this city. And this city’s always been about every team.

“And we, as the Flyers, want to make sure that we’re a part of that story. So our players have to do their part. They have to perform well like they did last year and kind of build off that in order to continue that momentum.”

Jones has also noticed a shift in buzz surrounding the team.

“I think this city loves an underdog story,” Jones said. “And last year, we were that. With the low percentage chance to make the playoffs and our guys going on a run and doing an outstanding job, winning a playoff round, which hadn’t happened in a while, playing a home playoff game, that was a big deal. So, all of those things have really built a lot of momentum and it’s exciting for us. And now we have to go out and meet those expectations.”

Fans have high hopes

That buzz was shown throughout the crowd at Stateside Live!. Port Richmond native John Powers said he had never bought a Flyers jersey or any type of ticket package until this season.

“There’s a lot of energy around the season,” Powers said. “I went to an open practice a couple weeks ago. Hopefully, we can do exactly what we did last year. Get into the playoffs and see what happens.”

And when fans were asked who they were most excited to see, they responded with a wide array of names from Matvei Michkov and Cam York to Travis Konecny. And as Porter Martone heads into his first full professional season, some are even eyeing the Calder Trophy for him as the NHL’s rookie of the year.

“The team is not too far off from last year,” said Philadelphia native Jim Scheuren. “So, I think similar expectations, maybe a few more points. I think the biggest thing this year is Martone coming in, he only played a few games last year and then the playoffs. So, I think him putting up a rookie-of-the-year season. And then Michkov dropping 20 pounds, I think that’s a huge thing.”

NHL on TNT comes to Philly

NHL on TNT kicked off its opening night studio show doubleheader in front of the Philly crowd on Wednesday. The pregame show, hosted by Liam McHugh alongside analysts Wayne Gretzky, Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette, featured analysis ahead of the game, live interviews, and special guest appearances.

“[Philly] is always a place where it’s intense, in my opinion,” Lundqvist said. “As an athlete, you want to play in places where you have that intensity and passion from the fans. I think the entire TNT crew, we’re excited to be on location again. We started doing that last year. It’s going to be a great game between Philly and Pittsburgh tonight.”

Last year, TNT broadcast from the Las Vegas Strip ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights home opener against the Los Angeles Kings. Emily Malmstrom, the senior vice president of communications for Comcast Spectacor, said getting NHL on TNT to Philly was months in the making, starting mid-July.

And as the Flyers made their proposal for TNT to make its way to Philly, they focused on one big thing: the fans.

“Our fans show up any day, any time, and we’ll be here through the night,” Malmstrom said. “And that was really important to TNT given the fact that they have the game following the Flyers and Penguins. They needed fans that were going to last until 2 a.m. And Philly fans show up and being in the heart of the Sports Complex at Stateside Live!, you have the Phillies, the Eagles, the Flyers, the Sixers. We knew we could get people to show up.”

Charles Barkley’s hot take

And you know who else showed up? Charles Barkley.

The 11-time NBA All-Star, and former Sixer made a special appearance on NHL on TNT. And during his time on the show, the former NBA MVP delivered a hot take to start the 2026-27 NHL season.

“I’m pulling for my boy Rick Tocchet here with the Flyers,” Barkley said. “We’re going to win the Stanley Cup this year. The Philadelphia Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup. Yes, we are.”