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  • Sixers and Comcast hope to open up a block of East Market for ‘pop-ups’ during the World Cup and America 250

    Sixers and Comcast hope to open up a block of East Market for ‘pop-ups’ during the World Cup and America 250

    The companies that own the 76ers and Flyers earlier this year made a high-profile commitment to help transform the long-distressed East Market Street corridor.

    The first development to come out of that promise? Perhaps a mini-soccer pitch. Or a pop-up beer garden.

    The teams recently hired a contractor to demolish buildings they own on the 1000-block of the beleaguered thoroughfare with the goal of eventually erecting a major development that could help revitalize the area.

    But, until then, City Councilmember Mark Squilla said Friday the teams and city leaders hope to “activate” the lots slated for demolition with “pop-up” opportunities related to the FIFA World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday being hosted in Philadelphia next summer.

    “The goal was: If they could demolish it by then and fill it, we could program an open space on 1000 Market Street,” Squilla said, tossing out the soccer pitch and beer garden ideas as examples. “This will give us an opportunity to try to do something special for 2026 while we’re doing a longterm plan for East Market.”

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    Jacklin Rhoads, a spokesperson for the teams’ development venture, said Friday the demolitions come as the partners “continue to make progress towards future development on East Market Street.”

    “The demolition of these vacant storefronts improves the streetscape and will give us the ability to work with community partners to activate the site ahead of groundbreaking,” Rhoads said. “We are committed to working with the City to help jump start the revitalization of Market East and this is the next step in that process.”

    The teams’ commitment to work together as Market East boosters stems from the controversial and since-abandoned proposal by the 76ers’ owner, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, to build an arena in Center City.

    The basketball team had pitched that proposal as an opportunity to rejuvenate the blocks east of City Hall. But when the plan crumbled in January — in no small part due to opposition from the Flyers’ owner, Comcast Spectacor — the teams vowed to work as partners both on a new arena in the South Philadelphia stadium complex as well as on a joint development venture for East Market Street.

    The Sixers and Flyers recently hired a joint venture of New York-based Turner Construction Co. and Indiana-based AECOM Hunt to manage construction of the arena, which will be home to the city’s NBA and NHL teams and its planned, as-yet-unnamed WNBA team.

    And the teams have hired Philadelphia- and Norristown-based contractor Pride Enterprises Inc. to demolish the vacant storefronts they own on East Market Street in Center City.

    Tearing down and popping up

    Demolitions are so far only planned for part of the 1000-block, across the street from where the Sixers had previously envisioned building their new home.

    HBSE and Comcast Spectacor — a subsidiary of the Philadelphia-based entertainment, cable television, and internet giant — bought properties on East Market Street in a series of transactions totaling $56 million earlier this year. The buildings were formerly home to Rite Aid, Reebok, and other stores totaling 112,000 square feet.

    The properties currently slated for demolition are 1000-1024 E. Market St. That includes most of the former stores on the block’s south side. The teams also own 920-938 E. Market St., the western half of the adjacent block, but those properties are not currently planned for tear-downs.

    The teams’ plan to flatten the stores, making the space temporarily available for events related to the FIFA World Cup or the nation’s 250th anniversary next summer.

    Squilla said an East Market task force will be announced soon, and that group would have input on what happens at the site assuming it is demolished in time for the 2026 celebrations.

    After that, the teams will redevelop the properties, although plans aren’t finalized, Rhoads said. The teams declined to provide any details about the redevelopment project’s ambitions or scale.

    The city Department of Planning & Development did not respond to a request on the status of the development plans.

    The neighborhoods around East Market, a thriving department store district that has languished for decades, have recently begun to rebound with the development of hundreds of apartments and neighborhood retail to serve new residents.

    Stadium construction vets tapped for South Philly arena

    The new arena in South Philly will replace the Flyers and Sixers’ current home at the recently renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena, which was known as the Wells Fargo Center until this year.

    Currently, Comcast Spectacor owns the building, and the 76ers pay rent. For the next facility, the teams will be joint owners.

    The teams have tapped an outfit with ample experience in stadium and arena construction for the job. Over the past 20 years, Turner-AECOM Hunt joint ventures have built the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

    In Philadelphia, they built the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field, the FMC Tower, the One uCity Square office building in University City, and the Chubb Center in Center City, the insurance company offices set to open next year.

    For the South Philly project, the partners, doing business as PACT+, have brought on Philadelphia-based union contractors to do much of the work, including Black-owned general construction company Perryman Construction, construction manager Hunter Roberts Construction Group, and Camfred Construction.

    The teams haven’t said how large the arena will be. HBSE and Comcast Spectacor in June hired a design team at the firm Populous and Moody Nolan.

    David Adelman, the Philadelphia student housing developer and investor who chairs the teams’ development venture, in a statement promised “the most technologically advanced and fan-focused sports and entertainment venue.”

    Adelman earlier said the new arena will open in 2030, and the WNBA team will play its first game there.

    The project “is a chance to build something that becomes part of Philadelphia’s fabric,” said Turner’s Philadelphia-based vice president, Dave Kaminski, in a statement.

    Jason Kopp of AECOM Hunt promised “cutting-edge amenities for athletes, performers, and visitors.”

    Although the teams are making moves related to the new arena, they don’t yet appear to have shared much of their plan with City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, whose 2nd District includes the South Philadelphia stadium complex.

    Building an arena at that location will likely require involve fewer legislative and bureaucratic hurdles than the 76ers’ abandoned Center City proposal. But in Philadelphia, Council members hold enormous sway over their districts, and the teams will likely need Johnson’s support if they want a smooth approval process.

    Johnson was asked Thursday what the teams need to do to meet their proposed timeline for opening the arena in 2030.

    “I have no idea,” Johnson told reporters. “That’s not even on my radar at the moment.”

    Staff writer Mike Newall contributed to this article.

  • Flyers get off to a fast start but drop road matchup against Ottawa Senators, 2-1

    Flyers get off to a fast start but drop road matchup against Ottawa Senators, 2-1

    OTTAWA, Ontario — The Flyers traveled to Canada’s capital for a showdown with the Ottawa Senators.

    Facing a hungry team with just one win in its past six games, the visitors got off to a good start but ultimately fell to the Senators, 2-1. It snapped Philly’s two-game winning streak and moved its record to 3-3-1.

    ‘There’s no quitting you’

    Entering the game, Dan Vladař had the fourth-best goals-against average (1.75) and the seventh-best save percentage (.929) among NHL goalies who had at least two starts.

    It’s a big reason why he was getting his third straight start. But you also cannot ignore how well he reads plays.

    “We wasted a good night from Vladdy,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I thought he did a nice job in net for us.”

    Thursday’s Flyers game against the Senators will feature familiar faces aplenty

    In the first period, as the Flyers struggled to get the puck out, the 6-foot-5 Czech netminder saved a point shot by Ottawa defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo before stopping Tim Stützle at the right post. Less than 45 seconds later, Vladař made a save on Thomas Chabot’s shot through traffic.

    The Flyers took two penalties in the opening frame, and Vladař stood tall. He squared up to stop a shot by Stützle, robbed Shane Pinto from the slot, and then stoned Stützle again, taking the shot off the shoulder.

    Vladař allowed a pair of goals on the 23 shots he faced in the first two periods. Ottawa’s Michael Amadio tied the game, 1-1, in the first.

    Travis Sanheim stepped toward Pinto in the neutral zone, but the Long Island native chipped the puck to teammate Claude Giroux. The former Flyers captain drew Cam York and Owen Tippett in, giving Amadio time and space to accept the saucer pass and score.

    Another former Flyers forward gave the Senators a 2-1 lead. The point shot by Senators’ Nick Jensen hit Rodrigo Ābols — who centered the fourth line in place of Jett Luchanko — in the slot, slowing the puck down. It allowed Lars Eller to make a nifty no-look between-the-legs pass to Olle Lycksell, a 2017 draft pick by Philly, at the right post for the slam dunk. It is his first goal for Ottawa in four games, and the second of his career.

    One positive for the Flyers on Thursday was how well they kept the Senators out of the middle of the ice — and the slot — at five-on-five.

    But then Vladař shut the door, including stopping the Senators’ three shots on goal on a power play that began 34 seconds later when Sean Couturier was called for hooking in the neutral zone.

    “I thought he played great again,” Sanheim said. “He’s been a rock back there for us. Not ideal when you have that many penalty kills and you’re giving up looks, and he’s coming up big for us and keeping us in the game. So credit to him on another solid start.”

    Vladař faced 33 shots, one fewer than in the Flyers’ opening night loss to the Florida Panthers when he stopped 32 of 34, and elevated his save percentage this season to .932. He has not allowed more than two goals in his five starts.

    “That’s our job here, me and Sam [Ersson’s], just to give our team a chance every single night,” he said. “And I said it a lot of times, doesn’t matter if it’s 10 shots or 15, we just got to do our best to give our team a chance, and, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough today.”

    Flyers’ Tyson Foerster celebrates his first-period goal against the Ottawa Senators.

    ‘Only For A Moment’

    The Flyers’ early 1-0 lead was courtesy of Tyson Foerster scoring 29 seconds into the game.

    Coming off the bench for Tippett, who had a 21-second shift — “Wasn’t really expecting it that quick,” Foerster said — the winger received a pass on his tape from Travis Konecny and fired the wrister past Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark. Konecny pulled up on the boards after getting the puck from Sean Couturier, who tracked down the dump-in.

    At the end of last season, the 23-year-old winger said he wanted to have a quicker start to his season. He has done that, notching his third goal in seven games on Thursday.

    When asked if he is hitting his stride, Foerster responded postgame that, “I think offensively. I think I got to win some more battles down low and on the wall, but I just got to be a little better in those battle areas.”

    ‘Round and Round’

    Despite the score, the Flyers certainly had their chances and put 23 shots on goal. The only issue? Too much was on the perimeter.

    “We’ve worked on concepts of, we call it piston offense, and we’ve got too many guys who are playing on the outside, and that’s why guys are struggling to score goals,” Tocchet said. “The good goal scorers, they go to the interior, and you’ve got to do it. We have to do it consistently.”

    It took some time for players to get going as they handed the Senators five power-play chances, including two in the first period. The Flyers also got a man advantage in the opening frame and had three opportunities across games. As Tocchet has said repeatedly, it’s hard to get guys who don’t kill penalties going.

    “They’re stick penalties. When you have stick penalties, that means you’re not skating,” Tocchet said. Of their five penalties — Nick Seeler got a coincidental minor, too — the Flyers were called twice for hooking and twice for tripping.

    Matvei Michkov had some of the best looks and led the way with seven shot attempts, including four shots on goal.

    Owen Tippett is setting the tempo for the Flyers, both on the ice and with the aux cord

    Late in the first period, while coming out of the penalty box, Michkov got the puck for a breakaway. Noah Cates sent the stretch pass after Jake Sanderson flubbed a shot at the point, and while Michkov skated in and pump faked, he missed on the backhand.

    Less than three minutes into the second period, Michkov got the puck in the slot but had the shot blocked by Dylan Cozens.

    “He’s shooting the puck,” Tocchet said. “Keep shooting, hopefully things will go for him.”

    Not long after Michkov’s breakaway chance, the Flyers broke out of their end, and Tippett flew around Chabot for a shot on goal with the backhand. Trevor Zegras crashed the net and jammed at the puck, but was unable to get it across the goal line.

    In the third period, the Flyers tried to get going again. Sanheim had a shot from atop the circles, snared by Ullmark, and York was stopped after getting a pass at the left point. But they were chances where the Swedish netminder — who played with Ersson at the 4 Nations Face-Off — got to see the puck well.

    As the seconds counted down in the game, Couturier had a chance at the side of the net to even things up.

    “Yeah, obviously got off to a good start, the first five minutes, and then took our foot off a little bit,” Sanheim said. “We let them get some momentum and get some chances. And then obviously, toward the end, we started to get some looks again, but just couldn’t capitalize.”

    Flyers’ Noah Cates (left) and Ottawa Senators’ Ridly Greig battle for the puck during Thursday’s game.

    Breakaways

    For every save Vladař and Sam Ersson make in the month of October, they are donating to the October Saves Goalie Challenge, which supports cancer research and patient care. Flyers Charities will match their donations.

    Up next

    The Flyers return home for a matchup with 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders on Saturday (12:30 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Thursday’s Flyers game against the Senators will feature familiar faces aplenty

    Thursday’s Flyers game against the Senators will feature familiar faces aplenty

    OTTAWA, Ontario — There’s a lot to be said for a coach who has been in the shoes — or skates — of his players.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said he is “sensitive to it, when you pull people in and out,” of the lineup. On Thursday, he’s making another shift, with Rodrigo Ābols going in for Jett Luchanko as the fourth-line center.

    “I mean, it’s obviously tough,” Ābols said. “Not even the physical part, it is just more like the timing and the feeling kind of, once you do get in, like five-on-five tonight, to not overthink too much [the] situations, because you haven’t been in those situations for a while. So that’s, I guess, the goal is to just kind of not overthink, keep it simple, and just do the things that make me an effective hockey player.”

    Owen Tippett is setting the tempo for the Flyers, both on the ice and with the aux cord

    One thing that will certainly help is that the Latvian will be skating alongside Garnet Hathaway — who he has played with on a line for the majority of his 24 NHL games, all with the Flyers — and Nikita Grebenkin.

    The latter two played together last year for Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League once the Russian was acquired in March from the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is familiarity and chemistry, but that doesn’t mean Ābols won’t be on the ready.

    “It may be similar with [Matvei Michkov] to expect the unexpected, I guess. So you see the pass he had last game that went to Garnet there, across the blue, so you kind of just always be ready with the stick on the ice,” said Ābols, who played with Michkov a few times last season and can communicate with Grebenkin in Russian, one of four languages the Latvian speaks fluently.

    “You see him in the corners, there’s so many times you feel like he’s lost the puck, and then he somehow comes out with it, said Ābols of Grebenkin. ”So that’s just an exciting player to play with, because that means you can get more offensive zone time.”

    Hello old friends

    The Senators have several familiar faces slated to skate on Thursday.

    Of course, there is Claude Giroux, the former Flyers captain who skated in his 1,000th game before being traded two days later to the Florida Panthers — Owen Tippett was part of the return — in March 2022.

    “It’s always going to be special playing against Philly,” Giroux said on Thursday. “Played a lot of years there, and not a lot of players left when I played, but the organization, and Danny Brière being the GM, so it’s always special to play them.”

    Ottawa’s Claude Giroux played 15 seasons for the Flyers, including several as the team’s captain.

    The players still in Philly are forwards Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, and defensemen Nick Seeler, Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Egor Zamula (two games).

    Nick Cousins skated in 107 games for the Orange and Black after being selected in the third round of the 2011 draft. The forward won a Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.

    But while those guys left Philly long ago, Olle Lycksell was with the team last season. The Swede, who had dinner Wednesday night with Adam Ginning, Sam Ersson, and Ābols, was recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and is slotted into the fourth line for the Senators.

    “I just felt like I maybe needed a little change of scenery, and trying to find myself in a lineup,” he said of making the move to Ottawa. “I felt like we had good talks, and felt like they believed in me. And yeah, I got the opportunity now, and I’m really happy that I got here.”

    Flyers takeaways: Power play finally fires; Nikita Grebenkin announces his presence

    Lycksell has played three games this season for the Senators, registering three shots on goal while averaging 10 minutes, and 58 seconds of ice time. A sixth-round pick of the Flyers in 2017, the 26-year-old Swede had one goal and 11 points in 45 games for Philly.

    “I’m so honored of being a Flyer for a long time,” he said. “And even though I didn’t play that many games, I [had] still been in the organization for a while, and it’s great people. And it’s going to be special [tonight].”

    And there’s also a familiar face for Tocchet, who was a teammate of Travis Green’s for a year in the desert.

    “There’s always some coaches that you talk to a lot, even when one of us isn’t working, or one of us got fired, or one of us got hired, we’ve always kept in touch and just pick each other’s brain,” said Tocchet, who gave Green a ton of credit for how things have gone in Ottawa.

    So, any bets or dinners on the line?

    “We had dinner last night. He paid. It was a cheap one,” said a grinning Tocchet. “Philly’s gonna be an expensive one, but that’s all right.”

    Breakaways

    Dan Vladař will start for the third straight game. “He’s been playing pretty good, right? That’s why I’m starting him,” Tocchet said. Sam Ersson’s last game was a week ago, in a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Any concerns? “No, not at all,” Tocchet said. “I could easily go with Sam and be comfortable. Sam will get in there.”

    Around the Rinks

    Between now and March 31, girls and women in the ball hockey community — players, organizers, referees, etc., and in Philly or beyond — can apply for the 2 AND 10 Women’s Ball Hockey Scholarship via their Facebook account. The scholarship, which “recognizes women who give their all to the game, both on and off the rink, and are ready to take the next step as athletes, leaders, and role models” can be used toward college or trade school. … Submit entries for Around the Rinks, which highlights the local ice, ball, and inline hockey scenes, Thursdays online and Fridays in the paper, by noon every Thursday with Around the Rinks in the subject line to jspiegel@inquirer.com. Entries can include information about your league, big moments on the ice, upcoming rivalry games, favorite players, and more.

  • Owen Tippett is setting the tempo for the Flyers, both on the ice and with the aux cord

    Owen Tippett is setting the tempo for the Flyers, both on the ice and with the aux cord

    Owen Tippett may have had a smile on his face when chatting in the locker room in Voorhees recently. But the big grin hid some of the anxiety he had heading into the Flyers’ home opener on Oct. 13.

    It wasn’t about scoring. At that point, the winger already had his first goal of the season under his belt — a power-play one to boot.

    No, this was a different kind of pressure.

    Tippett is now in charge of setting the tone. He is the new vibes guy. So, after months of preparation, of picking the right songs, of sending them to the Flyers game presentation group for the proper mix, his warmup playlist was making its debut.

    The Flyers’ aux cord now belongs to No. 74.

    The Flyers are in Rick Tocchet’s ‘blood.’ Now he’s tasked with returning the once-proud organization to prominence.

    For years, the playlist had been closely guarded by Scott Laughton, with Joel Farabee assisting. But both were traded last season: Farabee at the end of January to the Calgary Flames, and Laughton in early March to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

    Tippett took charge of the aux afterward, saying last season that he did it because he’s the “closest guy that kind of offered up for the Bluetooth not to cut out.” However, he didn’t really change much from the 105-song playlist he was handed in the group chat.

    Until now.

    “I’m always one who’s kind of looking for new music,” said Tippett, who ran the aux a handful of times playing for Mississauga and Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League.

    “Obviously, there’s some staples that you can kind of keep in [the playlist] from years past, but I think anything that’s new, you kind of throw it in the playlist and hopefully guys catch on to it.”

    Note: Some songs on the playlist embedded below may be offensive to certain audiences or contain explicit content. Use caution while enjoying this playlist by making sure you’re aware of your surroundings.

    ‘T.N.T.’ – AC/DC

    Tippett hasn’t just set the mood in the locker room — there are several playlists, one has “slower songs” and “more of an easy vibe” for morning skates, and another before they get on the ice — but his on-ice presence has been setting the tone, too.

    During game action, he’s been like song No. 2 in warmups, AC/DC’s “T.N.T.,” and playing “dynamite.” Just six games into the new season, Tippett has collected five goals. Last season, when he finished with 20 tallies, it took him 25 games to hit that mark.

    The dip in production came after two consecutive seasons with at least 27 goals — it took him 15 games in 2023-24 and 13 in 2022-23 to score No. 5 on the season — and expectations that he would crack the 30-goal mark in his third full season with the Flyers.

    Flyers right wing Owen Tippett is really using his speed and strength to get to the middle more. The early results have been promising.

    “I think it’s just getting reset and looking back onto those years and what worked and what made me kind of more successful than I was last year,” he told The Inquirer on Oct. 6. “End of the day, everyone has those years; it’s going to happen and not get too frustrated with the dips and just trying to regroup as quick as you can.”

    And he is using it all as motivation.

    “I think it’s just take that next step,” he said about his ambitions during training camp. “Obviously, a bit older now, and more games played, and I think it’s time that I kind of take that step and take on that bigger role. … That comes with little things within the game, but as a player, just kind of round out my game.”

    Tippett sounds like a grizzled veteran, but the 26-year-old winger has only 353 regular-season games under his belt — 94 with the Florida Panthers and 259 with the Flyers after being acquired in the Claude Giroux trade.

    And this year, he has taken on a bigger role, averaging 16 minutes, 31 seconds a night, while being put into more situations by the new coaching staff led by Rick Tocchet.

    Under new head coach Rick Tocchet, Owen Tippett (left) looks poised for his first 30-goal season.

    ‘Because You Move Me’ – Helsloot & Tinlicker

    Tippett has always played on the power play, but this season he has been moved into a rotating spot between the net-front and the bumper. It’s different than his previous spot on the flank, but he likes that it “gives you more options.”

    His one power-play goal came from being atop the crease — he was screening Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen — when he pounced on a shot that caromed off the glass behind the net.

    Tippett has become an all-around special teams threat. In his first 253 games with Philly, he was on the ice killing penalties for an average of nine seconds per game (36 minutes, 3 seconds total). This season, he’s up to 24 seconds per game for a total of 2:24. Former coach John Tortorella always said Tippett played better with more ice time, and it’s showing.

    And the additional responsibilities play into what the Flyers wanted to see from Tippett this season. The winger is in Year 2 of an eight-year, $49.6 million extension that he signed in January 2024, and before the season, Flyers general manager Danny Brière said he wanted to see Tippett take the next step and work on “developing his all-around game.”

    “He is becoming even more of a true threat. … We hope he becomes a 30-, 35-goal scorer,” Brière said on Oct. 2. “That’s what we hope from him. I mean, what he brings is more than just goals, too. The size, the speed, the powerful explosiveness that he has is tough to find.

    “So that’s what we want to keep seeing from him. Evolving, finding ways to take advantage of the best time to use those assets that he has that not a lot of players have.”

    The Flyers have high hopes for Owen Tippett and believe he is just scratching the surface of his potential.

    ‘Walk It Talk It’ – Migos (feat. Drake)

    Recently given the title of “the fastest skater I’ve ever seen” by new teammate Trevor Zegras, Tippett is a dynamic, speedy winger packed into a 6-foot-1, 210-pound power forward’s body. He crunches guys with ease — as noted by his big hit on Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye on Monday — and also keeps defenses on their heels because they cannot predict when he will turn on the jets.

    He is known for highlight-reel goals, but when he mixes his speed, shiftiness, and big shot, Tippett can resemble a freight train. According to NHL Edge, Tippett’s max speed last season was 23.89 mph — Miles Wood’s 24.82-mph burst was the NHL’s fastest last season — and he recorded 38 bursts of 22 mph, ranking fourth in the NHL. Two seasons ago, he was clocked as the fastest skater in the NHL — yes, faster than Connor McDavid — by hitting a max of 24.21 mph, and was ranked fourth in the league with 46 trips at 22-plus mph.

    This season, his max speed is 22.89, with Bobby Brink the fastest Flyer at 23.30. But Tippett has hit at least 22 mph seven times already, putting him right behind McDavid’s 11.

    Just because he has dropped a little speed doesn’t mean anything. It’s actually a good sign because, while “it’s obviously exciting when you look up and see no one in front of you … and you start turning the legs,” he also has realized that he doesn’t need to be going 100 miles an hour all the time.

    “I know my speed’s always going to be there,” he said. “So it’s focusing on the other little things and then letting my game take over from there. There’s definitely going to be times where it fits in, and we’re still trying to figure that out. … It’s just a matter of finding times, and then letting the game kind of open up and not force things.”

    Flyers takeaways: Power play finally fires; Nikita Grebenkin announces his presence

    ‘Can’t Stop’ – Red Hot Chili Peppers

    After he was hired as the Flyers’ coach in May, Tocchet told The Inquirer, “I think Owen Tippett is a guy who I feel has another level in him. I think he’s a prototypical big, fast winger. Can we unleash him?”

    Well, it looks like the collar is off.

    The bench boss noticed early on that the winger had a habit of exposing the puck; Tippett has been working on it. Tocchet mentioned his “incredible” speed and how he is a “great off-the-rush guy,” but wanted to see him go to the inside more. One of his two goals Monday came because he positioned himself in the slot, and he combined his newfound inside game with his trademark speed to beat two-time defending Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck on Oct. 16.

    The Flyers’ gifted Matvei Michkov overcame pressure as a rookie. Now he’s out to avoid the sophomore slump.

    “In the short time I’ve been here, [and] this coaching staff, he’s been a pleasure to coach,” Tocchet said. “He’s been in the room. He’s asking questions. He’s in the video room. He’s taking the information. He’s really taken ahold of the game like a leader-type of role. That’s what I see. I don’t know what happened in the past, but he looks like a guy who’s dialed in.”

    Indeed.

    Like the music he listens to — EDM (electronic dance music) to house to rap to remixes — Tippett is adding variety to his game while burying five goals on 19 shots. For someone notoriously criticized for missing the net, Tippet is ranked sixth in the NHL with an eye-popping 26.3% shooting percentage (minimum 15 shots).

    Of course, Tippett’s taste in music isn’t for everyone, but as Cam York said, “It’s been good. If he keeps scoring like that, keep going.”

  • Flyers’ Travis Konecny happy to get on the board and put an end to the ‘snakebit’ questions

    Flyers’ Travis Konecny happy to get on the board and put an end to the ‘snakebit’ questions

    Still in his gear after a lengthy practice on Tuesday, Travis Konecny was asked about the mighty yell he let out after punching in his first goal of the season in the Flyers’ 5-2 win against the Seattle Kraken the night before.

    “Yeah, I mean, now I don’t have to hear about being snakebit again,” he said, eliciting a laugh as he seemed to poke fun at a question he was asked after Thursday night’s 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. “No, I mean, it was a big goal during the game. It wasn’t anything special about that one. It was just a big time in the game.”

    Konecny has led the Flyers in scoring for five of the past six seasons, including the last four, but after putting up consecutive campaigns of 31 and 33 goals, Konecny slipped to 24 last season — and only three of those came over the final 35 games. He entered this season knowing he had to be more consistent across the 82-game slate, but despite not scoring through the first five games, he was contributing in other facets.

    Flyers takeaways: Power play finally fires; Nikita Grebenkin announces his presence

    “I think sometimes when you’re looking for offense, you’re trying too hard, you almost want to do too many plays,” said his centerman, Sean Couturier. “And I’ve seen over the last two games a little more simplicity in his game, where he’s just making the easy pass and getting open, using his speed to go to the net and cycling.”

    The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Konecny is throwing big checks, too. While Garnet Hathaway leads the Flyers with 24 hits, Konecny is fifth with nine — six of which have come in the past two games.

    On Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, he had three of his four hits in the second period. One of them generated a roar from the crowd and seemed to spark the Flyers, who trailed by a goal before winning, 2-1, in overtime.

    After the Noah Cates line had trouble getting out of its end, Konecny finally came on for a change. The Flyers worked the puck out from Couturier to Bobby Brink to Konecny. The two-time All-Star dumped it in and chased — crushing the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Jonas Brodin to the ground at the end boards.

    Flyers right wing Travis Konecny is seeking a third 30-goal season.

    Did it carry into Monday night?

    “A little bit, yeah, for sure,” he said. “I mean, sometimes when I’m in that mood, it’s something that helps the team, but in the moment, some of it’s just for me, getting some anger out. And I think that in some ways that helps the team.

    “But, yeah, that specific time I remember there was one that was meant for the team and one that was for me.”

    Despite not burying the puck until Monday — which gave him 199 goals in 652 regular-season games — Konecny still was playing a key role for the Flyers. He’s had those big hits, dished out two assists, and is big reason why the penalty kill is tied for 10th in the NHL (83.3%). According to Natural Stat Trick, at five-on-five, the Flyers have scored four goals while giving up just two when he is on the ice.

    “Well, right now, I think he was looking for a little bit for his game offensively, but I think he was, in our zone, he was really in the right positions, being on the D side and winning battles down low, helping me out a lot as a centerman,” Couturier said. “So I think when you’re not on your offensive game, and you find ways to help the team in other ways, that’s what you mean by taking care of details.”

    And then he stood up for Owen Tippett. Late in the third period of a game that was out of reach for the visitors, Tippett was drilled from behind by Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren. Konecny went after him, dropping the gloves.

    Rick Tocchet’s seeking ‘awareness’ from Flyers blueliner Egor Zamula

    “I saw him keep going at Tipp, and he’s our hottest guy,” Konecny said of his teammate, who has five goals in the first six games. “It was just one of those things where I was just kind of in my head, like, ‘What are you doing?’ And then he tried to jump me.”

    What did the captain Couturier say to Konecny afterward?

    “Great job, way to go,” he said.

    So, any history between the Flyers winger and former New York Rangers defenseman?

    “There is now,” Konecny said with a smile.

    Breakaways

    The Flyers are off on Wednesday before taking on the Senators in Ottawa on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP). … Submit entries for Around the Rinks, which highlights the local ice, ball, and inline hockey scenes, Thursdays online and Fridays in the paper, by noon every Thursday with Around the Rinks in the subject line to jspiegel@inquirer.com. Entries can include information about your league, big moments on the ice, upcoming rivalry games, favorite players, and more.

  • Flyers takeaways: Power play finally fires; Nikita Grebenkin announces his presence

    Flyers takeaways: Power play finally fires; Nikita Grebenkin announces his presence

    In one of their most complete games of the young season, the Flyers closed out a four-game homestand Monday with a 5-2 win against a Seattle Kraken team that had yet to lose in regulation this season.

    It upped the Orange and Black’s record to 3-2-1. Here are three things that keyed the victory:

    Owen Tippett fuels the Flyers’ offensive explosion in 5-2 win over Kraken

    Powered up

    Entering Monday night, the Flyers’ power play was in a familiar spot — last in the NHL at 6.7%. But after going 2-for-4 against the Kraken, it is now up to 15.8% and tied for 21st with the New York Islanders, who visit Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday (12:30 p.m., NBCSP).

    Tyson Foerster scored the first one after he and Bobby Brink got to work on the boards, transferring the connectivity that they have at five-on-five over to the power play. The play saw Foerster track down an errant pass in the corner and find a supporting Brink, who drew two Kraken defenders in before slipping it back to his linemate. The nifty give-and-go gave Foerster a ton of space in the left faceoff circle to pick the top corner.

    “Yeah, a little surprised ’cause I thought [Trevor] Zegras was open, too,” Foerster said of all the time he had to shoot. “So it was either pick Zegras or shoot, so I decided to shoot.”

    Foerster, whose goal came with 7 seconds left on the power play, also gave props to his goalie, Dan Vladař, who stopped a two-on-one and a breakaway right before the Flyers got on the board.

    “Well, we wanted to give them a couple of breakaways and a two-on-one to loosen them up and then we started to go,” coach Rick Tocchet said sarcastically when asked if there was a change in strategy for Monday or just better execution.

    “No, obviously, it was a little hairy there. We weren’t too happy with it early.”

    Tocchet liked the movement of the power play overall, but he wanted to see more. According to Cam York, who got the primary assist on the Noah Cates tip-in goal 19 seconds into a second-period power play, the credit goes to the coaches.

    “I should have done it in the first period, too, on Tyson’s first goal,” he said of putting the point shot on goal with traffic in front.

    “Didn’t [and] we watched it on video, and in the second period was able to capitalize on it. I’ve said it from the start, coaches have done a great job of making us look good out there, and I’ll give the credit to them on that one.”

    But Tocchet credited Zegras for paying attention to the pre-scout and using the information to set up York by drawing Kraken penalty killer Tye Kartye to him in the right faceoff circle.

    “That’s high-level play, is making a back pass through the top down,” said Tocchet, noting how the Kraken structure their penalty kill. “That’s a hard play and if you beat that play, you’re going to get that guy in the middle with all day for a shot. So, that’s the skill of Trevor, he can make that backhand pass to the middle guy.”

    Zegras has an assist in five straight games.

    Supporting Matvei

    There have been a lot of questions about Matvei Michkov’s reads as of late, but on Monday, not only did he read and react properly, it led to Travis Konecny’s first goal of the season.

    Owen Tippett, who remained red-hot with a pair of goals, skated a hard 34 seconds and got off the ice. It allowed Michkov to be out there with Konecny and Sean Couturier, until Couturier changed as the puck went back into the Flyers zone.

    Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    What was not shown on the broadcast is that Michkov clearly processed that the center was changing and went back to the defensive zone to provide puck support. He swung low and turned up the right wing as two Kraken players went to play the defenseman, who flipped the puck up in the air. It dropped and died in the neutral zone, allowing Michkov, who was skating north — another thing Tocchet has stressed to him — to pick up the puck.

    From there Michkov got to work, finding a trailing Egor Zamula before the defenseman, who used his patience to outwait a Kraken defender, found Konecny at the back post.

    Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov had his best game of the young season on Monday.

    “Listen, he’s chipping away in his game, and that’s all we can ask for. We’re looking at inches for players, that’s another inch for him,” Tocchet said of Michkov. “So, yeah, he made some nice plays. He started to skate a little bit more north and stuff like that. But he makes a high-level play to Zamula. … You skate, you make everyone drive [to you], and then you make the play. It’s when you don’t move the structure that he throws it in the middle and I think there’s a difference, and I think he’s starting to learn the difference.”

    ‘We are a family’

    It’s been 23 years since Tocchet last played for the Flyers and his name is still atop the team’s all-time list for most career penalty minutes. And despite being a guy with 172 career NHL fights (regular season and playoffs), according to hockeyhights.com, Tocchet swears, “We’re not preaching fighting.”

    What he is doing is “trying to create a culture and sticking together.”

    The Flyers brought in a UFC fighter and a bare-knuckles boxer to teach them how to fight. Are the Bullies back?

    They definitely do that because after Nic Deslauriers dropped the gloves against Minnesota; and Michkov got a minor for going at Carolina Hurricanes forward William Carrier, who nailed Konecny; and before Konecny got his own fighting major Monday after Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren cross-checked Couturier from behind, Nikita Grebenkin entered the chat.

    “It was awesome. Didn’t see it coming,” York said, summing it up perfectly. “But, he’s a feisty guy, I think, and any time one of our guys gets hit like that, you want to stick up for him. It’s who we are here, we’re a family, and just part of what we do.”

    Playing in just his fourth game as a Flyer, Grebenkin made his presence known. After Garnet Hathaway was hit awkwardly, he instigated a fight with Cale Fleury and body-slammed him to the ice.

    Grebenkin played just 7 minutes, 38 seconds — he earned 17 minutes’ worth of penalty time for his fight — but got his money’s worth as he endeared himself to his teammates and also made several nice plays, especially in the third period.

  • Owen Tippett fuels the Flyers’ offensive explosion in 5-2 win over Kraken

    Owen Tippett fuels the Flyers’ offensive explosion in 5-2 win over Kraken

    Entering Monday night, the Flyers were tied for the sixth-fewest goals per game this season, averaging just 2.6.

    But Monday night, they rose from the depths with a 5-2 win to hand the visiting Seattle Kraken its first regulation loss of the season. The Flyers have now won two straight and three of their last four and are 3-2-1 to start the season.

    The Orange and Black did it backed by two goals from Owen Tippett, two power-play goals — one by Tyson Foerster and one from Noah Cates — three assists by Cam York, and with several players registering their first point, including Travis Konecny notching his first goal of the season.

    Rick Tocchet’s seeking ‘awareness’ from Flyers blueliner Egor Zamula; Dan Vladař starts in goal again

    Tippett stayed hot by snagging his fourth goal of the season in six games, to tie the game 1-1 at the midway point of the first period. Sean Couturier stripped Kraken goalie Joey Daccord as he tried to play the puck behind the goal line. The captain fed Nick Seeler as he snuck down into the left circle and tried to rip a shot. It deflected off the stick of Eeli Tolvanen, allowing Tippett to shovel the puck home into a gaping net.

    Foerster then gave the Flyers the lead with a power-play goal less than 4 minutes later.

    The winger and Bobby Brink worked the boards after a return pass by York missed its connection with Brink. Foerster got the puck and the two got to work with Brink drawing two Kraken players to him before passing to an open Foerster, who took his time and picked the top corner. The 23-year-old Foerster now has two goals and five points in six games.

    Konecny hinted Thursday that he wasn’t too worried about not having a goal, but the reaction after he scored told a different story. The play started when Matvei Michkov corralled the puck in the neutral zone, carried it into the offensive zone, and found trailing Egor Zamula.

    The defenseman, who is well known for his patience with the puck, used it wisely as he skated down to the bottom of the left faceoff circle — used a little shoulder shrug to get around Jani Nyman along the way — and found Konecny for the tap-in at the right post to make it 3-1. It was Zamula’s first assist of the season.

    Tyson Foerster has three goals in the early going this season.

    Cates got the Flyers their second power-play goal less than a minute later, tipping in a point shot by York. The blueliner received a great pass from Trevor Zegras after the center drew winger Tye Kartye in tight, creating space. Cates has three goals and five points in six games.

    Tippett added his second, to extend the lead to 5-2, with a bad-angle shot that squeezed through Daccord and the left post with under five minutes remaining in the second period.

    Jordan Eberle had gotten the Kraken on the board first in the opening frame when a point shot by Cale Fleury hit him in the slot and changed direction on Flyers goalie Dan Vladař, who was ready to make the glove save. The puck instead went over his right shoulder.

    Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    Nyman had made it 4-2 on a Seattle power play when Matty Beniers found him in the right circle after a scramble in front.

    Vladař, who was starting his second straight game, made 21 saves on 23 shots, including a big pad save on Kartye during a two-on-one when the Flyers were on the power play in the first period and then Chandler Stephenson on a breakaway four seconds later. Foerster scored his first on the power play soon after.

    Breakaways

    Nikita Grebenkin got back into the lineup and made an impact by coming to the defense of his teammate, Garnet Hathaway, who was hit awkwardly by Fleury along the boards in the neutral zone. The Russian earned five for fighting, two for instigating, and a 10-minute misconduct but earned his money by body-slamming Fleury down and then motioning to the crowd — a la Nic Deslauriers — to get excited. … In the third period, Konecny also dropped the gloves and was given a 10-minute misconduct. He went to the defense of Couturier, who was cross-checked unexpectedly and from behind by former New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren. The play happened after Tippett nailed Kartye in front of the Kraken’s bench. … Jett Luchanko also returned to the lineup and played 8 minutes, 43 seconds and had a shot on goal in what was his fourth game of the season.

    Nikita Grebenkin earned himself some props from his teammates after standing up for Garnet Hathaway.

    Up next

    The Flyers hit the road for a matchup with the Ottawa Senators on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP). The Sens will be without captain Brady Tkachuk, who is out 6-8 weeks after thumb surgery.

  • Rick Tocchet’s seeking ‘awareness’ from Flyers blueliner Egor Zamula

    Rick Tocchet’s seeking ‘awareness’ from Flyers blueliner Egor Zamula

    For now, Rick Tocchet is thinking the bottom pairing for the Flyers will be a rotation.

    After sitting for two games, with Adam Ginning slotting in, Egor Zamula will suit up for the second consecutive game Monday when the Flyers host the Seattle Kraken, who are 3-0-2 this season (7 p.m., NBCSP). The 25-year-old defenseman is expected to be paired again with Noah Juulsen.

    “I think he’s settled a little bit. … I think for him, I think it’s just keeping it simple,” Juulsen said. “You know, when you’re playing against third, fourth lines, it’s not always about being fancy and getting points and things like that. It’s more just doing your role every night and having success with that.”

    Zamula played 11 minutes, 14 seconds Saturday in the Flyers’ 2-1 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild. Tocchet thought Zamula played a “fairly clean” game. The pairing did not give up a goal while on the ice for three shot attempts for and 11 against at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

    Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula played a “fairly clean” game Saturday vs. the Wild, according to head coach Rick Tocchet.

    “I’m up and down, but I think last game, I played with Juuls pretty well,” Zamula said. “But same time, it’s just [the] start … and I know I need to be ready to play every game in the regular season, because every point is important for us. So I mean, I try to do my best on the practice [ice] to help myself in the games.”

    The long-standing criticism, dating back to former coach John Tortorella, has been Zamula’s pace of play. Tocchet also wants to see Zamula move the puck more quickly.

    “I call it awareness,” Tocchet said. “You’re looking where to go instead of catch it, skate, and then have awareness. And I think if he can get that in his game … [because] for him, five feet is a big difference.

    Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    “Like, skate five feet to open up options, because when you first get it, the options aren’t usually open — there’s a stick in your lane, there’s a player in your lane — but once you escape, the other team has to react off you and that means somebody should be open.”

    Before the Flyers’ season started, general manager Danny Brière said of Zamula, “He’s going to be in a battle to stay in the lineup, probably for most of the year, unless he steps up his game and plays the way he’s capable of.”

    Daily Faceoff reported recently that the Calgary Flames are looking for a left-shot young defenseman with size and have interest in the 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman, who played junior hockey for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.

    On Monday, Tocchet said he has seen Zamula work on things lately and put in a string of good practices. Sunday, after practice wrapped up, the blueliner worked on catching pucks at the blue line with assistant coach Todd Reirden, who is in charge of the defense, and then after doing it a few times, taking three quick steps.

    “I think [it] will be better,” Zamula said of his pace of play. When asked how he is working on it, he said, “Just reps, skate a lot, work on conditioning, pretty much. That’s it.”

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař is 2-1-0 with a .934 save percentage in three starts heading into Monday night.

    Staying with Vladař

    Heading into Game 6 of the season, there’s been a slight shift in the goalie rotation as Dan Vladař will start his second straight game.

    “I think now you’re in the situations where you start chunking some games together,” Tocchet said. ”It could happen for [Sam Ersson], too. So just we feel tonight, Vladdy deserves the net.”

    “I’m not sure if [there’s anything] to read into it,” Tocchet added.

    Flyers-Wild takeaways: Goalie Dan Vladař showed he may be more than just a backup by saving 15 of 16 shots in the overtime victory.

    The Czech goalie made 15 saves on 16 shots against the Wild. Through three starts, he has a 2-1-0 record with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.

    Breakaways

    Forwards Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko will slot back in while Nic Delsauriers and Rodrigo Ābols will be healthy scratches.

  • Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    Five games into the season, Matvei Michkov has one goal, which he scored Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

    But more significant isn’t necessarily the goal, it’s that he played 18 minutes, 48 seconds. In the first three games of the season, Michkov ranked ninth in average minutes (14:26) among Flyers forwards who skated in all three, with only Garnet Hathaway below him.

    On Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Michkov was on the ice for 12:07, his lowest total since Jan. 30. Across his 80 games as a rookie, Michkov played fewer minutes four times. He was benched in the third period for the third game this season.

    The 20-year-old winger did not play in the final 1:56 of regulation or in overtime in the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He did not play the final 7:43 against the Florida Panthers in the Flyers’ win on Monday. And on Saturday, he did not play the final 11:48 of regulation or in overtime.

    The Flyers’ gifted Matvei Michkov overcame pressure as a rookie. Now he’s out to avoid the sophomore slump.

    “I know he’s the lightning rod for everybody around here,” said coach Rick Tocchet, who previously said that some of Michkov’s drop in ice time has been related to the Flyers taking so many penalties — and the winger is not on the penalty kill. “Just got to relax. He’s got to get himself into shape.”

    Tocchet said last week that the Russian suffered an ankle injury this offseason. Michkov confirmed Wednesday through a team translator that he “was training in the summer, got a little injury, minor injury in the ankle,” and now is getting back into playing form.

    Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (center) celebrates his goal against the Jets with Owen Tippett (left) and Noah Juulsen.

    Just over a week into the season, Tocchet is starting to sound like former coach John Tortorella, who would often stress that Michkov needed to be accountable on the ice and be a pro.

    Under Tocchet’s defensive-zone system, wingers have a setup in which “the wingers really have your quadrant, and that’s kind of your job … Just got to make sure you’re in the slot, covering certain people, because you don’t want those slot shots.” But it is becoming clear that while Michkov is a high-end hockey player who sometimes sees the play two steps ahead, he often puts his team at a disadvantage by leaving the zone early.

    “He’s been in video sessions asking the right questions, and he’ll tell you, ‘Yeah, no, I’m in the wrong spot.’ He’s just got to know when is the time to cheat and when not,” said Tocchet, who added that Michkov has gotten better at it and is working hard on supporting the puck.

    “We don’t have the puck, you can’t be at center ice. That’s the rules of hockey. It’s black and white for me.”

    Tocchet wants his players to go north and not dawdle. He clearly also wants Michkov to stop cherry-picking, hoping for an outlet pass that could spring him alone on the goalie. Saturday night, the Wild’s only goal was a clear example of the youngster misreading the play.

    Earlier on the shift, when it was a 50-50 battle along the wall, Michkov cheated a little and drifted into the neutral zone — when it’s a 50-50 puck, it’s not as terrible — and he did come right back into the Flyers’ end. But the issue is that as Vladimir Tarasenko put his shot on goal from the blue line, Michkov was skating backward in the neutral zone. There was no clear indication the Flyers would get the puck back — and they didn’t.

    “I’m not trying to change his whole game,” Tocchet stressed. “But he has to support the puck. That’s all. You can’t go away from the puck. You have to go to the puck, right? And there’s a lot of support issues. … He likes to play on the outside and kind of, he skates backward a lot when he gets the puck. I want him to skate forward. That’s the gift of him and he can make his plays.”

    Thinking about transitioning to offense isn’t a bad thing, it just has to be at the proper time and place. Regardless of whether the Flyers would get the puck back on the shot by Tarasenko, it was sent too deep to make that read in that situation.

    It happened again in the third period when Michkov misread the play as three Flyers went to Wild forward Ryan Hartman after a shot was blocked again by Jamie Drysdale. It was not a great read overall by the Flyers on the ice, but Michkov disappears off screen and, had he not, he would have been in a good spot for the errant pass by Hartman. Instead, it allowed Minnesota’s Jake Middleton to pinch in and keep the puck in the zone.

    “We talk about everybody wants to win around here, and everybody wants to build a culture, and you’ve got to do that first, right? I’m a big believer in that,” Tocchet said. “And, yeah, not everybody’s a system guy. Now, you don’t want robots out there, and I don’t want them to be a robot, but there’s also things you have to participate on the team part.

    “Everyone has to have somewhat the same standard. You can’t let people do what they want — then you’ll lose all the time. So that’s just we have to do. And there’s growing pains with it.”

    Breakaways

    Practice on Sunday had Owen Tippett on the top line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. The trio finished the game against the Wild together when Tippett was elevated after scoring the tying goal. Michov was moved to the wing with Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak. Zegras and Michkov showed offensive chemistry in the preseason and Dvorak, a noted defensive-minded forward who has been playing center on the line, could provide needed support for the two creative forwards.

  • Flyers-Wild takeaways: Already up to three goals, Owen Tippett flashes his size and speed

    Flyers-Wild takeaways: Already up to three goals, Owen Tippett flashes his size and speed

    For the second straight game, the Flyers faced a road team fine playing the long game in a low-event contest.

    Saturday night’s game saw a combined 106 shot attempts, with just 37 shots needing to be stopped by the netminders. But unlike Thursday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets, the Flyers beat the Minnesota Wild, 2-1, in overtime on a goal by Noah Cates.

    The Flyers are now 2-2-1, and here are two key contributors who helped them get to .500.

    Tippett scores again

    The season is only five games old, but Owen Tippett has been flying around the ice in midseason form. On Saturday night, he notched his third goal; the last two seasons, it took him 14 games to reach that mark, with his first goal coming both years in Game 7.

    “I said it since the start of camp, coming in with a clear mind after maybe not the start I wanted last year,” he said. “And, you know, a clean slate and just going game by game.”

    Once again, Tippett was clearly one of the Flyers’ best players as he used his legs and big body to create opportunities. On Thursday, the speedy winger scored with a burst through the neutral zone before firing off a shot from the right faceoff circle.

    On Saturday, he tried a similar move in the second period, this time using his legs and cutting to the middle before sending a backhand wide. He had four missed shots and another one blocked, but didn’t let that deter him as he scored on his fourth of five shots, staying with the play — after his initial shot couldn’t be handled cleanly by goalie Jesper Wallstedt — before banking it in.

    There wasn’t much speed on the goal, and while Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber had to transition to defense quickly after Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak created a neutral zone turnover, you had to wonder whether the knowledge that Tippett can turn it on was on the blueliner’s mind.

    “You just saw his speed and his confidence going,” Cates said. “He scored two nights ago. He scored tonight. So when he gets into the game, you can see, he turns the tide. He can be a one-man show with his speed. So obviously, we need him to keep going.”

    Added Zegras, who got the primary assist: “He’s the fastest skater I’ve ever seen. It’s awesome. “I’ve never played with a guy that has that much speed. And he does some wild stuff. I think he did like a spin-o-rama in the third period. I’m just like, oh my God. Somebody so big that skates that fast, it’s fun to watch.”

    Although NHL Edge had Bobby Brink as the Flyers’ fastest skater with a max burst of 23.30 mph, that was his only one. Tippett’s max right now is 22.89, but he’s had six bursts at 22-plus, 18 at 20-22 mph, and 40 at 18-20 mph.

    “I think that’s one of the things I’ve kind of focused on is if my legs are there, the rest will kind of follow,” Tippett said. “I think there’s times when I don’t need to be going 100 miles an hour all the time, but I think if I can get in the first shift or two, if I can kind of feel my legs a little bit, it usually sets me up pretty well.”

    Flyers forward Owen Tippett was quite busy against Minnesota, collecting a game-high five shots on goal and 10 shot attempts. He also threw three hits.

    Vladař making his case

    Several eyebrows were raised externally when the Flyers signed Dan Vladař on July 1. It’s early, and he’s only made three starts, but those naysayers are certainly being proved wrong right now.

    Vladař has stepped up and become not just a reliable goalie partner for Sam Ersson — something that was desperately needed after the 25-year-old Swede carried the workload the last two seasons — but has maybe even supplanted him.

    New Flyers goalie Dan Vladař says he’s coming to compete. His underlying numbers are intriguing.

    After an impressive 32-save performance against the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers in a loss on opening night, he stopped 24 of 26 in a win against the same team in the home opener. Vladař earned his second win of the season, stopping 15 of 16 shots against the Wild.

    “He’s a big guy who moves well,” said Cates, adding that he has a big personality to boot. “Any time you’ve got a guy with that size, you’re going to have to pick corners pretty precisely. And, he’s kept us in a lot of games.

    “Every time he’s in there, we trust him back there — both our goalies have been great so far, and we trust both of them back there. But he’s put up some big minutes for us so far, made some big saves.”

    Minnesota didn’t make it easy for Vladař. Although Natural Stat Trick had him down for just three saves on high-danger shots — the lone goal by Vladimir Tarasenko was mid-danger — the stat is a little misleading. Several of the nine low-danger saves he was credited with came despite screens set or players skating through the slot as the shot was being taken.

    “You know that’s their strength,” said Vladař, who entered the night with a 3-1-1 record and .896 save percentage against the Wild across five games. “They really get in front of the goalies, and really good at tipping the pucks and stuff. They’ve got a big, heavy team. So, you know, good for them, but I thought we had our legs tonight and we played a really good hockey [game].”

    Flyers goalie Dan Vladar keeps the puck and the Wild’s Marco Rossi out of the net in the overtime period Saturday.

    The idea behind coach Rick Tocchet’s box-and-one defense is to keep shots to the outside and allow the goaltender to see it. The Wild, a team Tocchet has seen quite a bit in his last few years with the Vancouver Canucks, have several big guys who try to take away the goalie’s eyes — like Joel Eriksson Ek, who tipped a shot as he was backing in for the screen on a power-play in the second period. But part of the coach’s system is to avoid double deflections. The Flyers blocked 16 shots, but it looked like they avoided those double deflections that can trick goalies.

    But while he was great at dealing with the traffic, Vladař also moves and reads plays exceptionally well. He didn’t get an assist on the game-winner, but after making a glove save on Matt Boldy, he opted to play the puck despite Marco Rossi being there and all over Jamie Drysdale. Luckily, the fleet-footed skater got away, and 15 seconds later, Cates scored.

    “He’s great,” Zegras said of Vladař. “I saw a ton of him over the last couple of years when he was in Calgary, and he was always unbelievable. He’s just so big and great at keeping pucks into the corner and plays it really well, too. So he was awesome tonight.”