TORONTO ― The Flyers’ motto this season is brick by brick, and although they were missing the mortar on Monday, with leading scorer Travis Konecny out due to an upper-body injury, they rallied for a 3-2 shootout win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Here are four numbers to know:
5
Nick Seeler went into the corner to throw a hit on Nicolas Roy with just over four minutes in the middle frame, and, although it’s hard to gauge what happened exactly, he went down hard, left the ice six seconds later, and did not return. Seeler was seen after the game limping.
“Nothing yet. Hopefully nothing major,” coach Rick Tocchet said postgame when asked for an update.
Without Seeler on the third pair, and the game eventually heading to overtime, the Flyers’ top four defenseman played heavy minutes. Travis Sanheim led the way with 29:11, followed by Rasmus Ristolainen (27:14) — in what could be the highly-coveted right-shot blueliner’s last game with the Flyers as the trade deadline looms — Jamie Drysdale (24:30), and Cam York (23:01).
Emil Andrae played 12:12 and played just over a minute on a penalty kill that went 2-for-3, and Tocchet recently said it was important for the young defenseman to prove he can play down a man. He was not on the ice for William Nylander’s power-play goal that tied the game 2-2.
“They were huge. … When they’re playing like that, it’s fun to play in front of them,” said forward Noah Cates, who extended his point streak to four games with his 12th of the year.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar makes a save during the second period, when his team was outplayed but didn’t allow a goal.
3
Let’s go streaking!
The Flyers extended their winning streak to three games, the first time they’ve hit that mark since they beat the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils in succession around Thanksgiving. It is the third time they’ve hit the three-game mark, but the last time the team won four straight was in February 2024.
“Just, I think, the reset with the break,” Cates said about the difference in the team’s game now. “Obviously, physically, but then, we got to work that week where we were practicing.
“Really got into our systems and just doing some little things in our D-zone that are really helping. The wingers are just getting us out of the zone quicker, and then just some of our offensive zone possession, we’re just making those little plays and feeling confident with the puck. So I think we just needed the break personally and as a team.”
They had also entered the night having lost their last three shootouts, with the last win in the skills competition coming against that Islanders team on Nov. 28. Unlike in that game, Matvei Michkov found the back of the net on Monday after a nifty move to beat former Flyers goalie Anthony Stolarz, and Trevor Zegras once again scored.
“Just how slow he comes in,” Stolarz, a New Jersey native, told Toronto reporters on the challenge of facing the New Yorker. “He’s got quite the arsenal of tricks. Having played with him for three years in Anaheim, I’ve kind of seen it all. So, you never know what to expect with him.”
Zegras holds the top shooting percentage (62.1%) all-time in the NHL among skaters who have had at least 10 attempts.
The Flyers’ Emil Andrae (36) tries to move the puck between Toronto Maple Leafs Nicolas Roy (55) and teammate Dakota Joshua (81).
11-4
For the second straight game and third in the four games since returning from the Olympic break, the Flyers were outshot in the second period by a wide margin (11-4). But for the second straight game, they did not allow a goal.
“Yeah, definitely struggled and got away from it like we did in Washington,” said Cates, noting the Flyers’ loss Wednesday, where they were outshot 13-6 in the second period and allowed a goal. “Big for us not to give up a goal, but then to regroup in the third and come back and play our game. For whatever reason, we just can’t get away from it for 20 minutes; we’ve got to play a full 60 and eliminate kind of those moments.”
Middle periods have been an issue for this team at times, dating back to the John Tortorella era. This season, they’ve been outscored, 72-59, in the middle frame, with the 72 goals allowed the fifth-most in the NHL. But, like on Monday, they play well in the third and are actually outscoring the opposition, 63-52.
“I think, just forcing a little bit too many plays through the neutral zone,” forward Christian Dvorak said about the second period against Toronto. “They thrive on transitions. So that’s where we got ourselves in trouble, and we were hemmed in a bit. So we cleaned that up for the most part in the third period.”
According to York, the Flyers simplified things in the third period and cleaned up their play in the defensive zone. They were outshot by just a 9-5 margin, but both teams potted goals in the third period.
“Once we kind of just got into a groove in that third period, I think we had some good chances,” York said. “So, that’s kind of what it’s about this time of year, you know they’re going to push. It’s just about bending, not breaking.”
2/13
Across three games in late January, the Flyers scored a power-play goal in each contest (3-for-8), but then things went a little stagnant. Entering the game in Toronto, they had one goal in 10 chances across the past four games.
The Flyers got three opportunities in the first period when Ristolainen was tripped, Bobby Brink was interfered with, and Brandon Carlo was called for holding Zegras.
There was some good movement for the new units with Konecny out. One unit had Michkov, Zegras, Brink, Drysdale, and Owen Tippett. The other saw York, Sanheim, Dvorak, Cates, and Barkey line up together. The latter group scored on the 11th shot attempt when Dvorak scored on the eighth scoring chance.
“We had some opportunities,” Tocchet said. “Some guys, [we] had two or three in the slot, high-danger shots, and then you get that goal on a scramble, big one from Dvo. So, yeah, special teams were good for us tonight.”
The Flyers’ power play is now ranked 28th at 16.2%.
TORONTO ― It can be a good life if you don’t weaken, and right now the Flyers are staying strong.
Facing a Toronto Maple Leafs team in a tailspin, the Flyers bent but did not break and skated away with a 3-2 shootout victory. On this night in Toronto, the Flyers won their third straight game for the first time since the end of November, putting them four points back of the idle Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
In the shootout, Matvei Michkov scored on a nifty deke, and Trevor Zegras sent the puck in glove-side. Flyers goalie Dan Vladař stopped Auston Matthews and Max Domi to seal the win. It was the Flyers’ first shootout victory since Nov. 28, amid that three-game winning streak.
Skating without top scorer Travis Konecny, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the Flyers were looking for a place to happen, and it came off Noah Cates’ stick.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen put a shot on goal that former Flyers goalie and New Jersey native Anthony Stolarz could not control. Michkov tried to send the loose puck in, but his shot went wide, and Bobby Brink tracked the puck down in the corner, protecting it from Toronto defenders. He fed Cates, who sent a wicked wrister into the twine and pointed right at Brink.
Cates’ 12th goal of the season, which extended his point streak to four games, briefly gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead in the third period. William Nylander scored a power-play goal less than three minutes later to tie the game after Denver Barkey was called for tripping. The Swede scored on a one-timer off a circle-to-circle pass from John Tavares to tie the game up.
In overtime, the Maple Leafs controlled play for the most part — although Jamie Drysdale had a nice scoring chance — but the Flyers’ defense stood tall. Notably, Cam York broke up a pass intended for an open Matthews, who would have had a Grade A chance.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua put the Flyers in a 1-0 hole with 4 minutes, 38 seconds left in the first period.
The forward chipped a pass from Oliver Ekman-Larsson that went deep into the Flyers’ end. Defenseman Nick Seeler tracked it down in the left corner and tried to play it up the boards, but Leafs forward Matias Maccelli intercepted it and fed Joshua in the left circle.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (left) stops a shot from Toronto Maple Leafs’ John Tavares (right) during first period of Monday’s game.
He shot it off the pass, sending it between the legs of Sean Couturier and over Vladař’s shoulder.
The Flyers tied it on a power-play goal with under two minutes to go in the first after two futile opportunities, with one cut short due to too many men on the ice.
With Konecny out, the units looked different. One had Michkov, Zegras, Brink, Drysdale, and Owen Tippett. The other saw York, Travis Sanheim, Christian Dvorak, Cates, and Barkey line up together. The latter group scored.
Cates got the puck in the bumper from Barkey — who hails from nearby Newmarket, Ontario, and had a large contingent in the crowd — and as he shot it, Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz went stick-on-stick, causing the puck to bounce to the net. The puck went off Dvorak, and he jammed it in as Stolarz was trying to squeeze the pads.
The goal was his 13th of the season and second on the power play. It was the Flyers’ second goal in the last 13 opportunities.
Like Saturday against the Boston Bruins, the second period saw the Flyers get outshot, with the Leafs getting 11 shots to the Flyers’ four. But like Saturday, when the Bruins put 16 on Vladař and the Flyers had three, the goalie stopped them all.
The Flyers got pinned a few times, but, according to Natural Stat Trick, allowed just one high-danger chance at five-on-five during the middle frame as the Maple Leafs had 68.57% of the shot attempts. In the third period, the Flyers had 61.11% of the attempts.
Flyers’ Christian Dvorak (center) celebrates his 13th goal of the season on Monday.
Breakaways
The Flyers lead the league with 16 wins when trailing 1-0 and have 16 comeback wins. … Seeler left the game late in the second period due to a lower-body injury. … The Flyers outshot the Maple Leafs 14-7 in the first period. … Forwards Nic Deslauriers and Brink each hit a milestone with Deslauriers skating in his 700th NHL game and Brink in his 200th. … The Buffalo Sabres had four scouts in attendance, including associate general manager Marc Bergevin, with rumors swirling that they are high on getting Ristolainen back in the fold.
Up next
The Flyers play their last game before Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline when the Utah Mammoth visit Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).
TORONTO — After the Flyers’ win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, goalie Dan Vladař said every player is a piece to their puzzle as they make a push for the playoffs.
On Monday, they faced the Toronto Maple Leafs without key piece Travis Konecny.
Ruled a game-time decision by coach Rick Tocchet after a morning skate that saw the forward not participate in power-play reps, Konecny is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
He also missed the Flyers’ loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 10 with an upper-body injury.
Konecny has led the team in scoring for five of the last six seasons, including the last four, and this year leads the lineup in goals (23), assists (34), and points (57). He is second in power-play points (10) and is tied with three players for the lead in shorthanded points (2).
The heart and soul of the team and one of its most consistent scorers, Konecny has registered at least a point in 40 of his 58 games. In his last 35 games, he has 40 points, including nine in five games heading into the Olympic break, and has three in the three games since the restart.
Flyers right wing Travis Konecny has registered at least a point in 40 of his 58 games.
Despite being banged up and playing through it — he tallied a hat trick as he gutted out and grimaced through a demoralizing loss to Columbus on Jan. 28 — the alternate captain had all but put the Flyers on his back.
Averaging just over 19 minutes a night, Konecny is plus-10, rebounding from his minus-17 last season. Even though he has missed a handful of games, the Ontario native is still on pace to set a career high in points with 79.
“I had a good break, got a chance to reset, get my mind in a different spot,” Konecny said Feb. 17, the first day the Flyers returned to the ice in Voorhees. “Kind of realize where we’re at as a team and what we need to do finishing the season here. For me, just getting to the top of my game, where I need to be to help our team, and I think everyone is in the same spot.”
But not having him in the lineup will make the Flyers’ postseason push tougher. And Konecny said after the Flyers’ loss in Boston on Jan. 29 that, “I’m tired of missing the playoffs.”
“I think it’s disappointing every year if you miss it,” he said in mid-February. “I think what’s gotten everyone to this point is everyone’s a competitor, everyone wants to compete in the big games. … It’s not going to be like the end of the world if it didn’t happen; I’d be frustrated.
“But I know that the team we’re building, what we have, the plan, we’re going to be a playoff team, and I’m not worried about that. I know everyone believes in that in this locker room, so we keep on pushing. Hopefully, it happens, and we’re going to give everything to get there, and if it doesn’t, we reevaluate and get better in the summer.”
With Konecny out, Owen Tippett was moved to the top wing alongside Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras during Monday’s game.
TORONTO ― Heading into the holiday break, the Flyers ranked ninth-best in the NHL at 2.75 goals against per game.
Then the wheels started to fall off.
Thanks in part to a six-game losing streak that saw them allow a league-worst 31 goals while scoring 12, the Flyers’ goals-against average ballooned to 3.90. Between Christmas and the Olympic break, it was the third-highest.
So with time off, first-year coach Rick Tocchet and his staff went to work and modified the defensive structure.
“We’re not strict man on man, but we’re trying to be more aggressive,” he said of the new system. “When you’re a younger team, I think you’ve got to give guys a little more, simpler rules.
“I think that’s why I’ve decided to go a little bit differently, less reach for our team; I think that’s going to help in the long run. Now, when we change things a little bit — say graduate — we’ll go a little bit more complex, but I think right now, we’ve got to play simpler.”
When Tocchet came to Philly, he brought his box-and-one defensive structure. During training camp, he called it “a very aggressive zone” defense where he wanted his players to double and triple up when they could to keep the puck on the outside.
It worked. Until it didn’t.
The opposition started to get inside, taking advantage of breakdowns and scoring more weak-side or backdoor goals. According to Natural Stat Trick, at five-on-five, up to the holiday break in December, the Flyers allowed the fifth-fewest high-danger chances (301) and second-fewest high-danger goals (26).
From late December to the Olympic break, they still held tight, allowing the second-fewest high-danger chances (158). But they also gave up 26 goals, the fifth-most in the league. That’s a 16% shooting percentage in 20 games, rising from 8.6% across the first 36.
“It’s pretty similar,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said of the new system, “just a couple of different reads for the forwards and helping us pressure down low. So, just end up killing plays a little bit quicker.”
Changing a system, even slightly, is a big deal because one misread or forgotten change can cause some havoc. It’s still a work in progress, but in the three games since returning to action, the high-danger shooting percentage has dropped to 12.5% for opponents (three goals on 24 high-danger chances). On Saturday against the Boston Bruins, they allowed five high-danger chances at five-on-five, with the Bruins’ lone goal considered high-danger by Natural Stat Trick; it came off a hard seam pass that hit the leg of Charlie McAvoy and bounced in.
“I think it might cut down on some of those weak-side goals, because [there’s] a little bit more man-to-man in certain scenarios,” Sanheim said. “And I think when it comes to some of those weak-side goals, that’s kind of been our issue with some of the reads. And if we can limit that, that would be huge for us.”
Breakaways
Forward Travis Konecny did not participate in power-play practice at morning skate, and according to Tocchet is a game-time decision. … Dan Vladař will get the start in goal. It will be his third start in four games since the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic break, and he is coming off a masterful performance in the Flyers’ win against the Bruins on Saturday. … Forward Denver Barkey is expected back in the lineup on Monday after being a healthy scratch on Saturday against the Bruins. A native of Newmarket, Ontario, which is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the winger will have a large contingent in attendance for his first NHL game at Scotiabank Arena. … It is also the first game back in Toronto for Nikita Grebenkin, who was acquired March 7, 2025, in the deal that sent Scott Laughton north. … Defenseman Noah Juulsen did not participate in morning skate due to illness. … On Sunday, the Flyers acquired forward Boris Katchouk, 27, from the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Roman Schmidt, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 8. Katchouk has spent the majority of the season in the American Hockey League and was acquired by the Wild from the Lightning in late December. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound winger has 36 points across 179 NHL games with the Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, and Ottawa Senators. Katchouk was also a member of the 2018 World Junior team that won gold for Canada.
Maybe the curtain hasn’t come down on the Flyers just yet.
Entering Saturday’s matinee against the Boston Bruins, they saw themselves eight points back of Boston for the last wild card in the Eastern Conference, and the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, which the New York Islanders hold, and retained after an overtime win on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
And thanks to Sean Couturier sealing the 3-1 Flyers win over the Bruins with an empty-net goal, they took a step closer.
The goal also ended his 31-game goal drought in the last minute. “I’ll take them any way right now, honestly,” he said. “… Overall, just happy we got the win. That’s all that matters.”
It is the first time the Flyers have won two straight since they beat the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 3 and Jan. 6.
The line of Christian Dvorak, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Konecny was buzzing all night.
According to Natural Stat Trick, when they were on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers had 11 shot attempts, with six coming from a high-danger spot, seven scoring chances, and five shots on goal. They were on the ice for 10 shot attempts against and six scoring chances by Boston, but the only stat that mattered was the two goals for and zero against.
“I think they did a good job of game management,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “And that’s really something that they got to work on to be a top line, like tonight, I thought they did a nice job for us.”
“Nothing crazy, keep it simple,” Dvorak said when asked what their plan was going into the game. “Play a hard game, get in on the forecheck, and I think we just needed to get pucks and bodies to the net a little bit more than the previous couple of games. So that was kind of the goal tonight, and we did a pretty good job doing that.”
They came close in the second period. Halfway through, after some pressure in the Bruins’ end, Dvorak got the Zegras ring-around and sent it back down the boards. Konecny picked it up behind the net and swooped it around in front on his forehand for a shot as he was falling.
Zegras tried to score on the rebound, but the puckwent off the skate of defenseman Henri Jokiharju. Dvorak came barreling in but was robbed with the glove of Jeremy Swayman.
But on the Flyers’ 11th shot of the game, Konecny finally cashed in.
Less than four minutes into the third period, Dvorak got the puck along the boards inside the Flyers’ blue line and patiently waited as the Bruins gave him space. He skated the puck up the left wing boards and dumped it in. The puck went off a stanchion and in front of the net, bouncing along the way.
Swayman stuck his stick out, trying to play the puck, but it bounced away from him — are the Flyers finally getting a bounce their way? — and Dvorak was there to send an almost no-look backhand pass in front to Konecny. “I could see in the corner of my eye, him coming in behind me,” Dvorak said postgame of Konecny, who also had a breakaway chance late in the game.
The alternate captain, who had made a beeline to the net, put it into the open space and sent a fist pump into the air after giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead. The Flyers’ leader in goals and points, Konecny now has 23 goals and 56 points in 58 games this season. Dvorak’s assist is his 23rd of the season, setting a new career high.
Gettin’ Drysy with it
Later in the period, that same line was on the ice when Jamie Drysdale made it 2-0.
The Flyers got into the Bruins’ zone and set up before the puck ended up on the stick of Drysdale as he skated down the right wing boards. He carried it around and got the puck to Konecny before heading back to the point, but on the left side.
Konecny and Dvorak, who went up to the point to cover, had a give-and-go before Konecny hit Drysdale as he skated into the middle of the ice. The defenseman skated down into the high slot and ripped the wrister past Swayman.
Jamie Drysdale celebrates after scoring the Flyers’ second goal of the game in a 3-1 win against the Bruins on Saturday.
“I think the opportunities kind of have been there. It’s nice to see a few of them go in, and it’s nice to see the team win,” said Drysdale, who was doing extra work with assistant coach Jaroslav “Yogi” Svejkovský in Voorhees the last week.
“The guys have been making great plays. So tonight, TK made a [heck] of a play to me, and I had all the time in the world.”
Drysdale now has six goals on the season, one shy of his career high set in 2024-25. The goal on Saturday was his third across the five games in February.
“He’s working on his shot,” Tocchet said. “This summer’s a big summer for him. … I think Drysy can get that shot a little bit harder, which he’s been working on, and it’s paying off. That was a [heck] of a shot. I thought Swayman was good tonight, too, and to beat him, that was a great shot.”
Dan Vladař was moving exceptionally well in this one. He was dropping down with ease and popping back just as loosely. The Czech netminder, who was playing in his 35th game, was sliding well, checking his posts, and tracking the puck.
“I came here to win, to be successful,” he said when asked about his workload this season, which has seen him blow past his previous career high of 30 games. “Unless we play past those 82 games, I’m not going to be happy and satisfied. So, I’m not happy yet.”
The first shot he faced on Saturday was from the point by Hampus Lindholm at 15 minutes, 21 seconds, which Vladař snagged easily with the glove despite some traffic. Boston ended up with six shots on goal in the period, including a shot by Michael Eyssimont as he skated in two-on-none against Vladař.
But it was in the second period where Vladař shone the brightest in front of a sold-out Xfinity Mobile Arena. He faced 16 shots and stopped them all.
His best save of the period was a masterful right pad kick save on Morgan Geekie as he shot the puck off a pass by David Pastrňák from the slot. The forward had just pushed off Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to create space.
“He’s just so positive; being real, being honest, also,” Couturier said. “When it’s time to pick it up, he lets us know. And when it’s time to keep pushing, keep defending well, he’s a great support back there. He’s playing great, so he makes it easy for us when we have breakdowns.”
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař saved 16 shots in the second period against the Bruins on Saturday.
Later in the period, he stopped a high-rising Viktor Arvidsson shot, which appeared to sting the 6-foot-5 goalie, and made a save on a Lindholm wrister less than a minute later that saw Pavel Zacha, who was injured just before the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and was unable to play for Czechia, give him a stick tap.
With over five minutes to go, he stopped Sean Kuraly as he got behind Bobby Brink, who couldn’t handle the puck along the neutral zone boards, and defenseman Emil Andrae.
“He’s the loudest guy in the room, yeah, majorly,” Drysdale said of Vladař. “He does so much for us off the ice as well. In the locker room, in between periods, he’s always talking, just saying whatever’s on his mind, and usually it’s awesome stuff coming out of his mouth.
“So, real positive guy, and he’s been real good for us.”
In the opening two minutes of the third period, the Bruins thought they had broken the ice when it looked like a point shot by Lindholm had beaten Vladař. But the referee, Francis Charron, immediately waived it off for goalie interference. Eyssimont had bumped Vladař right before the shot as he tried to set a screen.
The Bruins did eventually break through. Zacha won a face-off against Couturier and sent it to Lindholm, who sent a zing of a pass through a seam to Charlie McAvoy, his defensive partner, who had rotated down along the inside of the right circle. It looked like the puck bounced off his leg and past Vladař.
Breakaways
Forward Denver Barkey was a healthy scratch for the first time since Jan. 14. In 24 games since being recalled in late December, he has two goals, nine points, and is minus-7 while skating on average 13:36. His last goal was Jan. 23, and in the eight games since, he had one assist — against the Bruins in Boston —and was minus-5. … With Barkey sitting, Nic Deslauriers slotted in on the fourth line. He appeared to have a long chat with Tanner Jeannot during warmups, and the duo dropped the gloves in the first period. … The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the power play, with the unit of Konecny, Drysdale, Zegras, Dvorak, and Brink getting the best looks. The penalty kill went 3-for-3; Boston had 10 shot attempts and seven shots on goal. … According to a team source, the Flyers have hired Daniel Bove to lead the athlete performance and wellness department. He will take over the role that was previously held by Ian McKeown until October, when he went back to Australia to work for the Adelaide Football Club. A Philly area native and graduate of Penn State, Bove was recently the New Orleans Pelicans director of performance and sports science.
Standing in the locker room on Tuesday after his first practice with the Flyers since returning from a bronze-medal-winning twirl at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, Rasmus Ristolainen didn’t let the question finish before agreeing.
“Your name has popped up around trade deadlines in your time here,” the reporter started.
The Flyers defenseman interjected with a smile — or maybe a smirk — and a “Yep.”
He’s still here, but like sand through an hourglass, is this the year the days of Ristolainen in Philly run out? Decisions will have to be made by 3 p.m. on March 6.
“Yeah, obviously, those are things you can’t really control,” Ristolainen said. “You obviously try to do your part, get better every day, and what happens, happens.”
What makes this year different from last year, when his name was brought up, is that the big Finn is healthy — his last two seasons were shut down in February and March — and has a more favorable contract. He has one more season left (at a relatively cheap $5.1 million) on the deal he signed with then-general manager Chuck Fletcher in 2022.
There’s also the fact that in the days leading up to the trade deadline last year, then-coach John Tortorella famously said of the 6-foot-4, 208-pound blueliner: “If you trade him Friday, then on Saturday, you say, ‘[Expletive], I need a big, right-handed defenseman.’” But now Oliver Bonk (6-2, 205) is playing well at Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, and Spencer Gill (6-4, 213) is climbing the depth chart.
Couple that with his impressive performance at the Olympics, and teams are circling. During the almost-two-week tournament in Italy, Ristolainen showcased a physical, two-way game while posting three assists, tied a tournament-best plus-9 rating, and won a bronze medal he’s happy he didn’t lose after the game.
Ristolainen, left, won a bronze medal with Finland at the Milan Cortina Olympics earlier this month.
Does his play at the Olympics give him confidence moving forward?
“I hope so,” the 31-year-old said. “Obviously, I feel really confident about my game, so hopefully I can bring it here, and we have a good run here.”
But “here” may be changing.
There are suitors, and a source told The Inquirer that more and more teams are checking in on him every day. One team interested is the Edmonton Oilers, according to Daily Faceoff, and The Inquirer can confirm that they also were looking at the defenseman last season before he got hurt. Daily Faceoff also mentioned the Dallas Stars, who have several Finns on the roster, including Ristolainen’s roommate in the athlete village at the Olympics, Mikko Rantanen.
Dallas was one of eight teams listed as having a scout at the Flyers’ game Wednesday in Washington. However, it’s fair to note that one was with the New York Rangers, whom the Flyers beat in overtime on Thursday. There again were more than a half-dozen scouts on hand for the Rangers game, with the Chase Bridge’s scout row packed to the gills. Although the teams are not listed at Madison Square Garden, The Inquirer could identify at least six of the organizations that were there, including the Oilers.
Although several scouts are regulars in the area, when asked if they were there to see Ristolainen, one scout responded: “Isn’t everyone?”
Already an interesting piece for teams because of his size and a highly coveted right shot, the defenseman is strong in his own end and has some offensive upside — Wednesday night in the Flyers’ 3-1 loss to the Capitals, Ristolainen weaved around the defense as he came down from the point and put a good shot on goal. According to Natural Stat Trick, he had four shot attempts, three of which were from high-danger spots, three scoring chances, and one blocked shot.
On Thursday night, under the bright lights of Broadway, Ristolainen had one shot on goal — a low point shot through traffic that created a rebound for Carl Grundström, who snagged it and sent a tricky turnaround shot on goal from the slot. The Flyers had just eight shot attempts and seven shots on goal when he was on the ice, while the Rangers had 19 and 14; however, the Sam Carrick opening goal was a bad miscue by Sam Ersson, and he was on the ice for Trevor Zegras’ game-tying goal.
Ristolainen, now in his 13th NHL season, has never made the playoffs.
With the Flyers’ playoff hopes dwindling by the minute — as of Friday afternoon, they are eight points back of the last spot in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference’s second wild card — a change of scenery could help the Finn make the first postseason appearance of his career. He’s in Season 13 and is currently the longest-tenured active player without a postseason game, having played in his 797th game on Thursday.
“I feel like that’s why you play the game. You want to win, and that’s where I feel I’m at my best,” Ristolainen said Tuesday. “And in the tournament, it was nice to obviously play games that mean so much.
“That’s always what I believe, I trust in myself,” he added, “and the bigger the stage is, I feel, the better I perform.”
Like Sean Walker two seasons ago and Scott Laughton last year, could the clock be ticking on Ristolainen’s tenure in Philly?
It sounds like teams won’t start ramping up legitimate offers for a few more days — as their teams lay the groundwork for the rest of the season, desperation sets in, and options dwindle — and the Flyers are listening. But, like the return for those two players, the Flyers’ brass would like a first-round pick.
In the end, it does take two to tango. So who wants to dance in March?
Although they didn’t gain any ground in the playoff race, as the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins each won, the Flyers remain in the hunt with their 16th comeback win of the season. Trailing 2-0, they beat the Eastern Conference’s worst team, the New York Rangers, 3-2 in overtime on Thursday.
As the minutes tick off to the NHL trade deadline next Friday at 3 p.m., here are three questions to ponder.
Inconsistency continues to plague Flyers goaltender Sam Ersson.
Will the real Sam Ersson please stand up?
The Flyers’ goalie situation has been a mix of emotions for years, and for most of this season, there has been a question mark around the play of Sam Ersson. No longer the Flyers’ No. 1 goalie, can he even be the Flyers’ No. 2? Inconsistency has plagued the Swedish netminder.
In the first two minutes of the game, Ersson made two ridiculous saves. First, he robbed Rangers defenseman Adam Fox with the glove after a neutral zone turnover led to a four-on-one with just Travis Sanheim back. Travis Konecny tried to hit Christian Dvorak, but the puck was picked off by Mika Zibanejad, who found Fox charging backdoor less than 30 seconds in.
Around a minute later, he stopped a Noah Laba shot from above the circle, which he shot as Emil Andrae knocked him down. That wasn’t the big save; that was two seconds later when Brendan Brisson drove around Denver Barkey to get the rebound. Everyone looked behind Ersson — including Ersson — but he had made the save.
“I think the first 10 minutes of the first period, we were kind of running around, just giving them pop turnovers and ‘Biggie’ made a ton of great saves for us,” said forward Trevor Zegras.
But then, around the halfway mark of the period, Ersson allowed a weak goal to Sam Carrick. The forward sent a quick turnaround shot on goal from the half-wall that went five-hole on the Swedish netminder. And in the second period, Alexis Lafrenière scored to make it 2-0 — although the 2020 first-overall pick was left wide-open after Noah Cates lost him in the corner.
Ersson then clamped down and stopped the next 15 shots on goal — each save bigger than the next. He tracked the puck well, kicked the pad out, flashed the leather, and as coach Rick Tocchet said, he battled.
“He dug in there. … And even going down 2-0, this is where you’ve got to have that resolve. We’ll kind of give him some more of that confidence; we’ll get him in there again, and we’ll see how he goes,” Tocchet said.
Is Matvei Michkov poised for another strong finish to the season?
Can Matvei Michkov find his joy?
Like Ersson, questions have swirled around the young Russian winger, too. For Michkov, those are about his conditioning, his production, his ice time, and his lack of overtime play.
There’s a good chance a lot of those were answered on Thursday.
Last year, after the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament break, Matvei Michkov scored 10 goals and 27 points in the final 25 games of the season. Two games into the final 26 this season, he has two goals — both coming against the Rangers.
His first goal cut New York’s lead in half when he scored on the power play midway through the second period. Owen Tippett had the puck along the left wing boards, evaded New York defenseman Will Borgen, and passed the puck to Cates in the left circle. The centerman then sent it quickly to Michkov sitting backdoor at the right post for the slam-dunk goal past Igor Shesterkin.
It was his 14th goal and third on the power play this season.
“I thought the one he scored for us, the first one, was a timely one, and it kind of helped us calm down and get us back into it,” forward Travis Konecny said. “And, it was good, yeah, he’s playing great. He looked fast. He looked confident with the puck.”
After doing two-a-days off the ice for seven days during the break — one session focused on strength and another on conditioning and stamina while he stayed off the ice — Michkov looked stronger. It was notable in the dwindling minutes of the third period, when he made a move between his own legs to get around Fox and drive to the net. The only problem? He then continued into his countryman, Shesterkin, and was called for goaltender interference with nine seconds left in regulation, with the score tied.
His teammates killed off his penalty, and Michkov, who entered the game with the 10th most minutes in the extra session, finally got some time — granted, it was four-on-four. There was a mad scramble for the puck after Ersson stoned Zibanejad and tried to cover up, but the puck eventually popped out to Sean Couturier in the Flyers’ end, and he fed Michkov.
The forward carried the puck down into the zone and blew by J.T. Miller — yes, his skating stride looked great, unlike an earlier overtime session this season. And yes, he carried it down the left side two days after he said he was “happy” playing on the right side — before beating Shesterkin again. After scoring three overtime game-winners last season, he got his first of the year on Broadway to give the Flyers their third overtime win in 11 games this season.
“Anytime he gets a good look like that, when you can get him clear cut — you watch him in practice — he’s going to have a pretty good chance to score a goal,” said Konecny, who seemed to offer words of encouragement to Michkov after the game-winner.
Added Tocchet: “That was a [heck] of a goal, that second goal; Shesterkin’s a [heck] of a goalie. He went five-hole there. He sold it, you know, that’s the stuff that he can do … He had some confidence yesterday [against the Washington Capitals] so he’s getting some confidence here.”
Will Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen be on the move by the trade deadline?
Where do things stand one week from the trade deadline?
Two games into their return, and like most of this season, the Flyers struggled to put in a complete 60-minute effort. On Wednesday in Washington, D.C., they came out jumping but couldn’t sustain it. On Thursday, the Rangers had the energy early as they skated in their first game back.
It makes it hard to gauge if the Flyers should be sellers or buyers, but they do still trail by eight points in the race for the final Metropolitan Division spot and the last wild card.
But as Konecny said, they “just kept battling back,” like they’ve done all year. The game marked the 39th time the opposition scored first.
“I guess where we’re at in the standings, the last 25 I guess — yesterday, 26 — are all playoff-type games for us, and we got to do something special down the stretch to get in,“ Zegras said.
”And I think we all know that. Yesterday, I thought, for the most part, played a good game, just gave up a couple of weak-side goals that we’ve been trying to clean up.”
The scouts were out, however, for the last two days. On Wednesday in Washington, D.C., eight teams were represented, with one being the Dallas Stars, a team rumored to be interested in defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Rangers do not identify team affiliates for scouts who are present at home games, and while there were many, The Inquirer could identify a scout from the Vegas Golden Knights, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets.
Not everyone was there to see Ristolainen, and several are regulars, but ‘tis the season.
During the recent Olympic break, the Flyers called up a few youngsters to fill out their roster for a series of practices.
One of those players was top defensive prospect Oliver Bonk, who is finally settling in with Lehigh Valley after an upper-body injury cost him all of training camp and delayed the start of his pro career until mid-December. The Inquirer caught up with Bonk last Thursday for an interview to discuss his frustrating start to the season, his adaptation to the pro game in the minors, and much more.
While Bonk said he was frustrated that his injury prevented him from competing to make the NHL roster, he said, “you can’t dwell on bad stuff” and that he is “just trying to get back up [to the NHL] for me has been the only objective.”
Bonk said he takes notes of things that he wants to work on in a journal and then targets two or three things to focus on before and after practices that week until he improves at them.
The Flyers defenseman called watching former London teammate and close friend Denver Barkey “awesome,” adding that he’s been “playing unreal” since his call-up to the Flyers.
During the recent Olympic break, the Flyers called up a few youngsters to fill out their roster for a series of practices.
One of those players was top defensive prospect Oliver Bonk, who is finally settling in with Lehigh Valley after an upper-body injury cost him all of training camp and delayed the start of his pro career until mid-December. The Inquirer caught up with Bonk last Thursday for an interview to discuss his frustrating summer, his adaptation to the pro game in the minors, and much more.
Q: To start, what has this year been like for you?
A: Yeah, I mean, it’s been a learning year. Trying to, even after the rehab, trying to learn how to take care of my body better, and learning how to play pro hockey. Learning how to be a good player up there and not just being an average player up there. You want to be the best so you can make it back up [to the NHL]. So I think just learning all about that, how to be a pro, and kind of just learning as I go along.
Q:Are you someone who prefers to watch tape?
A: I like watching, especially after games. I like watching the clips. Some guys get focused on what they messed up and keep looking at that, but I just kind of let that go. Everyone’s going to make mistakes. It’s hockey, it’s not a perfect game. It’s never going to be. I’m not striving to be perfect every time I’m out there; just improving every time and making sure I’m making the right [reads] and then not making the same mistakes over again.
Q: What’s the transition been like for you to the pro game, especially after not playing until early December?
A: Yeah, it was a tough first 10 games, until I started kind of feeling like fully myself again. So it was definitely a learning curve there. But I think now, I’m kind of back to the way I want to play, and just improving my game every day and feeling good about myself. So it was tough at the start, but I think I’m on a good path right now.
Oliver Bonk (orange jersey) spent a few days last week practicing with the Flyers during the Olympic break.
Q: Is there anything you are particularly focused on improving?
A: There’s a lot. Every week, I kind of try to work on different things, whether it’s closing guys off with speed one week, or it’s hard passes, or it’s hand-eye coordination. Every week’s got something different, which is kind of different than in Junior. You mess around in practice and whatever; you shoot a couple of pucks, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, great.’ So I think it’s a lot different. It makes me excited to come to the rink every day, knowing that every week I’ve got something different planned, and something else to work on. So it’s good.
Q: You mentioned at development camp in July that you wanted to make the NHL team. How hard was it when the injury happened to reset how the year was going to go?
A: It’s tough. I thought I had a chance to make the team, and I believed that I could do it. But a setback, and now you’re starting the season off in the AHL — and still a very good league with very good players. So I think it’s just, it happened, and there’s really nothing you can do about it. But just like I said before, you can’t dwell on bad stuff that happens. It’s never going to help you. So I think just trying to get back up here, for me, has been the only objective, and just keep working at that every day.
Q: Two years ago, you had 67 points in 60 games. Last season, it was 40 in 52. Do you feel like your game has a good balance now?
A: I still try to work on both [sides of the puck] the most you can. After my draft year, I scored the 24 goals, and then the year after, it kind of slowed down. Our power play didn’t do as well, but we won the [Memorial] Cup, so I must have been doing something well. … People will say whatever they want, and, ‘Oh, you can’t put up points,’ and whatever. But we won and that was the biggest thing for me that year. I didn’t score 20-whatever goals, but we ended up winning the Memorial Cup and the OHL, so I think obviously we must have been doing something right there.
Q: You have just over 20 games left this season, so what will be your focus?
A: I think it’s just playing the best I can for the team. Doing the most I can, give them the best effort every night to help us win. And play how I want to play, not just one side of the puck, but be a real 200-foot player that can be versatile and in any situation and stuff like that. So I think that’s the focus for me.
During the recent Olympic break, the Flyers called up a few youngsters to fill out their roster for a series of practices.
One of those players was top defensive prospect Oliver Bonk, who is finally settling in with Lehigh Valley after an upper-body injury cost him all of training camp and delayed the start of his pro career until mid-December. The Inquirer caught up with Bonk last Thursday for an interview to discuss his frustrating summer, his adaptation to the pro game in the minors, and much more.
Q: To start, what has this year been like for you?
A: Yeah, I mean, it’s been a learning year. Trying to, even after the rehab, trying to learn how to take care of my body better, and learning how to play pro hockey. Learning how to be a good player up there and not just being an average player up there. You want to be the best so you can make it back up [to the NHL]. So I think just learning all about that, how to be a pro, and kind of just learning as I go along.
Oliver Bonk (orange jersey) spent a few days last week practicing with the Flyers during the Olympic break.
Q: Are you someone who prefers to watch tape?
A: I like watching, especially after games. I like watching the clips. Some guys get focused on what they messed up and keep looking at that, but I just kind of let that go. Everyone’s going to make mistakes. It’s hockey, it’s not a perfect game. It’s never going to be. I’m not striving to be perfect every time I’m out there; just improving every time and making sure I’m making the right [reads] and then not making the same mistakes over again.
Q: What’s the transition been like for you to the pro game, especially after not playing until December?
A: Yeah, it was a tough first 10 games, until I started kind of feeling like fully myself again. So it was definitely a learning curve there. But I think now, I’m kind of back to the way I want to play, and just improving my game every day and feeling good about myself. So it was tough at the start, but I think I’m on a good path right now.
Q: Is there anything you are particularly focused on improving?
A: There’s a lot. Every week, I kind of try to work on different things, whether it’s closing guys off with speed one week, or it’s hard passes, or it’s hand-eye coordination. Every week’s got something different, which is kind of different than in Junior. You mess around in practice; you shoot a couple of pucks, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, great.’ So I think it’s a lot different. It makes me excited to come to the rink every day, knowing that every week I’ve got something different planned, and something else to work on. So it’s good.
Q: Do you plan that out, or is it in consultation with someone like defense coach Nick Schultz?
A: No, it’s just kind of whatever I make up. I have a notebook of things that you do and things that need improving and you just go every week. You don’t want to change it every day, because you want to kind of have a steady look of how you’re improving. So last week, maybe hand-eye coordination, trying to bat down two-on-ones, and stuff like that. So you just focus on that for a week, and you kind of see how, by the end of the week, you’re more comfortable, you’re better doing it.
Q: You mentioned you keep a journal. After games, do you jot things down to track your development?
A: It’s more like, this week you work on this, this, this; three things you want to work on after practice, a couple of things before practice. You just bang that out during the week, and then next week, you can reset and see what you didn’t do well that week, and maybe improve on that.
Q: Do you talk to your father, former NHLer Radek Bonk, about what to work on to get ideas?
A: We talk about it, and we always talk pretty much every day. Like about practice and what he thought about the game and stuff like that. But I think most of it’s got to come from me. I definitely lean on him heavily … he’s my dad, and he’s here to support me, but I got to kind of figure it out because he’s not coaching me anymore, and he’s not always here with me, so I kind of got to figure it out on my own what I got to improve on.
Q: You mentioned at development camp in July that your focus was on making the NHL team. How hard was it when the injury happened to reset how the year was going to go?
A: It’s tough. I thought I had a chance to make the team, and I believed that I could do it. But a setback, and now you’re starting the season off in the AHL — and still a very good league with very good players. So I think it’s just, it happened, and there’s really nothing you can do about it. But just like I said before, you can’t dwell on bad stuff that happens. It’s never going to help you. So I think just trying to get back up here, for me, has been the only objective, and just keep working at that every day.
Q: You said in September you gained 15 pounds of muscle, and then the other day you mentioned that you gained a little bit of weight when out with the injury. How hard was it to get back into game shape when you hadn’t played a game since June 1?
A: I mean, there’s shape, but then there’s game shape. Every hockey player knows that once you get on the ice, it’s so much harder. It’s so much different when you get on the ice. And even just, from being on the ice and practicing, doing your rehab skate is tough, but then playing is a whole different thing. I did a lot of conditioning when I was here, but I still had a bit of weight. And then once you start playing, the five pounds that I lost, and I started to just feel a bit quicker and a bit more explosive and a bit better. So it’s not like I’m losing, like 15, 10 pounds, it’s not like going like that; it’s just little increments. But I feel like I lost five pounds, and it really helps.
A first-round pick in 2023, Oliver Bonk missed most of the offseason with an upper-body injury. He made his professional debut in December.
Q: When John Tortorella was here, he mentioned your pace of play as an issue. Do you feel like you’re learning to play with better pace in the AHL and getting reps at that speed?
A: Yeah. Our team, we try to play the same way as Philly and do the same stuff. We’re not as skilled, obviously, because we’re in the AHL, but I mean, we try to do the same stuff and play the same way and play a pace game, trying to score off the rush and do all that stuff. So I think it’s a big thing that [Phantoms coach John Snowden] has been on us too, like, move the puck up and try to just get up, get in the rush. Don’t just hold it, because then the forwards are crossing and it’s annoying for them. So yeah, it’s definitely been a big thing of focus for all the [defensemen] this year in Lehigh.
Q: Two years ago, you had 67 points in 60 games. Last season, it was 40 in 52. Do you feel like your game has a good balance now?
A: I still try to work on both [sides of the puck] the most you can. After my draft year, I scored the 24 goals, and then the year after, it kind of slowed down. Our power play didn’t do as well, but we won the [Memorial] Cup, so I must have been doing something well. … People will say whatever they want, and, ‘Oh, you can’t put up points,’ and whatever. But we won and that was the biggest thing for me that year. I didn’t score 20-whatever goals, but we ended up winning the Memorial Cup and the OHL, so I think obviously we must have been doing something right there.
Q: You and Denver Barky know each other well from London. What’s it like watching him in the NHL now?
A: Well, it was great to see him in Lehigh, and I was excited to spend the season with him, and then he gets called up right away. So, there’s still guys at Lehigh, but [Ty] Murchison got hurt, and then [Hunter] McDonald got called up, so I’m like there’s no more young guys to hang out with. But, yeah, it’s great. It’s awesome seeing him here, and he’s playing unreal, and he’s a great player. But we miss him, definitely, in Lehigh, but it was great to see him here, and great to see how he’s learning and blossoming. It’s awesome.
Q: You have just over 20 games left this season, so what will be your focus?
A: I think it’s just playing the best I can for the team. Doing the most I can, give them the best effort every night to help us win. And play how I want to play, not just one side of the puck, but be a real 200-foot player that can be versatile and in any situation and stuff like that. So I think that’s the focus for me.
Q: Flyers assistant coach Todd Reirden was saying he had some drills last week that were specifically designed to see where you and McDonald were at. How did those go?
A: Yeah, we went through it [last Thursday], and he had video clips of the practice yesterday. But he had a couple of ones testing how well we’re going to react to the speed here. He was giving the forwards all the speed that they wanted, and then coming down on us. So it was a test for us, but I think we both did pretty well. And yeah, it’s just another thing to learn. And stuff is so much quicker, even from here to the AHL. It’s more on the tape, quicker, better players. So I think it’s another thing to get used to and another thing to learn.
WASHINGTON ― It feels like it’s been 84 years since the Flyers last played an NHL game.
On Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals, they kicked off the final 26 games of the season. Entering the night, Philly sat four points back of Washington — with three games in hand — and eight points back of a playoff spot.
By the end of the night, the Flyers were six points back of Washington, after losing 3-1 at the Capital One Arena. They remain eight points back of the idle New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, and have a game in hand on the Islanders.
Trevor van Riemsdyk scored the decisive goal, giving the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 5 minutes, 52 seconds left in regulation. Off the rush, Declan Chisholm dropped the puck to Aliaksei Protas and got it back near the left post. He then hit van Riemsdyk, the brother of former Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk, as he crashed the net.
As coach Rick Tocchet noted postgame, the Flyers came out with some pep in their step to start the game. “The first nine minutes we were dominating,” he said. But they were unable to capitalize until the third period, when Noah Cates deflected a shot by Travis Sanheim 29 seconds in.
Rasmus Ristolainen applied pressure, creating a turnover to Matvei Michkov, who found Bobby Brink. The winger carried it down into the left face-off circle before hitting Sanheim for the quick shot, which Cates deflected past goalie Logan Thompson. Cates tied the game at one — and ended an 18-game goal drought.
“I didn’t like my January,” said Cates, whose last goal came Dec. 30. “I thought the team struggled as well, and I feel like when I struggle, the team struggles. You just want to get out of it and get going.
“So to get that goal and feel good about our line, we were making some plays and just playing the right way, playing how we can play with Bobby [Brink] and [Michkov]. So, yeah, good to get going.”
The trio had several other chances, notably in the third period when Brink, while under pressure, sent a cross-crease pass to Michkov alone at the right post. Thompson robbed him of a sure goal as he stretched across and made a toe save. According to Natural Stat Trick, when they were on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers had 10 shot attempts, a game-high 1.05 expected Goals For, and nine scoring chances.
Philly did put 24 shots on Thompson, with 18 coming in the first two periods, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Dan Vladař kept them in the game all night.
The goaltender told The Inquirer on Sunday that he “wasn’t the best” in his one game at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, a 6-3 win against France, when he allowed the trio of goals on 12 shots for Czechia. So maybe he had something to prove.
Vladař faced seven shots in the first period, and robbed the owner of 919 NHL goals, Alex Ovechkin, of his 920th. “The Great 8″ was left wide-open in front after Ristolainen had the puck poked away from him in the corner by Dylan Strome, who fed Ovechkin. Vladař then stopped Strome’s point shot as Travis Konecny’s clearing attempt went right to him.
“He gives us a lot of confidence. He was making huge saves out there for us,” center Christian Dvorak said. “He’s been doing that all year, and it would have been nice to get him a win tonight. He definitely deserved it. He’s been big for us, and we just got to work on being better for our goalies.”
In the second period, the Capitals outshot the Flyers 12-9 and seemed to have the ice tilted their way. Although they broke through once — and missed the net a few more times — Vladař came up big again to keep the score close.
He stopped a point shot by Ethan Frank off a face-off win, kicked out a Ryan Leonard shot to the boards, and then seconds later made a masterful stop on another shot by Leonard.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (bottom) was a bit shaken up after defenseman Nick Seeler (24) fell over him late in the second period.
Later, Vladař made a save on a Brandon Duhaime shot from nine feet out, and Nick Seeler pushed it back for him to cover. But there was a bit of a scramble, and Seeler fell over him, and the goalie seemed a bit stung. He flexed his right arm at the next whistle but stayed in the game.
Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin scored the Capitals’ opening goal in the period. Philly regrouped and reset after a three-on-two by Washington — and Michkov broke up a pass in front, but then allowed the blueliner to skate down from the point behind him. Hendrix Lapierre found him for the 1-0 goal.
And while he again allowed a goal in the third period, Vladař kept his team in the game. With the Flyers on the penalty kill, Pierre-Luc Dubois got the puck near the net and turned to take a shot, but Vladař was aggressive with the stick and poked it away. He was tracking the puck well all night and seconds later squared up to snare a Strome tip-in attempt on a point shot.
With the game tied, he robbed Lapierre, who got a return touch pass from Duhaime in the slot after the Flyers couldn’t break out of their own end.
“He’s a battler,” Tocchet said. “He’s done it all year for us. But the lateral goals are the tough ones; we don’t want to give those up. That’s the one thing. Vladdy’s played really well for us, but if we eliminate those that will really help. It’ll help Vladdy, too, [because] those laterals are tough to save.”
Protas added a short-handed empty-net goal with 25.6 seconds left in the game. … Defenseman Emil Andrae and forward Nic Deslauriers were the Flyers’ healthy scratches. What does Andrae, who hasn’t played since Jan. 26, need to do to get back into the lineup? “He’s not a PK guy,” said Tocchet pregame. “So actually, this week, he’s worked on his penalty killing. That’s really what it’s going to come down to.“ … Forward Carl Grundström, who has been playing wing all season, centered the fourth line. … The Flyers went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.
Up next
The Flyers’ restart is already grinding away as they face the New York Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., ESPN).
WASHINGTON ― Once again, Travis Sanheim was on the outside looking in.
And as in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament a year ago, the Flyers defenseman was inserted into Canada’s lineup in Game 2 at the Milan Cortina Olympics and never left.
Maybe the doubters need to stop doubting.
Across his five games, the silver-medal-winning Sanheim averaged 13 minutes, 14 seconds, as he crept up coach Jon Cooper’s depth chart as the tournament progressed. Although it was fewer minutes than he’s used to in Philly — he plays more than 24 a night — the blueliner made the most of his ice time.
Sanheim finished the tournament tied for the fourth-best plus-minus (plus-6) among all players, despite averaging fewer minutes than 10 of the 12 players who were either tied with him or above him; only forwards Jack Hughes and Joel Armia played fewer minutes among that group.
He was not on the ice for any of the 10 goals Canada allowed in his five games and his plus-minus was up there with some of the game’s best defensemen — Brock Faber and Cale Makar (plus-6), Zach Werenski (plus-8), and Niko Mikkola, Devon Toews, and his Flyers teammate and, based on Wednesday’s morning skate, his current defensive partner, Rasmus Ristolainen (plus-9).
“I think that’s kind of why I was brought over, was the ability to kind of be a utility guy and be able to play in different situations,” he said Wednesday at Capital One Arena. “Didn’t get in the first game, and have the ability to step right in and play and give them good minutes.
“And I just thought as the tournament went along, just gained more confidence with playing each game and gained the trust of the coaching staff to earn more minutes, and was happy with how I performed.”
Sanheim also had one assist, and it was an important one. He set up Shea Theodore for the game-tying goal with under 10 minutes to go in the semifinals against Finland after receiving a pass from Tom Wilson, whom the Flyers will see with the Capitals on Wednesday (7 p.m., NBCSP). Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winner with 36 seconds left in regulation.
He was robbed of a goal by Czech goalie Lukáš Dostál in the quarterfinals, but Sanheim’s name was mentioned over and over again during the gold-medal game by NBC play-by-play man Kenny Albert. A versatile defenseman who can play on the right or the left, he skated more than 15 minutes and had three shots on goal in the finale.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim believes being around some of the league’s best players and playing such high-level hockey can help him as he returns to the Flyers.
But while he won a medal, it was obviously not the one he wanted.
“I’m sure I’ll appreciate the silver years down the road and looking back on it, but obviously right now, disappointment. Thought we did a good job of playing in that tournament and thought that we deserved better,” said Sanheim, who told Unfiltered With Ricky Bo & Bill Colarulo on Tuesday that the medal is currently in his safe.
“So, it’s hard to enjoy the silver when you think that you had a chance to take gold and you come up short. So, like I said, grateful for the opportunity and the experience and what it all entailed, and yet disappointment that comes with it.”
The experience was special nonetheless for Sanheim. He took in speedskating with his Canadian teammates, and traded pins, including swapping with Japan and Italy; however, he didn’t realize how big the pin swapping was at the Olympics and was unable to get a few he had his eye on.
And he was able to spend time with his family. As his mother, Shelly, told The Inquirer on New Year’s Eve, the whole family was headed to Italy to watch Sanheim don the maple leaf.
“Just appreciative of the support that I get. Everyone that came over has been with me from when I was a kid, and happy to be able to share that experience with them,” he said, also mentioning that it meant the world to him that his hometown, Elkhorn, Manitoba, showed its support too.
“ … And, at the end of it, showing them the medal, and them putting it on and getting pictures, you get to see the joy and what it meant for them to experience what I was going through and fortunate to have those guys.”
But while the Olympics are over and he is back with the Flyers as they begin their final 26-game sprint to the end of the season, that doesn’t mean he won’t take what he learned and experienced to the Orange and Black.
“I think how hard you have to play each and every night, the style of play that you need to play, the willingness to do anything to win a hockey game, and different roles that come up throughout the tournament, that guys have to sacrifice for the better good of the team,” he said.
“And then just the skill level that these guys all play with, and how they play, how hard they work, their off-ice training, and what they do, their preparation. There’s a reason they’re the best in their sport and lucky to share the ice with them.
“If I can bring any of that back and share that with our team and try and help the guys … and obviously, we want to continue to grow and take the next step, and being able to see that firsthand is going to benefit me.”
Breakaways
Dan Vladař (17-8-6, .905 save percentage) was the first goalie off at morning skate and is expected to be the starter against Washington. … The Flyers officially loaned defenseman Adam Ginning back to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
