Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Author: Jackie Spiegel

  • Flyers takeaways: Four signs the Orange and Black might be for real from the win over the Sabres

    Flyers takeaways: Four signs the Orange and Black might be for real from the win over the Sabres

    The Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Wednesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Here are four signs from the win that the Flyers may be for real.

    Five Flyers score, including 3 goals in 59 seconds, in 5-2 win vs. the Sabres

    Good teams beat bad teams

    Two seasons ago, when the Flyers ranked among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, they lost 5-3 to the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 21.

    Yes, it was amid a five-game losing streak, but entering that game, the Senators were not just last in the conference; they were 23 points back in the standings from the Flyers. At the end of the season, the Flyers missed a playoff spot by three points, and that game could be circled as a missed opportunity.

    This season is still in its infancy, but the Flyers are maintaining a postseason spot and currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division. If they want to be a team to be reckoned with, they need to beat up on the bad teams. And the Sabres, who are ninth in the conference, are a bad team.

    The Flyers power play cashed in twice on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

    Good teams stop losing streaks

    It wasn’t a losing streak, per se, but the Flyers lost one game for the fifth time this season and ended it there. The most they’ve lost this season is two straight, which hasn’t been seen during the first chunk of the season since 2011-12.

    So why hasn’t the losing snowballed like in years past?

    “I think that’s just showing our maturity as we’re growing. I think that we work really hard, practicing, trying to keep our momentum going. You practice hard, you play hard. So those things kind of translate,” alternate captain Travis Konecny said.

    “We also had some days off, too, right now, so that’s given us a little bit of our legs tonight, and we have a little stretch coming up here to get going again. So it’s kind of a combination of things, to be honest.”

    Trevor Zegras has fit in seamlessly and is exceeding expectations with the Flyers. What will it cost to keep him long-term?

    Good teams have balanced scoring

    Tyson Foerster, who officially went on injured reserve on Wednesday after sustaining an upper-body injury on Monday, was in the locker room after the game, high-fiving his teammates. But while he’s around, not having him on the ice leaves a pretty big hole in the lineup.

    Entering the night, he was the Flyers’ top goal scorer with 10 goals. At the end of it, he was tied with Zegras, with Tippett breathing down their necks after potting his ninth.

    “That’s a big hole that we have to fill with him out,” Tippett said of Foerster. “Obviously, you hate to see a guy like that go down, but anytime, all of us can kind of pitch in, and guys contribute throughout the lineup, it’s good to see. And, I think everyone kind of steps up a little bit when a guy like that’s out of the lineup.”

    But the best sign of the night was that Bobby Brink and Noah Cates both got on the board, with each logging an assist on the other’s goals.

    Brink’s goal came off a shot by Cates after he dropped it to the centerman — neither could remember if Cates called for the drop pass — and while it was his seventh of the year, it was just his second in the past 13 games.

    “Yeah, I mean, it’s not really fun scoring one point in 12 games,” said Brink, who is inching closer to his career high of 12 goals. “I mean, it’s one game, so probably should start scoring more in the other ones, too.”

    While Cates had been playing primarily with Foerster, he was reunited with Brink on Wednesday, and the chemistry was immediately rekindled. Brink fed Cates for the redirect and his sixth of the season. And they did so with Nikita Grebenkin, who finally moved up to the top nine, on the left wing.

    Rick Tocchet jumbles up his forward lines in the wake of Tyson Foerster’s injury

    “He makes some good plays. He’s in good spots. He’s always flying out there and making plays,” said Cates of Grebenkin, who created the turnover and got an assist on Brink’s goal. “So just kind of, the more we play together, the more we can learn and build that chemistry and that trust. And I thought he was awesome tonight.”

    According to Natural Stat Trick, Tocchet rolled all four lines evenly, with each line getting roughly 6½ to 8½ minutes despite a disjointed game with a ton of penalties called. It’s important that, as the schedule gets heavier because of the pending Olympic break, the Flyers can continue to roll four lines and generate offense from throughout the lineup.

    Good teams score on the power play

    Last season, of the 16 teams that made the postseason, only the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars were in the bottom half of the league’s power play rankings. The two teams in the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers and champion Florida Panthers, clicked at 23.7% and 23.5%, respectively.

    The power play has been a thorn in the Flyers’ side for years, but right now, it’s out of the basement and tied for 18th with the Anaheim Ducks at 18.7%. It’s a critical step forward for the team to not just have confidence in their units but to know that it can help them either get back into games or extend leads.

    And if they don’t score, as they did twice on Wednesday night, going 2-for-5, it also helps build momentum in the game.

    With Foerster out for 2-3 months, one of the units now has Konecny, Zegras, Travis Sanheim, Matvei Michkov, and Tippett. Sean Couturier took a neutral zone faceoff and then went right to the bench for Zegras to hop on.

    They scored two goals.

    “Just moving it, I think try not to hold on to it too long. I thought Sanny did a great job tonight of being confident up top, moving the puck, and I think just being direct, trying to get shots to the net,” Konecny said.

    “When you look at a lot of the top power plays, other than some of the really skilled ones, you look at all the top power plays, it’s just like getting pucks to the net, deflections, having bodies there, outnumbering them. And I think we focused on doing that tonight a lot.”

    “We had some looks up top. Obviously, he got a few blocked, so we might have to change some angles there, but at least we’re shooting the puck,” added coach Rick Tocchet.

    “If it hits a shaft or something, I can live with it, but we’re getting more shots from the middle. … I’d like to see a little bit more movement earlier on the power play, but, being picky. But yeah, it was good for us tonight.”

  • Trevor Zegras has fit in seamlessly with the Flyers. What will it cost to keep him long-term?

    Trevor Zegras has fit in seamlessly with the Flyers. What will it cost to keep him long-term?

    Looking back, it’s almost fitting.

    Trevor Zegras sat down for his first interview on Day 1 of training camp in September, sporting a Nirvana shirt.

    “Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be,” the band’s frontman Kurt Cobain would sing.

    Well, the Flyers wanted Zegras to come as he is, as he was, and as they want him to be. There was no rush, but Zegras, who was acquired in June from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Ryan Poehling, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-rounder, hurried up the process. Nevermind the past two years, he has trended in the right direction.

    For Trevor Zegras, the trade to the Flyers is not just a refresh, it is also a homecoming of sorts

    “It’s fun to see the joy in his game again,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière said recently. “You can tell he’s having fun playing the game. I think for hockey players, it’s a big part of having success is that you’ve got to play with passion, you’ve got to play with enthusiasm, and I think that’s what we’re seeing in Trevor’s game.

    “I don’t know what happened in Anaheim, that’s not my business. But we see a young man who is having fun and making plays, going out there trying to make a difference. It’s been fun to watch, too, for our fans, adding another guy with high-end skill that can get you out of your seat.”

    ‘Here we are now, entertain us’

    The Flyers have long needed a game-breaker and a creative force to draw fans out of their seats again. Matvei Michkov brought some of those qualities last season, and the hope was that adding Zegras would infuse more.

    Twenty-six games into his tenure in orange and black, the 24-year-old has showcased the rare skill level that has long wowed fans. He is tied with Tyson Foerster, who was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, atop the Flyers’ leaderboard with 10 goals and leads the team with 26 points.

    And although there might be some bruises on the fruit, he has helped the power play come in bloom as four of his goals and 11 of his points have come on a man advantage that is tied for 18th in the NHL. He’s also had a knack for the dramatic, scoring the game-winning goal in Saturday’s win over New Jersey, and clinching two other games via the shootout.

    Trevor Zegras’ trademark skill and swagger have popped from Day 1 with the Flyers.

    The kid who grew up idolizing Patrick Kane, aka “Showtime,” has stolen the show. He is a perfect 4-for-4 this season and ranks No. 1 all-time among players with at least 15 shootout attempts at 68% (17 goals on 25 shots).

    “Especially when you have Trevor Zegras on your team, you start almost with one up,” said Sean Couturier, captain of a Flyers team that is a perfect 5-0 in shootouts this season. “So we like our odds in shootouts.”

    But maybe the biggest difference for Zegras this year is that the coaching staff has confidence in him. Zegras is averaging 18 minutes, 14 seconds a night, the second-most among Flyers forwards, and his highest amount since the 2022-23 season.

    “He’s done a really nice job,” coach Rick Tocchet said last week in South Florida. “He moves his feet. He can make some plays out there. They’re hard to find, and he’s got to be a difference maker for us, which he is. He’s making some good plays for us.”

    After a tough few years under Greg Cronin in Anaheim, Trevor Zegras has found a coach in Rick Tocchet who believes in him.

    Heart-Shaped Box

    Although he says you have to prioritize the team game, Zegras notes that he is always building and working on his own game. He can often be spotted doing that on the ice long after practice is done.

    He’s also often on the ice talking to Tocchet, whom he affectionately has nicknamed Taco. It looks as if the two are either going over reads, structure, systems, and positioning. In October — after a win against the Seattle Kraken, no less — he texted Tocchet that he wanted to watch video with him, too.

    “It’s good,” Zegras said of his relationship with Tocchet. “He watches a lot of hockey, and he played for a long time. There’s just little stuff that he sees; it’s definitely good stuff, important stuff, and they’re usually really good points, so I try to listen.”

    “Unreal, coachable kid. You can tell him anything. We talked last game, I thought he didn’t really skate, didn’t do much, and he actually comes up to me, and he goes, ‘Man, I didn’t move my feet last game, I can really tell,’” Tocchet said, referencing the Nov. 24 game in Tampa Bay.

    The bench boss also likes that Zegras is correcting mistakes. He had a big turnover early in the Flyers’ 6-5 shootout win against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 14 that led to a goal. How did he rebound? By playing a role in each of the Flyers’ goals in regulation and scoring the lone shootout tally.

    But while the good times are rolling, the big question remains: At five-on-five, is he a center or a winger?

    Right now, it’s a little bit of both.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, he’s played just 26 minutes, 46 seconds across the first 26 games of the season down the middle. He’s skated the majority of the season on a line with Christian Dvorak and Owen Tippett — although on Wednesday night, Travis Konecny was on their wing — with Zegras deployed in a hybrid center role.

    “Yeah, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I think it’s a great setup for him,” said Brière when asked if maybe a hybrid is best right now for a player who may be a natural centerman but has spent the last two seasons almost exclusively on the wing.

    “The way we have him with the centers that we have, it gives him the chance to take more chances on offense and not have to always come back and be the first player back, battling down deep in the defensive zone.

    “He has to do it at times — everybody at times gets caught being the first guy back — but he doesn’t have to do it every shift, and I think it opens him up, frees him up a little bit on the other side of things.”

    Trevor Zegras and the Flyers enjoy a special dad’s trip: ‘He’s fired up’

    The hybrid role focuses on the play below the hashmarks in the defensive zone and being the high man, when applicable, in the offensive zone. It’s about being the first forward or F1 — and about faceoffs. Not really known for his faceoff prowess, Zegras is feeling more confident in the circle and has been getting help from Couturier.

    “Dvo’s great down low. Not that he needs [it], but I can switch maybe during the shift,” Zegras said before the Flyers’ win last week against the Florida Panthers, before adding with a smile, “or if he wants to maybe cheat on some faceoffs, and he ends up getting kicked out of them, I feel fine getting in there.”

    ‘Found my friends’

    While he’s no longer a teen, Zegras definitely has some spirit. Bounding into the locker room these days with his long flowing locks and a grin mixed in with some chatter, the 24-year-old looks rejuvenated on and off the ice.

    “Just extremely grateful that it ended up being Philly.” Gary Zegras, Trevor’s father, told The Inquirer during the dad’s trip in November. “The closeness is incredible. We get to come to the games, and we get to spend a lot of time down here. He’s got a lot of other family that have been coming to the games and friends in the area. So that’s great for him, and it’s also great for us, selfishly.

    “And then between management, between the coach, and the other players on the team, it’s just such a great fit. You just see the smile on his face, and you just can tell that he feels comfortable here, and it’s translating to — I know it’s early in the season — but he certainly looks a lot more like his old self. And I think a lot of that has to do with the environment, 100%.”

    Zegras has several familiar faces in the room, including his best buddies Jamie Drysdale, his teammate in Anaheim, and Cam York, whom he played with as a teenager at the United States National Team Development Program.

    “Just fun to have him around in the locker room. … Obviously, what he’s done has been really great for our team,“ York said. ”He’s added a lot of skill and good vibes, good mojo to the team, I think, and that goes a long way in this league.”

    Added Drysdale: “He’s a free spirit. He does his thing. We all love and appreciate him for it. He keeps it light, and he’s playing really good hockey. Yeah, we’re just lucky to have him, and he fits in perfectly here.”

    Zegras has found his spark again. But has he found a home, too?

    Of course, Brière had no comment when asked recently about a new contract for Zegras. The forward is a restricted free agent on July 1, and the general manager rarely signs players to extensions during the season. But, while it’s early, there is no doubt that Zegras is the type of talent and game-breaker the Flyers have been searching for the past several years.

    According to Puckpedia, the cost to keep him around begins at $5.75 million, the minimum qualifying offer the Flyers must give him to retain his rights. But with the salary cap rising, there is no doubt he will command a much higher number.

    Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, and Trevor Zegras (center) are best friends and are relishing getting to play together with the Flyers.

    A good comparable to Zegras is probably Shane Pinto. The Ottawa Senators center, who was drafted 23 spots below him in the 2019 NHL draft, just signed a four-year extension with an annual average value of $7.5 million. Zegras has eight more points than Pinto this season.

    He also has more points than other recent center signings like Utah’s Logan Cooley (eight years at $10 million per), his former Ducks teammate Mason McTavish (six years, $7 million), and Chicago’s Frank Nazar (seven years, $6.59 million). Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston, who got four years at $8.4 million last season, is the only real comparable who has more points than Zegras so far this season.

    Two more worth noting are Utah’s JJ Peterka and Winnipeg’s Gabe Vilardi, who, like Zegras, are capable of playing center but have also played a lot of wing. Peterka signed this offseason for five years at a $7.7 million average annual value, and Vilardi got six years at $7.5 million.

    Factoring in his recent history and that all but Vilardi are younger than Zegras, the expectation is that he’ll get at least five years — which is the length York, who is also represented by Pat Brisson, signed for in July — and between $7.5 million and $8 million per year.

    Brière likes to wait; maybe he shouldn’t. If Zegras keeps trending the way he is — he is on pace for a career-high 32 goals and 82 points — it puts the past two years, and his injury concerns, in the rearview, and the ask could be closer to $9 million.

    Amid the NHL offseason, two Flyers team up to help spread an ‘important’ message

    Is that too much for a kid in his mid-20s who has found his game again and looks to be back on a star trajectory? Probably not. Does it truly matter if he’s that top center or the top winger? In reality, not really, because in the end, he’ll still be a critical piece of a Flyers team moving through a rebuild with the focus on being a Stanley Cup contender for years to come.

    Zegras loves playing in Philly. He loves the spotlight. It sounds like a happy marriage because, while for years and years, Zegras roamed, he now feels like he’s back home.

    And if he does stay for the long haul, it sounds like Flyers fans will be in nirvana.

    Trevor Zegras isn’t going anywhere but the Flyers would be wise to sign him now and try and save a few bucks.
  • Five Flyers score, including 3 goals in 59 seconds, in 5-2 win vs. the Sabres

    Five Flyers score, including 3 goals in 59 seconds, in 5-2 win vs. the Sabres

    With leading scorer Tyson Foerster out 2-3 months after getting injured in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, there were questions about how the Flyers would find offense.

    The answer? Easily.

    The Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 for their fourth win in the past five games. Since losing two straight in mid-November to the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, they have gone 7-3-0 and have not lost two in a row since.

    They did lose defenseman Cam York late in the second period. After Trevor Zegras was boarded by Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin in the offensive zone, York was involved in a scrum. He did not return and coach Rick Tocchet said postgame he thought it was an upper-body injury.

    “I think he got hit behind the net, or something,” Tocchet said. “We were trying to look for it. But I think he got hit behind the net a little bit late or something. I haven’t talked to the doctors.”

    Dahlin was assessed a five-minute major and was ejected from the game, but the Flyers did not score on the power play.

    Rick Tocchet jumbles up his forward lines in the wake of Tyson Foerster’s injury

    But they had already scored a pair with the man advantage. It came in the first period when the Flyers scored a trio of goals after — no surprise here — trailing 1-0.

    Travis Konecny scored on the power play to tie the game 1-1 while on the ice with the revamped unit of Zegras, Travis Sanheim, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov. Konecny got the puck along the boards and carried it above the left faceoff circle and toward the middle before putting the puck past the blocker of Sabres goalie Colten Ellis for his sixth goal of the season.

    The Sabres challenged the call with Tippett in front, but the video review confirmed that there was no interference before the goal. Because of the failed challenge, the Flyers went right back on the power play.

    Flyers goaltender Sam Ersson makes a save on a shot from Sabres’ Josh Doan in the first period.

    Zegras scored his 10th goal of the season on the ensuing man advantage. It tied him with Foerster for the team lead.

    The Flyers moved the puck around the outside well. Konecny skated down the left boards before sending the puck back to Sanheim to open space. The defenseman saw Zegras with his stick up in the air, awaiting the pass above the right circle. After receiving it, he put the puck toward the net, and it ended up going off the skate of Buffalo’s Ryan McLeod to give the Flyers the lead 38 seconds after tying the game.

    Zegras said postgame he was actually looking to get the puck to Konecny across the ice.

    Twenty-one seconds later, it was 3-1. After putting the follow line of Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, and Nikita Grebenkin — who was promoted to the top nine after the Foerster injury — on the ice, the trio connected.

    Grebenkin deflected a pass intended for Tage Thomson and collected the puck inside the blue line before feeding Brink, who dropped it to Cates. The center put the puck on goal, and Brink cleaned up the rebound for his seventh goal of the season. It gave the Flyers three goals in 59 seconds.

    In the second period, it was Brink who fed Cates for the goal seconds after a Flyers power play ended. Jamie Drysdale got the loose puck and carried it to the middle of the ice before dishing to Brink atop the right circle. He carried it down and set up Cates for a redirect and his sixth of the season.

    Flyers activate Oliver Bonk from injured reserve, assign him to Lehigh Valley

    Later in the period, Tippett made it 5-1 with his third goal in three games. Emil Andrae kept the puck in at the blue line and sent it down the boards to Sean Couturier, who sent a no-look pass to Michkov. The Russian winger then did the same to Tippett with Mattias Samuelsson, the son of former Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, on him.

    Tippett went backhand to forehand and had his initial shot go off Ellis’ shoulder. But the Flyers forward stuck with it and battled the puck out of midair for his ninth of the season.

    Tocchet didn’t like the first goal the Flyers gave up. After Monday’s game, he chastised the penalty kill, citing that he didn’t like the structure; he prefers an aggressive diamond and hates the box. Well, the goal by Sabres forward Jason Zucker was because the penalty kill fell into the box and he was able to score in front off a pass from Josh Doan.

    Buffalo’s second goal of the night, which made it 4-2, came off the stick of Bowen Byram. On a bouncing puck, the defenseman fired the puck past Flyers goalie Sam Ersson.

    Breakaways

    The Flyers now have 11 comeback wins and are 10-6-2 after trailing first. Both lead the NHL. … Ersson made 27 saves, and the Flyers put 35 shots on goal. The Flyers’ goalie is now 5-2-2 on the season. … Forward Carl Grundström, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, and defenseman Noah Juulsen were the healthy scratches. … The Flyers challenged a goal by the Sabres in the third period, and it was determined that Buffalo was offside.

    Up next

    The Flyers have a few days between games, but next face the NHL’s top team, the Colorado Avalanche, on Sunday (1 p.m., NBCSP). How good are the Avalanche? They’ve lost once in regulation this season.

  • Rick Tocchet jumbles up his forward lines in the wake of Tyson Foerster’s injury

    Rick Tocchet jumbles up his forward lines in the wake of Tyson Foerster’s injury

    The Flyers will be without Tyson Foerster, the team’s leading goal scorer, for the next two to three months after he suffered an upper-body injury in Monday night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

    It is a major blow to a team that is averaging 2.76 goals this season, the seventh-lowest total in the NHL. But as coach Rick Tocchet said, “The poor-is-me stuff, that can’t linger in that room.”

    And with that, the bench boss whipped up some new line combinations at Wednesday’s morning skate. Tocchet likes to keep pairs together, and Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak are a duo that is working well. They will now have Travis Konecny on their wing. According to Natural Stat Trick, they’ve played as a line for just 97 seconds at five-on-five this season.

    Flyers’ top goal scorer Tyson Foerster out 2-3 months with upper-body injury

    The fourth line remained somewhat the same, with Rodrigo Ābols, Garnet Hathaway, and Nic Deslauriers skating together. Deslauriers, who started his career with Wednesday’s opponent, the Buffalo Sabres, last played Nov. 24 in Tampa Bay. Carl Grundström was recalled on Tuesday from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, but it looks like he will be a healthy scratch against the Sabres (7:30 p.m., TNT).

    Speedy winger Owen Tippett was moved alongside Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier. The trio has not played together this season, but did last year, skating almost 125 minutes together. With that line on the ice, the Flyers had a 52.57% Corsi For, 56.36% of the scoring chances, 60% of the high-danger chances, outshot opponents, 76-51, and outscored their opponents, 10-8.

    Not too shabby. However, there is one difference now: Tippett will be on the right wing, with Tocchet liking the speed and north-south game Michkov plays on the left.

    “The last two or three years I’ve played left more consistently, so obviously I’ve gotten more comfortable with it,” Tippett said about playing the right side. “But again, I’ve played right my whole life, and even now, there’s been some shifts or some periods where I’ve had to go back to the left. I think I’m ready for it whenever it happens.”

    And of course, the biggest move of the day involves Nikita Grebenkin, who — some would say, finally — has been moved into the top nine. He is playing with Bobby Brink and Noah Cates.

    “Tyson [has an] injury now. It’s bad for the team [because] Tyson, big guy for Flyers. It’s bad, but now I have maybe more time [and it] is good for me,” Grebenkin said. “It’s a big chance for me, and I want to help the team every time. Let’s go Flyers.”

    Acquired in the deal that sent Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Grebenkin has played in 16 of the Flyers’ 25 games, mostly on the fourth line. He has one goal and three points while averaging 9 minutes, 52 seconds.

    Nikita Grebenkin, 22, will get first crack at trying to replace Tyson Foerster in the Flyers’ top nine.

    Some of the critiques from Tocchet have focused on Grebenkin’s decision-making. He wants him to be “sticky” and stay in piles. On Wednesday, Tocchet wants to see the 22-year-old make good decisions, play mind free — he’s mentioned in the past the Russian has told him he’s overthinking — and move his feet more.

    “In practice, when he has two-on-ones, he slows down, and he tries to pass the puck. So against Pittsburgh [on Monday night], he had all day to go in and fire the puck, but he waited, and he tried to make the pass, and it got picked off,” Tocchet said.

    “So we talked about it, and today his two-on-ones were outstanding. Hopefully, he can apply that in a real game. To be an NHL player, you’ve got to take that information, so hopefully he gets a two-on-one tonight and he moves his feet. I think he will because he did it today in practice.”

    Grebenkin has not officially been on a line with Brink this season, but according to Natural Stat Trick, he has skated more than 25 minutes on Cates’ wing during five-on-five action this season.

    Flyers activate Oliver Bonk from injured reserve, assign him to Lehigh Valley

    It has worked well.

    Without Cates as his center, Grebenkin has been on the ice for seven goals against, to just his first career NHL goal, scored against the Montreal Canadiens in early November. But when they’re on the ice together, the Flyers have outshot opponents 16-7 and outscored them 2-1.

    “Obviously, a ton of skill and some speed from him. He’s been working at his game and getting a lot of good looks,” Cates said.

    “I think we can work with each other and make some good give-and-go plays or cycle plays,” said Cates, who, like Grebenkin, excels below the hash marks. “I’ll get to the net, I think that’s the biggest thing. So he makes really good plays down there, and I just have to create some space when we’re getting to the net because he’ll find me.”

    Grebenkin agrees that he’s been overthinking at times during games, but he has been working at it. He is looking forward to more minutes, helping the team excel, and wants to play better consistently.

    But Tocchet knows it takes time for players to develop.

    “He’s got to do the process. But do I feel like he’s ready for it? Yeah, I do,” Tocchet said when asked about Grebenkin being in the top nine. “I think he’s ready for it, but there’s a process to it, the way you practice, the way you take information, that’s the way it is.”

    Breakaways

    Sam Ersson (4-2-2, .859 save percentage) will start against the Sabres. He is 3-1-0 with a 1.83 goals-against average, .913 save percentage, and one shutout against the Sabres in four career games. … Defenseman Egor Zamula will play in place of Noah Juulsen. … Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was on the ice in a non-contact jersey for morning skate. It is the first time he has skated with the group since he suffered an elbow injury in March. He underwent surgery on a right triceps tendon rupture later that month. In 2024, Ristolainen underwent two surgeries, including a repair to a ruptured triceps tendon. According to Flyers general manager Danny Brière in April 2025, the injury was similar, although he wouldn’t confirm whether he tore the tendon again. Tocchet wouldn’t put a timeline on his return to game action but said, “It’s not a month, it’s not a week. What’s that sweet spot? I don’t know.”

  • Analyzing where the Flyers’ penalty kill went wrong in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Penguins

    Analyzing where the Flyers’ penalty kill went wrong in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Penguins

    The Flyers entered Monday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins with the league’s fourth-best penalty kill. When the night was done, the Flyers were handed a 5-1 loss to snap a three-game winning streak, and their penalty kill slipped to ninth.

    In some ways, it made sense. The Penguins started the day with the NHL’s No. 2 power play and an impressive 30.2% effectiveness. Even with that, no one expected them to score three times in four opportunities.

    Flyers activate Oliver Bonk from injured reserve, assign him to Lehigh Valley

    The Penguins now have the NHL’s No. 1 power play at 33.3% — which is ridiculous when you think about it. But maybe not.

    “Well, they’ve got a championship pedigree, right?” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “They’re well-coached. They stuck to their game plan. They went north on us. First period, actually, we had some chances, [but] not much velocity on the shots. I don’t know, we weren’t assertive enough. And then obviously the PK, which has been good all year, struggled tonight.”

    Tocchet knows the Penguins. He was an assistant coach on former Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan’s staff and won two Stanley Cups. And he ran the power play.

    Yes, the Penguins’ power play boasts Sidney Crosby, who is 23rd in NHL history with 191 power-play goals and scored one on Monday night. And, yes, there’s Evgeni Malkin, who is four spots below Crosby and has 185.

    Sidney Crosby scored one of the Penguins’ three power-play goals on Monday night.

    But the Flyers coach also hasn’t liked his group’s penalty kill the last five games, noting the structure. It was exposed to the utmost degree at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    “We’ve been running around lately,” he said. “We’re an aggressive diamond … and if you look at the goals, after the shot, two guys ran out of position, opens up the middle. Twice. Those are killers.”

    The diamond pattern is just that, a diamond shape. It allows there to be a defender, usually a defenseman, in front of the goalie with the other defenseman as one of the points on the side of the diamond picking up someone in the circle, aka on the flank. There is one forward opposite that defenseman and another at the top of the diamond shape.

    The aggressiveness comes with the unit moving together as one of the penalty killers puts pressure on the opposition’s power play. Does it leave open the middle of the ice and the person in the bumper? Sometimes, but an active stick and closing lanes are critical to this type of penalty kill.

    “If you give them the flanker shots, you can live with it,” Tocchet said. “I think the [Bryan] Rust flanker, [Travis Sanheim’s] got to get out there. That’s his flex. He was backed in too much.

    “He flexes out; his job is to take the weak side away so [Dan Vladař] can see it. Things like that. But that’s just, maybe that’s guys being tired, mentally tired. I don’t know.”

    When the pass is made, Travis Sanheim (No. 6 in front of the net) is a little too low to take away the weakside shooter, Bryan Rust (bottom of the screen).
    Because Sanheim (front of the net, closest to the bottom) is too low and stagnant, it allows Rust (bottom) ample time and space to carry the puck into the left face-off circle and score.

    The Flyers’ penalty kill has been a strong suit for a while. Over the first 24 games, the Flyers had killed off 100% of the penalties they faced in 14 games, had allowed just one power-play goal in nine other games, and, before Monday night, had allowed two goals on the man advantage just once all season, against the Montreal Canadiens in a wild 5-4 shootout win in early November.

    “All year, PK has been great for us,” captain Sean Couturier said. “Tonight we didn’t have it. They picked us apart. It happens. We’ve got to fix it and get back on track next game.”

    The structure has fallen by the wayside a bit. The New York Islanders had the second-worst power play entering Friday’s game, and Anders Lee could stand in front of the net and deflect a point shot in. Against the New Jersey Devils, Timo Meier was allowed to crash the net down the middle and clean up a loose puck.

    Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    On Monday night, Crosby buried the puck from just above the slot “because we cheated on one of them,” Tocchet said. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson carried the puck from the left to the right and down the boards, causing the Flyers to overcommit. It opened the ice for Rust, who sent a backhand pass to Crosby coming down the middle — and Crosby isn’t going to miss from there.

    Bryan Rust (No. 17 and bottom of the screen) has plenty of room to either shoot or pass the puck, choosing the latter as the Flyers overcommitted.
    Sidney Crosby (No. 87 and middle of the screen) received the pass from Bryan Rust in the high slot and was able to score as the Flyers collapsed around the net.

    The Penguins added a third power-play tally after Malkin put a shot on goal, Kris Letang retrieved the rebound along the boards, and set up Tommy Novak for the shot past Vladař. The Flyers were out of their structure.

    Initially, when Malkin shot the puck from the point, they collapsed into an I formation, meaning everyone straight down the middle. When the puck went to the boards, Owen Tippett went to him, which is fine, but Noah Juulsen and Nick Seeler were too low to step into Novak or play a possible pass to Ville Koivunen, who was sitting wide-open across the crease.

    “They snap it around, and they get a lot of shots from the middle, and that’s what we’re trying to get our guys to do,” Tocchet said. “It’s actually a good learning lesson … get that shot in the middle.”

  • Flyers’ top goal scorer Tyson Foerster out 2-3 months with upper-body injury

    Flyers’ top goal scorer Tyson Foerster out 2-3 months with upper-body injury

    The Flyers will be without their top goal scorer for some time.

    Tyson Foerster will miss two to three months with an upper-body injury, the team said Tuesday. The Flyers did not disclose the extent of the injury he suffered Monday in a 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A source told The Inquirer on Tuesday that the team is hopeful that the injury won’t require surgery and can be treated through rehab.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update postgame but said, “I hope it’s not long. Obviously, he’s a big part of our team.”

    Foerster scored during a five-on-three, sending the puck past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry from the left faceoff circle. His 10th goal of the season evened the score and broke a tie with Trevor Zegras atop the Flyers’ goal-scoring leaderboard.

    Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    But less than a minute later, with the Flyers still on a five-on-three power play after Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang was called for high-sticking when the goal horn went off, Foerster took a pass from Zegras for a one-timer atop the left circle.

    Foerster appeared to suffer an injury as he shot the puck on goal. He skated off, holding his right shoulder, and went down the tunnel.

    “That’s tough. He’s such a big part of the team, the locker room, everything,” forward Travis Konecny said. “So, yeah, I mean, it’s definitely difficult.”

    Added Noah Cates, who, along with Konecny, plays on a line with Foerster: “Yeah, [it stinks]. Seeing a teammate, or anyone, go down, and obviously just such an important part of our team, our core, just special teams, everything like that, so, yeah, just kind of messed with our lineup. … But everyone’s got to be ready and ready to play with everyone.”

    The 23-year-old winger has been off to a fast start, despite missing four games with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly on Nov. 1. He has six goals in the last seven games and 13 points across 21 games this season.

    “His release of his shot is really elite … but when he gets that puck in the slot or these prime areas, his release, really, it’s an elite shot, so I give him a lot of credit,” Tocchet said Saturday before the Flyers defeated the New Jersey Devils, 5-3. Foerster did not score in that game.

    The winger had surgery in the offseason after a right elbow injury he picked up during the World Championships became infected. After some initial concern, he did not miss any game action and returned in time for opening night.

    Foerster also has had issues with his right shoulder in the past. In November 2021, he dislocated his right shoulder while diving for a puck on a five-on-three power play for Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. He had shoulder surgery and missed 4½ months. Foerster also suffered a broken tibia in February 2021.

    With the Flyers already having a roster spot open after defenseman Adam Ginning cleared waivers Monday afternoon and was assigned to the Phantoms, speculation swirled that Alex Bump would be called up to make his NHL debut.

    But a source tells The Inquirer the Flyers were always more likely to recall a veteran from Lehigh Valley. The Flyers officially recalled Carl Grundström on Tuesday night. Grundström played one game this season with the Flyers on Nov. 8 against Ottawa after being acquired in a trade that sent Ryan Ellis’ contract to the San Jose Sharks. Originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 28-year-old has 76 points in 293 career games split between the Flyers, Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. He has six goals and 15 points in 19 games with Lehigh Valley this season.

    The move signals that Nikita Grebenkin likely will get a chance to show what he can do while playing in a top-nine role. The 22-year-old Grebenkin, who has mostly played on the fourth line this season and has been in and out of the lineup, has one goal and three points in 16 games this season.

    Tyson Foerster is becoming ‘a guy that we really rely on’ to score for the Flyers

    There should be a call-up for Bump at some point this season. The winger has four goals and 16 points in 20 games with Lehigh Valley this season. Although he had a slow start and hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 14, Bump has three goals and 13 points in his last 12 games.

    “The moment that it really clicked for him was after the second Wilkes-Barre game. I challenged him in a different way,” Phantoms coach John Snowden told The Inquirer in mid-November, referencing Bump’s fifth game of the season.

    “We all know that he has the offensive ability — he can hold onto the puck, he can beat you one-on-one, he can score with his shot, he can beat you with a pass, he’s got all those qualities. But the one thing that he was lacking was the abrasiveness in playing inside of contact and getting guys on your back and in finishing hits when it’s time to finish a hit, and valuing the defensive side of things.

    “All those little things that are going to create more offensive opportunities for him, we need to get those better.”

  • Flyers’ three-game winning streak snapped in a 5-1 home loss to the Penguins

    Flyers’ three-game winning streak snapped in a 5-1 home loss to the Penguins

    The good times came to a halt, in more ways than one, on Monday night.

    Hosting their Keystone State rivals, the Flyers lost 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After winning three straight and outscoring the opposition 12-8, they gave up a five-spot for the first time since a Nov. 15 loss to the Dallas Stars.

    It was the third game in four nights for Philly, who returned home after a productive 3-1-0 road trip. Monday’s defeat, which also came with a possible loss in the lineup, moved the Flyers to 14-8-3 on the season.

    Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Flyers tied the game up in the second. With Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson in the box for tripping Travis Konecny and teammate Connor Clifton joining him after taking down Matvei Michkov at the left post 43 seconds later, the Flyers had a two-man advantage. On the ice were Travis Sanheim, Tyson Foerster, Trevor Zegras, Konecny, and Michkov.

    Flyers’ top scorer Tyson Foerster leaves Penguins game with upper-body injury, will not return

    With the referee’s hand up for another penalty on Penguins’ Kris Letang, Foerster put the puck on net from the left faceoff circle, and it got past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry for his team-leading 10th goal of the season.

    But with the Flyers still on a five-on-three power play, less than a minute later, he took a pass from Zegras for a one-timer atop the left circle. Foerster appeared to suffer an injury as he shot the puck on goal. He skated off holding his right shoulder, went down the tunnel, and did not return.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update after the game, but hopes it is not long as Foerster is “obviously, he’s a big part of our team.”

    Playing their 25th game of the season, the Flyers found themselves in an early hole for the 17th time. And it was Sidney Crosby who gave the opposition the lead.

    After Cam York missed a shot wide, the Penguins broke out, and Bryan Rust put a shot on goal from the inside of the right faceoff circle. Dan Vladař had a good line of sight on the shot and made the save, but he wasn’t able to control the rebound, and Crosby scored.

    Less than three minutes after Foerster tied the game in the second period, and with Rodrigo Ābols in the box for holding, Crosby put the Penguins back on top. Karlsson skated up the ice with the puck from his own end and carried it wide before sending a cross-ice pass to Rust. The forward dished a backhand to Crosby in the slot, and he fired it home. The Penguins captain has 59 goals and 137 points in 92 games against the Flyers, the most by any player.

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar allowed a second period power play goal to Penguins’ Bryan Rust.

    Rust then added his own goal on a power play, after Sean Couturier was penalized for — no surprise here — a questionable holding call. He received a cross-ice pass from Evgeni Malkin, spun around, and carried the puck deep into the left circle before sending the puck past the glove of Vladař to make it 3-1, Pittsburgh. Rust used Sanheim as a screen on the play.

    The Penguins entered the night with the second-best power play in the NHL (30.4%), while the Flyers had the fourth-best penalty kill (85.1%).

    Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    And Pittsburgh scored again in the third period with the man advantage, this time by Tommy Novak, after Michkov was called for slashing, giving the Penguins a 4-1 lead.

    Former Flyers forward Kevin Hayes added another goal on a breakaway, getting behind York after receiving a stretch pass from Parker Wotherspoon.

    Breakaways

    Philly is now 9-6-2 after trailing 1-0. … Malkin was credited with a goal after a shot by Anthony Mantha went off his shin guard and in. But the Flyers challenged, and a video review determined that Malkin impaired Vladař’s ability to play his position before the goal. … The Flyers put 29 shots on goal and allowed 27. … The Flyers’ power play went 1-for-7, although the last man advantage came in the final 10 seconds of the game. … Forward Nic Deslauriers and defenseman Egor Zamula were the healthy scratches.

    Up next

    The Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TNT).

  • Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    It’s been almost a month since Travis Konecny stood outside the Flyers locker room in Nashville and was asked where he thought his game was.

    Although he had 10 points (four goals, six assists) and was plus-2 in the first 13 games, he still felt his game was coming. “I know that I haven’t had my best stuff yet this year,” he said.

    In the last 11 games, he has nine points (one goal, eight assists), but his 17-goal, 65-point pace is well below the 29 goals he has averaged over the last three seasons and his career high of 76 points set last season.

    Flyers takeaways: Rick Tocchet’s calm approach, tight-knit locker room netting real results

    But the end of the season is a long way off, and his track record of leading the Flyers in scoring for five of the last six seasons, including the last four, hints that the best is yet to come.

    “I still feel like there’s more for me to give,” he said, sitting in the Flyers locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday. “I feel like there’s parts that have gotten better. I’m trying to find myself in more shooting areas, but I also know playing with [Noah Cates] and [Tyson Foerster], me and Cater are two guys that love being on the hunt, you know, digging and finding pucks.

    “And Foery’s going to be more of our trigger guy — and I think everyone would rather that,” he said with a chuckle. “He’s got such a good shot, so trying to balance that out, but also put myself in some shooting opportunity spots, maybe get to the net a little bit more.

    “But I mean, overall good. Our team’s playing well, our line’s playing good, and just keep building off little things like that, and everything will fall into place.”

    It does feel like his game is coming a little more lately. He scored the game-winner in a shootout against the New York Islanders on Friday and notched two assists Saturday in the win against the New Jersey Devils.

    Flyers right wing Travis Konecny says he wants to find himself in more shooting opportunities.

    Many noted it was probably his best game of the year as he was active across all zones and made several heads-up plays. One assist was on a two-on-one with Matvei Michkov, who had just come out of the penalty box. The other was a shot by Konecny that beat Jacob Markström but was later changed to a Michkov goal as it went off the winger in front.

    Konecny, 28, has bounced around a little bit this season. After starting the season alongside Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett, he was moved to a line with Sean Couturier and Michkov, his linemates at the end of last season. The line played well, but Konecny had only two goals and 13 assists in the 25 games after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

    But now he’s back with Cates, with whom he played consistently in 2022-23 during Cates’ first full season, and Foerster.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, they may trail in chances for (60-84) but have outscored the opposition by 5-0 in the 73 minutes, 34 seconds they’ve played together across the season. Pretty sure everyone prefers the latter.

    Yardley’s Terrence Wallin once dreamed of playing for the Flyers. Now, he’s rising in the organization’s coaching ranks

    “His game’s starting to come, less turnovers, he’s making more solid decisions,” coach Rick Tocchet said of Konecny. “There’s times when he’s taking the puck to the hole and shooting it, where before you take it, he’s looking to pass.”

    “So I’m seeing a lot more conviction in the game, where I’m going to play inside and things like that, instead of playing outside. And he’s a pest out there too, that’s when he’s at his best.”

    While Konecny will say that the Flyers get amped for every game, there may be a little more oomph for him Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m., NBCSP). In 34 career games against the Keystone State rivals, Konecny has 13 goals and 29 points. He scored in the Flyers’ 3-2 shootout win against the Penguins in October and was named the first star of the game.

    Breakaways

    Dan Vladař will start in net Monday for the Flyers. Sam Ersson was in goal for the win in October. … Tocchet said that while the forwards would be the same, he wasn’t sure whether Egor Zamula or Noah Juulsen would be the sixth defenseman. … Flyers prospect Shane Vansaghi was named to USA Hockey’s preliminary roster for World Juniors. The tournament will be played in Minnesota beginning on Dec. 26. … Defenseman Adam Ginning cleared waivers Monday and has been assigned to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. … Beginning Monday night, fans can bring new unwrapped toys to every home game in December. The toys will be donated to the Salvation Army.

  • Flyers place Adam Ginning on waivers, signaling Emil Andrae is sticking around

    Flyers place Adam Ginning on waivers, signaling Emil Andrae is sticking around

    Returning from a productive four-game road trip and with a six-game homestand beginning on Monday, the Flyers placed Adam Ginning on waivers on Sunday.

    To be placed on waivers, the defenseman was first recalled from his conditioning loan to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, which began on Nov. 18. Conditioning loans are for 14 days, with the player remaining on the active 23-man roster.

    By placing Ginning on waivers, it opens up a roster spot for the Flyers, and, not that he needed any more confirmation, but it’s pretty clear Emil Andrae is sticking around for the long haul.

    Flyers takeaways: Rick Tocchet’s calm approach, tight-knit locker room netting real results

    After some movement between Philly and Allentown, as one of three players on the roster who are waiver exempt — Nikita Grebenkin and Matvei Michkov are the other two — Andrae has been back with the Flyers since Nov. 3. He has played in every game since, and with each passing day, has garnered more responsibilities from the coaching staff.

    Originally on the third pairing, he is now alongside Jamie Drysdale on the second unit. According to Natural Stat Trick, since becoming partners during the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 20, they have played 85:28 together and have been on the ice for five Flyers goals for and four against.

    In the past eight games, Andrae’s ice time has jumped, and he is averaging 18 minutes, 45 seconds. It is the fourth-most on the team, behind defensemen Travis Sanheim, Cam York, and Drysdale, as he has also been getting time on the power play and in overtime. Across 14 games this season, he has one goal and five assists with a plus-minus of plus-4.

    Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae is averaging 18 minutes, 45 seconds per game, the fourth-most on the team.

    Since being loaned, Ginning has played in five games with the Phantoms, registering one assist, five shots on goal, and a minus-2. The Swede, who turns 26 in January, made the Flyers out of training camp and played five games this season on the third pair. He averaged 15:20, and although he did not register a point, he did have two shots on goal. At the time of his loan to Lehigh Valley, he was one of 11 skaters with at least an even plus-minus (minimum five games played).

    There is a chance the Swede could be snagged on the waiver wire. A big blueliner at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Ginning is a defensive defenseman who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Drafted by the Flyers in the second round of the 2018 draft, he has 16 NHL games under his belt, with one goal scored during the 2023-24 season.

  • Flyers takeaways: Rick Tocchet’s calm approach, tight-knit locker room netting real results

    Flyers takeaways: Rick Tocchet’s calm approach, tight-knit locker room netting real results

    NEWARK, N.J. — The calendar is set to turn to December, and while some will say it is too early to look at the standings, it doesn’t hurt to peek. Right?

    Right.

    Because the Flyers are not only in a playoff spot, but third in the Metropolitan Division. Entering Sunday, they sit two points ahead of the second wild-card team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom they play on Monday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m., NBCSP).

    And in a tight division, they are just two points behind the leaders, the New Jersey Devils, a team they have beaten twice in a week. The latest was a 5-3 victory in Newark on Saturday night. It closed out a four-game road trip with a pretty solid-looking 3-1-0 record, including the first win on the second night of a back-to-back this season.

    Here are two big things we learned from the Snowbird connection trip that saw the Flyers go from sunny Florida to the New York metro area.

    I’ve been the teacher

    There are different ways of coaching. Some coaches can be fiery and use that to spark their team. Other coaches, like Rick Tocchet, appear to maintain a cool, calming presence — unless, for example, one needs to yell at the referees, which seems warranted lately for the Flyers.

    Watching the bench, Tocchet seems levelheaded. The owner now of 300 wins in the NHL after Saturday night, he knows it is just 24 games into the season, and there’s a long road ahead. And although every moment is important, he doesn’t get too wrapped up in the ups and downs and momentum shifts of every game.

    Sure, he may have been spotted by the TV cameras saying a choice word or two when an unsuspecting Emil Andrae turned the puck over to Kyle Palmieri in Friday night’s shootout win against the New York Islanders — on a goal that actually should have been overturned for too-many men on the ice — but he wasn’t being demonstrative with his body language.

    Jon Cooper discusses Travis Sanheim’s Olympic chances and working with Rick Tocchet

    But he didn’t bench Andrae, who finished the night with the third-most minutes, with an overtime shift. It’s important for a young team to have a coach who keeps his cool and lets them learn and grow from their mistakes.

    Plus, it helps that Tocchet is a guy who loves to teach. Instead of going crazy and yelling or benching players, he either talks things over or pulls out the whiteboard to show them. As Jon Cooper, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Hockey Canada coach who worked with Tocchet at 4 Nations and will do so again at the Olympics, told The Inquirer on Monday, Tocchet is known for his in-game adjustments.

    His adjustments and demeanor are translating to the ice as the players are playing connected but loose.

    “The one thing I love with this group is they always want to learn, whether we win or lose, or it’s a bad period, it’s a good period, they’re asking questions,” Tocchet said. “They’re trying to learn. And that’s what we’re doing every day, and trying to build some blocks here.”

    Brick by brick is the motto right now. After a dismal performance against the Lightning to start the trip — they were shut out for the first time this season — Trevor Zegras said the group held a meeting “on things that we wanted to do to get better, to play tighter, to play more connected, and I think the last three we did that.”

    Coach Rick Tocchet speaks to Travis Sanheim after Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson scored a power-play goal on Nov. 15.

    Learning is critical for a team that boasts one of the youngest rosters in the NHL at an average age of 27. Although they’ve scored the first goal now for two straight games, they’ve won nine of 16 games where they’ve trailed early. They lead the league with 10 comeback wins, including a 4-2 win against the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers on Thanksgiving Eve, and they are 7-3-3 in one-goal games.

    Tocchet sees positives and steps forward in his group. They are much better at executing under pressure. Do they need to clean up some things? All teams do, but “whether we’re battling back, or we’re giving up leads, there’s not a lot of panic on the bench. There’s a lot of resolve,” he said.

    And that starts from the top.

    I’ll Be There For You

    The last two seasons, there’s been talk about how tight the Flyers locker room is. It’s still tight, but now the words family and love are being used more and more often.

    And it’s showing on the ice with how they are playing. Alternate captain Travis Konecny has spoken often about the little details in the game that players are doing that are actually critical to success.

    Before the goal that was eventually credited to Matvei Michkov to make it 3-1 — Konecny took the shot, and it went in off the Russian winger in front — captain Sean Couturier threw a hit on Devils forward Paul Cotter in the defensive zone. It allowed the Flyers to get possession and skate out of their end. Just 27 seconds later, after some sustained pressure, the puck was behind Jacob Markstrom.

    “That’s the stuff I’m talking about. When it’s your turn, it’s your turn,” Konecny said. “And I think that’s something that Tocc’s been preaching a lot. [Tyson Foerster is tied for] the most goals on our team right now, and this guy blocks a shot every other game, and he’s a competitor.

    “Like those are the examples right there of guys that, you just show up for your teammates and whatever your job is, in that moment, that play, that game, you execute it to the best of your abilities. And if everyone does that over the course of 82 games, you would think it’d put us in a pretty good spot.”

    A memorable night finds the Flyers secure their third straight win on a four-game road trip

    The Flyers are getting some pretty balanced scoring right now. Across the four-game road trip, 11 players recorded at least a point, and while Noah Cates did not, he still boasted an impressive plus-minus of plus-3.

    Michkov led the way with three goals and tied Owen Tippett — who notched the 100th goal, 100th assist, and, therefore, 200th point, of his NHL career — atop the leaderboard with four points. The pairing of Andrae and Jamie Drysdale may have had a few hiccups, but they are rounding into form. Couturier snapped a long goal drought with a pair of goals, Foerster continues to impress with his 200-foot game that more often than not sees the puck find the back of the net, and Nikita Grebenkin played in three games.

    “We’re all contributing in different ways. And if it’s your turn to be on the score sheet, that’s what you do. If it’s your turn to have a big block or big save from the goalies, like everyone’s just stepping up,” added Konecny, who noted the leadership in the room, too, like when veteran defenseman Nick Seeler spoke up during intermission on Saturday about the importance of points now for down the road.

    “We love this group. It’s a lot of guys that just want to play for each other and do the right things.”

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar has been one of the best players on the roster.

    And what else can one say about the play of Dan Vladař, except that we told you so.

    Among NHL goalies with a minimum of 12 games, he ranks tied for sixth in wins (10) with guys like former Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who he just bested on Wednesday, sixth in goals-against average (2.43), and tied for seventh in save percentage (. 912). And according to Money Puck, his goals saved above expected ranks seventh in the NHL at 11.3.

    But, of course, while he said he worked on his lateral plays — like when he robbed Nico Hischier with 16 seconds left in the first period backdoor off a cross-crease pass during a penalty assessed to Michkov — the netminder will give credit to his team.

    “I feel comfortable overall, but it’s also the biggest thing is those … 18 to 20 guys that are playing in front of me every single night,” the Czech goalie said. “You see [that] guys are willing to block shots, making not comfortable plays but those plays that really matter for our team to come [away] with those two points.

    “So very proud of the group, but we know that we got a lot of hockey left, so got to keep going for sure.”