Penn State is closing in on hiring D’Anton Lynn as its defensive coordinator, according to several reports on Monday.
Lynn, a former Penn State letterman, has spent the last two seasons leading Southern Cal’s defense. His hiring will make him the fourth defensive coordinator at Penn State in as many years.
Jim Knowles, the Philadelphia native who served as the program’s defensive coordinator in 2025, was not retained on new coach Matt Campbell’s staff and left to take the same position at Tennessee. Jon Heacock, who was the defensive coordinator in every season Campbell served as head coach at Iowa State, was expected to follow the new Penn State coach to Happy Valley, but he opted to retire last week.
The 36-year-old Lynn also spent a year as UCLA’s defensive coordinator and spent time as an assistant in the NFL for the Chargers, Texans, Bills, and Ravens.
This season, USC’s defense ranked 45th nationally in passing yards allowed per game (203.3), 48th in total defense (348.8 yards), and 49th in points allowed (22.4).
Lynn played defensive back at Penn State from 2008-11 and finished with 162 tackles (seven for losses), four interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 47 career games.
A Delaware County woman was charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing her 23-year-old daughter to death in their Upper Darby Township home two days before Christmas, authorities say.
Police found Diane Grovola, 57, naked, covered in blood, and suffering self-inflicted stab wounds when they responded to a 911 call at the family residence that morning, according to the affidavit of probable cause in her arrest.
Grovola’s daughter was in an upstairs bedroom with knife wounds to her face, chest, legs, and back. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive, the affidavit says. She was pronounced dead shortly after.
“Sorry, I should have stabbed myself first,” Grovola told officers as they placed her in wrist restraints, according to the affidavit.
Grovola’s husband, the young woman’s father, was first to discover the distressing scene.
The man arrived at the home on South Bishop Avenue in the Secane section around 6:30 a.m. after returning from a shift at Philadelphia International Airport, the affidavit says. He had stopped at McDonald’s to get breakfast for his family.
Once inside, the man was greeted by the family dog, which had suffered knife wounds to its abdomen and “got blood on his clothing,” according to the affidavit.
He found his wife seated on the living room sofa with a knife in her hand.
“I stabbed our daughter,” she told him, according to the affidavit.
As her husband dialed 911, Diane Grovola told him she did not want to live anymore and began to stab herself in the chest, according to the affidavit.
The operator told the man to flee the residence.
During that time, Grovola stripped naked and began breaking items in the kitchen until police arrived. They eventually recovered a large stainless-steel knife that appeared to have blood on it, the affidavit says.
In addition to first-degree murder, prosecutors charged Grovola with third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of a crime, and aggravated cruelty to an animal.
She is being held in the George W. Hill Correctional Facility and was denied bail, court records show.
This year, home shoppers on Zillow looked to make the most of spaces they could afford instead of looking for bigger and more luxurious homes, according to the company’s analysis of millions of searches.
Zillow shoppers focused less on size than in the past and more on how flexible, comfortable, and livable a home would be, according to Zillow’s most popular search terms of 2025. Affordability likely helped drive this trend as homes have gotten more expensive.
In 2025, Zillow saw fewer searches for mansions, acreage, and other terms tied to luxury living and more searches for smaller and cozy comforts, such as fireplaces, gardens, and fenced yards.
Searches for accessory-dwelling units, guest houses, and in-law suites increased this year, reflecting buyers’ desire for properties that can meet evolving needs, including space for aging parents and potential for rental income.
Zillow also saw more searches for outdoor features such as pools and yards and access to lakes and beaches.
“2025 was the year people stopped searching for more home and started searching for more meaning at home,” Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert, said in a statement. “Across the country, buyers want homes that can flex for family, offer access to nature, and deliver small daily comforts that make life feel easier and more joyful.”
In other words, buyers are looking for homes “that work harder,” Zillow spokesperson Claire Carroll said in a statement.
“That shows up in growing interest in adaptable layouts, multiuse spaces, and lifestyle-driven features that make a home feel more intentional and functional,” she said.
Top local searches
In Pennsylvania, the top-searched word on Zillow was historic. In New Jersey, it was patio.
In addition to historic homes, shoppers looking for Pennsylvania properties in 2025 also most often searched for cabins and farms and properties with a fireplace or lake this year.
Shoppers in the Garden State were focused on the outdoors this year. They most often searched not only for a patio but also for yard, ranch, pool, and waterfront. The number of waterfront searches grew nationally this year.
And they, along with shoppers in New York, were most likely to search for mother-daughter homes, which are single-family properties made for multigenerational living. These homes have separate living areas and often separate kitchens and bathrooms.
The popularity of these homes among Zillow shoppers reflects “growing interest in living arrangements that support aging parents, adult children, or extended family while still allowing for privacy and independence,” Carroll said.
Top home design features for 2026
Zillow anticipates that cozy and personalized homes will continue to be in high demand next year.
Reading nooks are on the rise in Zillow home listings, according to the company’s latest report on home trends. And so are wellness features and spalike bathrooms.
Zillow expects that one of the boldest trends of 2026 will be color drenching. Homeowners cover a space — including walls, ceilings, trims, and doors — with the same color to create spaces that are dramatic and immersive.
A silent second half from the Eagles offense, an outstanding effort from the Birds defensive line, and a failed two-point conversion in the final seconds. It all added up to the Eagles outlasting the Bills on the road in the Buffalo weather, securing a 13-12 win to extend their winning streak to three games.
Now the Eagles will prepare to close out the regular season with a home game against the Washington Commanders, and the No. 2 seed in the NFC is still in play. As Week 18 gets underway, most of the Eagles discussion centered on their dominant defense and ongoing offensive struggles.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Birds ahead of their game with the Commanders …
Did the Eagles impress in Sunday’s win?
The Eagles entered the game as slight underdogs after coming off two wins over teams with losing records: the 2-14 Las Vegas Raiders and the 4-12 Commanders. One of the biggest concerns heading into their Week 17 matchup was how they would the look against a playoff team, one with reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen at quarterback.
After the win, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said he liked what he saw from the Eagles as they prepare to head into the postseason.
“Everything favored the Buffalo Bills,” McCoy said on The Speakeasy podcast. “Who got dominated though, physically? If you watch the game, turn the volume down and just watch the game, we were beating the [expletive] out of them — physical, up front.
“On offense, I don’t like this though. I don’t like that once we get a lead, a comfortable lead, it’s like we put our foot off the gas. Why? It’s OK we’re blowing people out. It’s OK we’re putting 30 on their head. I think we get so conservative and the only thing [we focus on is] let’s get the win. … I’m happy, I think we can clean that stuff up. But, going into the playoffs, I like what I see.”
"Everything favored the Buffalo Bills, but [the Eagles] physically dominated"
– @CutonDime25 is undaunted by Jalen Hurts' poor second half performance
Playing in the rain at Highmark Stadium and taking an early 13-0 lead was enough to impress McCoy’s co-host, former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho.
“I think it was impressive,” Acho said. “You beat the Bills in terrible conditions and interesting terrain. People were slipping, people were sliding. You got the job done.
“Reason it was impressive to me however, though, the Buffalo Bills are one of if not the best teams in the AFC. The Buffalo Bills have the most talented, healthy quarterback remaining in the AFC. The Eagles went to Buffalo and won a game that the Bills needed to win, desperately, because the Buffalo Bills are vying for the No. 1 seed in the AFC East. So, with all that being said, a win over Josh Allen when Josh Allen must win is always impressive.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the ball during Sunday’s win over the Bills.
‘I’m giving both those quarterbacks the out’
The Eagles struggled to find anything offensively in the second half. In the first half, Jalen Hurts passed for 110 yards, but he didn’t have a single completion in the second half while the offense as a whole recorded just 17 yards. Meanwhile, Allen passed for 262 yards but committed a costly turnover that led to the Eagles’ lone touchdown, and missed an open receiver in the end zone on the potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt.
“I think Tom Brady kind of hit it on the head,” former Eagles defensive end Chris Long said on the Green Light podcast. “It was really hard to operate in that weather for both of those quarterbacks. Not just Josh [Allen], I’m giving Jalen [Hurts] the out.
“You know I think the world of Josh, but I’m giving both those quarterbacks the out because — the thing Josh can’t do at the end of the game is choke off an easy crosser. That’s the problem I have. When for much of the game it was really hard to move the ball through the air even routine plays. And it’s not a monsoon at the end of the game.
“I just don’t love the two-point call. I just don’t. Maybe I wanted some free football. Maybe that was a little close for comfort. But Eagles defense, they deserve all the credit in the world.”
As the Eagles offense continues to struggle, their defense continues to make up for it. The Birds defensive line limited NFL rushing leader James Cook to 74 yards on 20 carries, sacked Allen five times, and even made its presence known on special teams, with Jalen Carter blocking an extra point attempt.
“The last three weeks the defense has played their behinds off, and today, magnificent,” former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner said on The Seth Joyner Show. “You couldn’t ask for a better performance by a defense. But you can’t put all that pressure on the defense when you got all the money on [the offensive] side of the football.
“When you got all the great players, supposedly, on that side of the football, you mean to tell me that they couldn’t throw an out route to A.J. Brown in the second half on first down, come back on second down, throw another one and get a first down? One first down in the entire second half of a football game. Are you kidding me?”
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles will host the Washington Commanders on Sunday in their regular-season finale.
‘The Eagles are better than people think’
Despite any offensive inconsistencies, Rex Ryan believes this is a Super Bowl-caliber team heading into the postseason.
“Final word is that the Eagles are a hell of a lot better than people think,” Ryan said on ESPN’s Get Up. “And I get it, the offense has struggled, but this is a championship caliber defense — again. Playing at home is going to be critical.”
But he wasn’t alone in being impressed by the Birds’ victory. Former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins posted that he’s looking forward to the postseason after the team’s big win over the Bills.
“Tonight, playoff-ready defense, sound [special teams] with Jake [Elliott] kicking the laces off the ball, and an offense that capitalized on a turnover without turning the ball over,” Dawkins wrote. “Playoff prep course. Always better to correct after a hard-fought victory.”
Other former players and analysts were already discussing the Eagles’ chances at another Super Bowl ring.
“The Eagles have some absolutely incredible wins this year — but the Rams and Bills wins stand above the rest,” Acho posted just after the win. “This team is battle tested and equipped to win back-to-back Super Bowls.”
Added McCoy: “This defense ain’t no joke. Super Bowl defense.”
Even noted Cowboys fan Skip Bayless was impressed enough by the win to suggest the defending champs will be back in the Super Bowl.
“This game is over,” Bayless wrote. “Congrats, Eagles. You got a gift, then you just took this game over with your physicality and Jalen Hurts’ deadly accuracy. Big impressive late-season win. Super Bowl here you come, again.”
Two men stopped by Apron Cafe, a breakfast spot overlooking Hammonton Municipal Airport’s runway, before they took off in separate helicopters late Sunday morning for what the restaurant owner described as one of their frequent flights together over the years.
Minutes later, about 11:25 a.m., Apron Cafe patrons and staff could see one of the helicopters spiraling, engulfed in flames not far in the distance.
“I looked up and I could see in the distance the one spiraling down and then I see the other one coming down,” said the cafe’s owner, Sal Silipino. “It was hard to believe that they were crashing.”
Local authorities identified the pilots Monday as Kenneth Kirsch, a 65-year-old from Carneys Point, Salem County, and Michael Greenberg, a 71-year-old resident of Sewell, Gloucester County.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said that Greenberg died at the scene. Kirsch died at an area hospital after being flown there.
Just what led to the crash remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The parcel of land where the helicopters crashed was an open field amid a busy area. U.S. Routes 30 and 206 are nearby, as are Atlanticare Hammonton Health Park, an assisted living facility, and homes.
“It was a miracle,” Silipino said. “There was so much in that area that they could have landed on top of.”
Federal investigators remained on site Monday cataloging debris that spanned nearly the length of a football field and was “made up of parts of the main rotor and tail rotors,” according to the NTSB.
The agency said the helicopters are slated to be taken from the crash site to a secure location Tuesday. The preliminary report is expected to be made available in about 30 days.
This article contains information from the Associated Press.
I fell in love with pozole years ago in Mexico City. Though the city has many other merits, including a staggeringly diverse and fascinating food culture, it’s truly my craving for pozole that‘s brought me back again and again. It comes in the colors of the Mexican flag: rojo, verde, and blanco, with regional variations of each.
The good news is you don’t have to go all the way to Mexico City for excellent pozole (although you can buy it by the literal bucket there). Philly has numerous excellent iterations of the classic dish.
Pozole isn’t just about the thick stew itself, studded with large hominy (kernels of nixtamalized corn) and hunks of beef, chicken, or pork. It’s about the fixings and accompaniments. You’ll find shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, crispy tortillas, and lime wedges most frequently, but also tostadas smeared with refried beans, quesadillas stuffed with Oaxaca cheese, little bowls of crema, puffed-up and crispy chicharrones, and big, generous slices of avocado.
Here are a handful of places to sink into a bowl of pozole in Philly. This is not a comprehensive list, just a place to start. And if anyone does invite you over to their mom’s house for pozole, your answer should most certainly be yes. (In fact, please call me if someone does. I would like to come, too).
La Jefa
La Jefa’s delicate pozole ($17) is not like the hearty bucketful I’ve consumed in Mexico City. It’s lighter brunch fare and consists of pulled chicken and hominy with chile de arbol, oregano, minced shallots, lime, served with a couple of blue corn tostadas.
“It’s a chicken-based pozole rojo inspired by the pozole from a place in Zapopan, Jalisco, called La Escolastica. We use fresh hominy, which makes all of the difference. The tostadas are made from Cristina Martinez’s masa,” said restaurateur David Suro, who’s an active presence in the Rittenhouse all-day cafe cafe and its mother restaurant, Tequilas.
Pozole rojo from Cafe y Chocolate, with tostadas covered in typical pozole fixings.
Los Potrillos
This Port Richmond restaurant’s pozole rojo ($18) is a deep red from guajillo chilis, with enormous, skin-on pork knuckles swimming in the broth. On the side are three plain yellow corn tostadas, juicy lime wedges, and shredded lettuce and cilantro. The pork is fall-off-the-bone tender. I like to crush up the tostadas and sprinkle them in the bowl like croutons. It’s intoxicatingly delicious when spiked with lots of lime juice.
West Passyunk’s Café y Chocolate serves a pozole rojo ($15) with two yellow corn tostadas spread with a thick layer of refried beans, then topped with lettuce, radishes, queso fresco, and a drizzle of crema. The stew has diced chunks of pork (and no bones). This is the most opaque of the pozoles on this list and the spiciest. I also love Café y Chocolate’s creamy elote soup and its hearty tortilla soup.
I got La Llorona’s pozole ($18) delivered on a frigid winter day. Theirs is essentially a pozole blanco, but you can also order rojo or verde variations. This is a clear white broth with pork, hominy, and oregano. It’s served with three tostadas painted with refried beans, drizzled with avocado crema, and sprinkled with queso fresco. Shredded lettuce and matchsticks of radish come on the side. I highly recommend you get a quesadilla for dipping into the soup. This is perfect for those who consider themselves spice-averse (though the tostadas pack a bit of heat). The flavor is deep, porky, and herbaceous, but not too chili-forward. The pork is extremely tender, even silky.
In a banner year for restaurants, it has also been a great year for restaurant photography. Craig LaBan has already issued his top 10 restaurants of the year, but we at the Inquirer food team wanted to give more of a look at the spaces behind the list. There are beautiful dining rooms, chefs at work, and (of course) some truly stunning platters of food. Scroll on for a glimpse at some of the most delicious morsels the Inquirer captured in photos in 2025.
(left to right) The gaeng pae, khao mun klone and moo yaang prik at Kalaya on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025 in Philadelphia.The dining room at Vetri Cucina on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.(left to right) The spinach ricotta gnocchi and onion crepe at Vetri Cucina on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025 in Philadelphia.The seafood tower at My Loup in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Aug., 3, 2023.Cauliflower charred over a fire at Pietramala in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.Cauliflower dish at Pietramala in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.Bartender Paul MacDonald works on a Carousel cocktail at Friday Saturday Sunday on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Philadelphia.(left to right) The Judgement of Paris, Mayfly, Orange Catholic and Assassin’s Handbook cocktails at Friday Saturday Sunday on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Philadelphia.The fish at Friday Saturday Sunday on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Philadelphia.The Charred Spanish Mackerel at the Little Water in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.The Key Lime Tart and Maple Cremeux at the Little Water in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.Chef-owner Jesse Ito at work at Royal Sushi & Izakaya on May 31, 2024.The mole dulce at Tequilas Casa Mexicana on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in Philadelphia.Coffee drinks and pastries at La Jefa, a Mexican cafe in the back of Tequilas. In Philadelphia, May 2, 2025.Zucchini sandwich at La Jefa, a Mexican cafe in the back of Tequilas. In Philadelphia, May 2, 2025.Jasmine Rice Pudding at Mawn on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Philadelphia. Mawn is located at 764 South 9th Street.Mahope samut at Mawn on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Philadelphia. Mawn is located at 764 South 9th Street.Assorted plates including the duck, at Zahav in Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.
The Schuylkill River Trail and some of the city’s transit shelters are slated for upgrades as a result of a funding infusion from state coffers.
The two projects will receive nearly $1.3 million, part of $47 million for 54 transportation projects across the commonwealth.
The state will provide $947,668 to the Philadelphia Department of Streets to obtain a right-of-way so that it can complete a gap in the Schuylkill River Trail, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office said in a news release. The funding is for the city to acquire rights of way to construct a trail segment between Kelly Drive and Main Street, near the Pencoyd Bridge, according to a Streets Department spokesperson.
The city portion of the trail is an immensely popular thoroughfare for people walking, biking, and cycling, and offers views of the Art Museum, Boathouse Row, and Fairmount Park. The multiuse trail stretches out of the city into neighboring counties, with a plan to eventually connect 120 miles of trail from Philly to Frackville, Schuylkill County, according to the nonprofit Schuylkill River Greenways.
The state earmarked $328,295 for the Center City District to fix up transit shelters “in preparation for Philadelphia250,” according to the governor’s office.
America’s 250th birthday celebration, aka the Semiquincentennial, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of tourists, with a long list of events scheduled. Philadelphia will also host the FIFA World Cup, NCAA March Madness games, the Major League Baseball All-Star game, and the PGA Championship next year.
A bus picks up riders at a bus shelter on JFK Boulevard at North 15th Street.
The money for the projects comes out of the state’s multimodal transportation fund, created in 2013 to provide investments for ports, rail freight, aviation, and “bicycle and pedestrian improvements,” according to a state website.
“Infrastructure is essential to Pennsylvania’s growth and to connecting people with opportunity,” Shapiro said in a Dec. 23 news release.
In Bucks County, Upper Makefield will get $250,000 for sidewalks, ramps, and features that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and other improvements including “decorative crosswalks” and pedestrian signals along Route 532.
Chester County is set to see $113,920 for trails and ADA-compliant improvements on Broad Run Road in West Bradford and $126,827 for storm sewer and pedestrian improvements in West Goshen.
Communities in Delaware County will get more than $1.4 million for three projects:
nearly $400,000 for an “emergency preemption system” in Aston to notify the fire department of incidents;
about $700,000 to realign roadways, providing safe areas for pedestrians in Springfield; and
$314,249 for safety and streetscape improvements on Myers Avenue in Swarthmore.
Recipients in Montgomery County are set to receive about $3.3 million for four projects:
$1,324,000 for safety improvements in Conshohocken;
$1,415,183 to Hopwood Homes, a business registered by real estate investor Arnold Galman, for road widening, drainage, and trail additions on Hopwood Road;
$3 million for intersection improvements in Towamencin ; and
$3 million to replace a bridge and build a roundabout in Upper Providence.
Projects were decided by PennDot based on “safety benefits, regional economic conditions, technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency, and operational sustainability,” the news release said.
The next application period for grants opens Jan. 5.
Michelin stars, oysters, coffee houses, food halls, and a billion-dollar newcomer shaped the 2025 Philadelphia restaurant scene.
The awards keep rolling in
As Philadelphia gears up to mark the Semiquincentennial, its restaurant scene sits squarely on the national radar.
Michelin inspectors seemed to have had a good first impression of Philadelphia’s dining scene. At the Nov. 18 ceremony, which attracted more than 500 culinary professionals from around the world to the Kimmel Center for the U.S. Northeast Cities awards, nearly three dozen Philadelphia restaurants earned recognition. Center City’s Friday Saturday Sunday and Her Place Supper Club, and Society Hill’s Provenance received a star, while 11 others were designated as “recommended.” Ten others were conferred Bib Gourmand selections for serving what Michelin calls “exceptional food at great value.”
Coffee houses became Philadelphia’s most important third spaces — places to sit, work, talk, and linger without alcohol or reservations. Yemeni coffee chains, in particular, expanded.
Oysters are everywhere as raw bars multiplied. Sao reimagines seafood through a Cambodian influence. Lauren Biederman (Biederman’s) is behind Tesiny, a South Philadelphia raw bar; restaurateur Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon offer bivalves at their First Daughter Oyster & Co. at the Renaissance Philadelphia Downtown Hotel; and chef George Sabatino and partners have put a raw bar front and center at Fleur’s, their French spot in Kensington.
Food halls grow up, and find their footing
You could describe Eataly, the Italian emporium that opened in October in King of Prussia, and the new Feed Mill Eatery in Medford as food halls because of their everything-under-one-roof setup. But they have common ownership. The new Gather Food Hall and Ridge Hall, however, are assemblages of local operators united for a common mission.
Gather Food Hall in the old Bulletin Building.
Gather, in the former Bulletin Building across from 30th Street Station, has not only gathered Mexican, Cambodian, Peruvian, Indian cuisine, and pizza in University City, it has created a model to combat food insecurity among college students. Gather’s operators partner with Believe in Students, a national nonprofit, and have pledged to give out5,000 low-cost meals in its first year, backed by a $250,000, 10-year commitment from developer Brandywine Realty Trust.
People dining in Ridge Hall in front of Mary’s Chicken Strip Club in Ambler.
Nothing in 2025 unsettled the local industry more than the rapid expansion of Wonder, going from zero to 20 locations in Philadelphia and South Jersey, with even more on the way.
Menus for various cuisines at the Wonder location in Media.
Wonder, backed by $1.5 billion in venture capital, sells food via walk-in, app, and delivery from a diverse lineup of menus by such chefs as Bobby Flay, José Andrés, and Marcus Samuelsson. Want a steak, a pizza, an order of nachos, and a grilled chicken sandwich from the same place, all delivered in 30 minutes? That’s the wonder of Wonder.
Wonder, based in the New York City area, calls itself a food hall. In reality, it’s a ghost kitchen. Food is prepared at a central kitchen and trucked down to each location, where workers (not actual cooks) set up and reheat the dishes in ventless kitchens.
For diners, the appeal is convenience and, for now, price. But as Wonder blankets the region with ads and offers of half-price orders and free delivery to gain a foothold, it is disrupting the industry.
Wonder steers diners away from local shops. It turns choosing a restaurant into scrolling menus on an app, not supporting places you may know. And by pushing everything toward delivery and pickup and by undercutting prices, it makes it harder for independent restaurants — especially neighborhood takeout spots — to survive on already thin margins.
In a year when so much of Philadelphia’s food culture emphasized independent owners and the importance of community, this contrast is striking.
The only time the Flyers did win — a 3-2 overtime victory — was on Dec. 29, 2021. It was the Kraken’s first NHL season.
Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from Sunday’s loss.
Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn passes the puck against the Flyers’ Carl Grundstrom on Sunday in Seattle.
The good: The fourth line
Coach Rick Tocchet likes rolling four lines consistently, and why not when you have a fourth line of Nikita Grebenkin, Carl Grundström, and Rodrigo Ābols that is showing speed, strength, defensive acumen, and a scoring touch?
“Well, some speed and possession,” Tocchet said during his pregame availability about the fourth line. “They’re holding on to pucks, and they’re making plays, you know? And I think that’s important. You wear other teams down.
“I haven’t been afraid to use them in D-zone faceoffs. They’re getting their minutes, but they’re earning it too, right? If we have a little bit of a lull in our game — and I’ve started them, actually, in some games too — I see some excitement. I see excitement from the other guys when they see the fourth line doing well. It’s really infectious.”
The line has been together for three games and almost 27 minutes at five-on-five, but while opponents have a 28-24 majority in chances, the Flyers trio is outscoring them, 3-0.
On Sunday, Grundström broke through on Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer late in the game to get the Flyers on the board. He sent a blistering wrister from just inside the left faceoff circle to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games.
Although the fourth line was on the ice for an empty-netter against, it controlled play for the most part, had nine shot attempts to 10 against, three scoring chances vs. two for the Kraken, and did not allow a high-danger chance.
The trio also drew a power play after it sustained a strong forecheck and pressured the Kraken in the first period.
Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak save a shot by the Flyers’ Bobby Brink.
The bad: The power play
There’s a reason the power play isn’t listed as ugly because, despite not scoring, it really wasn’t that dreadful. The two five-man units actually moved the puck well, especially Trevor Zegras, Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale, and Travis Konecny.
But when you have three power-play opportunities against the league’s worst penalty kill (70.3% entering the game), you need to score.
“When we have shots from the point, or we go downhill in the shots, everybody’s on the perimeter,” Tocchet said. “Too perimeter tonight, that was the bottom line. That’s the only criticism for the team.
“… For most of the night, I thought we controlled a fair amount of the play, but you get three power plays, you’ve got to find a way, and you’ve got to find a way to score. That’s net-front goals, rebound goals. I don’t think we grabbed the rebound. So another learning thing that we’ve got to make sure.”
It’s true. The Flyers’ power play controlled play and had several good looks. Drysdale was stopped twice on point shots before Zegras sent a cross-crease pass to Konecny, who was robbed. Denver Barkey made a play after nice puck movement to set up Owen Tippett, and the youngster had a chance seconds after the final power play ended.
The Flyers have just 59.2% of offensive zone time on the power play, whereas the best team, the Vegas Golden Knights, has 62.3%. Based on Sunday’s power plays, there is a chance that they have jumped up. Now the Flyers have to score.
Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer stops a shot by the Flyers’ Bobby Brink during the third period on Sunday in Seattle.
The ugly: Lack of net presence
In the last two games before the holiday break, each a win, the Flyers scored a total of eight goals. According to Natural Stat Trick, six of those came right around the net.
Although the statistical site says that they had 4.17+ attempts around the net, it didn’t feel like they were able to take away the eyes of Grubauer.
“Yeah, thought we controlled most of the game and just couldn’t find a way to get one,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “We weren’t getting enough traffic when a goalie’s seeing it that well, got to get in front of them and deliver pucks, and then we make a couple mistakes, and unfortunate that we can’t come out with a win there.”
The Kraken goalie made several easy saves with his glove, as he was able to see the puck well. The Flyers had four rebound attempts, with Sean Couturier and Konecny leading the way with three high-danger chances each.
“Maybe we gave him some easy looks at times,“ Couturier said. ”This may be the only, I think, negative, maybe we can say. But overall, I thought we played a good game, just didn’t capitalize when we had chances, and they did. So it could have went one way or the other, if we score one or two goals there at some point in the game.”
Added defenseman Nick Seeler: “I think we need a little bit more traffic going to the net, get guys to the net when we’re trying to shoot from the points here, and hopefully get a few more deflection goals and things like that. But I think our forwards did a really good job forechecking tonight and hanging on to pucks, and so that’s a positive.”
