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  • Flyers takeaways: Trevor Zegras’ knack for the big moment and three other reasons this team has staying power

    Flyers takeaways: Trevor Zegras’ knack for the big moment and three other reasons this team has staying power

    The Flyers beat the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, 5-2.

    But hockey is all about the details. So, as the Flyers hit the halfway mark with a 21-12-7 record, let’s take a look at why the small details from Tuesday night matter in the big picture.

    Trevor Zegras is a lightning rod

    The Flyers forward conceded postgame that he was downplaying how important the game was to him when he spoke to the media earlier in the day.

    “It was a tough ending with my time there, and I’ve been thinking about this game for a long time,” said Zegras, who was acquired by the Flyers from the Ducks in June. “It was one that meant a lot to me, and it was cool to get one and then, obviously, two.”

    Trevor Zegras scores twice against his old team in the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks

    “Playing against your old team, that kind of shoved you out the door, that third one would have been pretty cool,” he added. “But we got the win, so that’s what matters.”

    Despite coming out hard, the Flyers trailed 1-0 after public enemy No. 1, Cutter Gauthier, scored a power-play goal. They needed a boost and got it with Zegras scoring not once, but twice, each via a one-timer from beneath the right circle that coach Rick Tocchet said “looked a little [Leon] Draisaitl-ish.” Indeed.

    Zegras is the game-breaker the Flyers have been craving for years. He is someone who can change the course of a game in an instant, pressuring and creating turnovers with his deftness and quick footwork, setting up his teammates with his creativity, or having the drive to find the back of the net.

    He’s never played a Stanley Cup playoff game, but that doesn’t mean Zegras has not starred on some of hockey’s biggest stages. The New York native — who said Philly “is home for me” on Tuesday — helped USA Hockey defeat Canada to win gold at World Juniors. He is back to being the guy who dazzled fans when he entered the NHL, and it’s clear he is someone who won’t shy away from strapping the Flyers to his back and carrying them when it matters — maybe in late April?

    The Flyers can play a heavy game

    The Flyers have one of the NHL’s youngest teams, and they might not be giants, but it is clear that they are up to the task of playing the heavy game that successful teams tend to deploy in the postseason.

    Typically, a heavy game is described as a physical one in which teams are aggressive on the forecheck, lay big hits, win puck battles, and consistently pressure. Tocchet equates a heavy game to good body positioning and being tough to play against.

    If the NHL provided the information on zone time for individual games, the ice would have noticeably been tilted in favor of the Flyers. They outshot the Ducks 39-18, limiting them five shots in each of the first two periods.

    And, unlike the Ducks, who seemed to be head-hunting the whole game, the Flyers delivered clean, hard checks.

    In the last few games, Owen Tippett has played like a true power forward by using his speed, skill, and 210-pound body to throw huge checks and create time and space for scoring opportunities. He had 10 shot attempts (four shots on goal and five that missed the net) and three hits.

    But the player who stood out the most was Garnet Hathaway, who showed why he has been a hot commodity at past trade deadlines when teams want to bulk up for the postseason.

    The forward, who was playing in his second game since being a healthy scratch for six, and doesn’t have a point thus far this season, threw several bone-crunching — but legal — hits. He had six hits, including ones on Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore that could be heard vividly in Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Reevaluating the Flyers-Ducks trades involving Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale

    “Garny laying two huge hits,” Cam York said. “That’s playoff hockey, and we feel like we’re a playoff team.”

    “[Hathaway] dragged a lot of people in the fight with us,” Tocchet added.

    Hathaway ended up dropping the gloves with former Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas after his hit on Moore, and Noah Cates — Noah Cates! — had a tilt of his own with Jansen Harkins after the latter’s high hit on Bobby Brink in the opening minutes. Brink ended up leaving the game with an upper-body injury.

    “I don’t know, just kind of, I guess, maybe, speaks to the confidence and strength I kind of put on and different things like that,” said Cates, who joked that the one fight HockeyFights.com has him listed as having, which was in juniors, wasn’t really a fight.

    “But, just wanted to defend a teammate. With Bobby [it] looked like a bad hit [but] wasn’t a penalty. … But I think the boys respect it, and it’s kind of a necessary thing in the game.”

    The bench boss liked what he saw Tuesday and if the Flyers play as they did against Anaheim, good things should happen.

    Rick Tocchet has raved about Travis Konecny’s development as a leader and key locker room voice.

    Focus and unity

    Whether skating as a five-man unit or going to bat for one another, the Flyers are united. They cheered when Hathaway and Cates dropped the gloves.

    They chirped at Gauthier, who didn’t want to play for the Flyers, and got in his face any chance they could. Aside from Cates going after Harkins, they tried to get at Jacob Trouba and Ross Johnston after they threw high, dirty hits.

    And they checked on one another. Travis Konecny was seen going up to Denver Barkey, appearing to ask if he was OK, as he got on the ice for a power play. The power play happened after Trouba went headhunting on him.

    Flyers fans still don’t like Cutter Gauthier. Trevor Zegras has made it sting a little less.

    Konecny, 28, has become a true leader in every sense of the word for the Flyers.

    “I love the kid. I can understand how [John Tortorella] loves him, too, in the sense of — what did he call him, a wing nut?” Tocchet said. “For me, he does some stuff that you go, ‘What are you doing?’ And then he does some stuff like, wow. So, there’s a balance there.

    “But he’s an unreal guy in the room. This is a close team, and I think he’s one of the reasons why, whether it’s a football pool or whether it’s a dinner, he’s leading the brigade, or whether it’s, hey, unacceptable first period, he’s saying it.”

    Home-ice advantage

    The Flyers are now 12-5-4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena and, for the second straight game, sold out the building.

    It’s a major step for a team that hasn’t packed the barn consistently for a while. And from the moment the puck dropped Tuesday, the faithful were into the game.

    The fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena were up to the task on Tuesday, something the Flyers players hope to see consistently as they push for the playoffs.

    A lot of the attention was directed at Gauthier, but that didn’t stop them from cheering and booing other aspects.

    “The fans were just electric all night,” Christian Dvorak said. “It was a lot of fun.”

    “The crowd was outstanding,” said Tocchet, who is in the Flyers Hall of Fame as a player. “I just remember the days when I played; that’s a loud building tonight. They were awesome. I think they really gave our team some juice.”

    York said it felt like a playoff atmosphere and that he would “wish it [would] maybe happen more than once a year.” Well, if the Flyers keep playing the way they’re playing, it should.

    Flyers’ Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale ‘still getting evaluated’ after injuries

    It did give the players a look into what could be the future. Most of the Flyers have not played in a playoff game, and only Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Sean Couturier were on the roster the last time Philly made the postseason in the 2020 bubble.

    “We don’t want to be satisfied here,” Couturier said after the game. “We’ve got to keep pushing, take it to another level. It’s going to be tight till the end of the year. Look at the standings, doesn’t matter if you win one or you lose one, it’s so tight. So we’ve got to focus one game at a time.”

    Before the Olympic break, the Flyers play 15 more games. That leaves 26 when the schedule picks back up at the end of February. Forty-one games down. Forty-one to go. It’ll be an interesting journey.

  • Flyers fans still don’t like Cutter Gauthier. Trevor Zegras has made it sting a little less.

    Flyers fans still don’t like Cutter Gauthier. Trevor Zegras has made it sting a little less.

    Cutter who?

    That was the message from Flyers fans for former top prospect Cutter Gauthier on Tuesday in his second career game in Philadelphia — at least on some of the pregame signs.

    If fans had somewhat gotten over the whole ordeal in warmups, Tuesday’s game — a 5-2 Flyers win over the Anaheim Ducks — unfolded perfectly to hook them back in.

    “The crowd was outstanding,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “I remember the days when I played, that’s a loud building tonight. They were awesome. I think they really gave our team some juice. Even when they scored the first goal, they didn’t let up.”

    Trevor Zegras scored twice against his old team in the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks

    Colin Meehan, a 19-year-old St. Joseph’s student, came armed with a sign he made with a picture of Jamie Drysdale and a picture of Gauthier to support the player the Flyers received in the trade out of Philly that Gauthier forced nearly two years ago.

    Drysdale is having the best season of his young career, but Meehan still wondered pregame what could have been if Gauthier hadn’t asked out.

    “Imagine if we had Trevor Zegras, [Matvei] Michkov, Cutter, [Travis] Konecny, we would have been unstoppable,” Meehan said. “I feel like we would have been first in the league.

    “Jamie, he’s not a quitter,” Meehan added. “I’ll tell you that. He tried with the Ducks. The Ducks didn’t want him. We’ll happily take him.”

    St. Joseph’s student Colin Meehan yells at Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier as he skates by during warmups before Tuesday’s game.

    While Gauthier still got a healthy round of boos as the Ducks took the ice for warmups, most of the signs lining the glass weren’t about him at all. Many celebrated the addition of former Duck Trevor Zegras, who was playing his first game against his old team.

    Gauthier did have a small group of supporters in the form of two Boston College students from Philadelphia who, for the second year in a row, made a sign supporting the player who’d brought their college hockey team to the national championship game.

    “I think it’s a lot to put on someone who’s 21, 22 years old,” one of the students said. “It might be really loud in here and people are rooting against you, but there is someone in the building who’s rooting for you.”

    Flyers’ Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale exit Ducks game early with injuries

    Compared to his first game here last year, the proceedings in warmups were civil. Instead of a raucous crowd shouting expletives the entire warmup, fans mostly stayed quiet after the Ducks had taken the ice.

    When the puck dropped, though, fans started chanting “We want Cutter!” Once Gauthier was on the ice, he was greeted by a loud chorus of boos.

    But Gauthier quieted the crowd by scoring the first goal of the game to give Anaheim an early lead, and he gave it back to the crowd.

    Not to be outdone, Zegras scored against his former team to tie it at 1 later in the first, and then hung up the phone on the Ducks, which he said postgame was meant to mimic the length of the phone call he got when he found out he was getting traded.

    Zegras scored his second goal of the game from the same spot a few minutes later, pumping up the already-juiced crowd even more.

    “This is home for me,” Zegras said. “I love being here. These guys are amazing. I’m having a blast, but it’s always going to feel good playing them for sure.”

    But the game took a more somber turn after Ross Johnston checked Drysdale behind the play. Drysdale was down on the ice for a long time and nearly left the game on a stretcher, but he ultimately stood up and left the ice on his skates with assistance. The crowd rang out with a supportive “Jamie’s better” chant.

    Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier carries the puck during second period while facing the Flyers on Tuesday.

    Drysdale’s injury took some of the bite out of the crowd, but, as the game continued, Flyers fans got back in the hating spirit.

    As the Flyers closed out their win, chants cursing Gauthier continued to ring out, and the team left the ice to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd.

    It wasn’t quite as raucous as a year ago, but the crowd still created a playoff-type atmosphere. Cam York said postgame that what’s important now is continuing to play meaningful games so that Xfinity Mobile Arena doesn’t get loud only once a year.

    “Pretty crazy, great atmosphere, felt like a playoff game,” York said. “It was really cool, a little bit different when there’s so much noise during the play, but I think I’d probably rather have it that way.”

  • Trevor Zegras scores twice against his old team in the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks

    Trevor Zegras scores twice against his old team in the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks

    Ed Snider would be proud.

    The crowd brought it. The Flyers brought it.

    On what would have been the founder and late owner’s 93rd birthday, in front of a sellout crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and with the faithful amped up, the Flyers dominated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2. It was their second straight win and fifth in the past seven games.

    In between boos and words not safe for print, former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier struck first for the Ducks with a power-play goal, celebrating with a “mark it” reaction. But the Flyers answered with four straight goals.

    Flyers’ Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale exit Ducks game early with injuries

    Trevor Zegras, who was acquired from the Ducks in June and has been off to a red-hot start with his new club, scored twice past goalie Lukáš Dostál in the first period — each from the same spot.

    The first came at even strength, when Christian Dvorak, who signed a five-year extension on Monday, kept a bouncing puck in at the Ducks’ blue line. He carried it down and sent a no-look pass to Zegras between the bottom of the right circle and the goal line. The New York native sent a one-timer past Dostál from the sharp angle.

    On the celebration, he “hung up the phone” on the Ducks. He said on NBCSP’s postgame show, “That’s how quick the phone call was before.”

    Just over four minutes later, Zegras did it from almost the exact spot on a Flyers power play to give the home team a 2-1 lead. On this goal, it was Cam York who skated down and sent a no-look pass over to Zegras for the one-timer from the bottom of the right circle for his 17th goal of the season.

    Zegras now has four games with two goals this season and 11 in his career. He has never had a hat trick.

    Early in the second period, York got the puck at the point, and after walking the line a few steps, he put it on net. The puck appeared to be deflected on the way in, but York was awarded his third goal of the season.

    Travis Sanheim pushed it to 4-1 after Noah Cates won a faceoff deep in the Ducks’ end back to him. The defenseman stepped into the puck and fired it home.

    Anaheim’s Alex Killorn scored a power-play goal to cut it to 4-2 early in the third period, but Nikita Grebenkin added an empty-netter with 1 minute, 14 seconds left in the game.

    And the Flyers dominated the game despite a decimated bench.

    Goalie Dan Vladař earns Czechia Olympic nod amid breakout season with the Flyers

    Already without Matvei Michkov, who is day to day with a lower-body injury, the Flyers lost two more players in the game.

    Bobby Brink left the game and did not return after a blindside hit by Jansen Harkins just 2:38 into the first period. Off the rush, Brink received a pass from Nikita Grebenkin and was skating toward the net when Harkins cut across the slot and clipped Brink.

    Noah Cates went right after Harkins, and the two dropped the gloves. According to Hockeyfights.com, it is Cates’ first pro hockey fight. The site says he had one fight with Omaha of the United States Hockey League in 2018, dropping the gloves with Paul Cotter, who now plays for the New Jersey Devils. Cates said postgame he “wouldn’t consider that [USHL one] a fight,” and he doesn’t think he got a five-minute major.

    In the second period, Jamie Drysdale was curling high in the offensive zone without the puck. Anaheim forward Ross Johnston was skating into the zone and appeared to stick out his right arm as Drysdale skated by. The puck was deep in the Ducks’ zone.

    Drysdale, who was acquired in the deal for Gauthier almost two years ago to the day, lay on the ice and did not move for a considerable amount of time. The stretcher came out, and the doctors came out of the stands, but Drysdale sat up and skated off the ice with help.

    But he did not return, and Johnston was handed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. The play by Johnston came after Garnet Hathaway drilled Olen Zellweger — cleanly — in the offensive zone.

    Flyers’ Noah Cates (right) shown during the second period of Tuesday’s game against Anaheim.

    Breakaways

    Hathaway also threw a huge hit into Ducks defenseman Ian Moore in the third period and dropped the gloves with former Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas. … Forward Nic Deslauriers and defenseman Noah Juulsen were healthy scratches. … Before the game, Flyers Charities presented the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation with a $300,000 donation for assistance with programming and operational support for four Philadelphia ice rinks.

    Up next

    The Flyers host Scott Laughton and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Reevaluating the Flyers-Ducks trades involving Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale

    Reevaluating the Flyers-Ducks trades involving Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale

    Danny Brière has officially been the Flyers’ full-time general manager since May 11, 2023. In the two-plus years since, he has made 27 trades, with most involving draft picks or swapping players in the AHL.

    But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been splashy deals. And two of the biggest ones are with a little guy he doesn’t hate working with, Pat Verbeek of the Anaheim Ducks.

    As the Flyers get set to host the California team, let’s revisit them:

    Who was involved in the Flyers-Ducks trades?

    Trade 1: Jan. 8, 2024

    Flyers received: Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft

    Ducks received: Cutter Gauthier

    Trade 2: June 23, 2025

    Flyers received: Trevor Zegras

    Ducks received: Ryan Poehling, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft (Eric Nilson), and a fourth-round selection in the 2026 draft.

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

    What happened to Gauthier and Poehling?

    As for Gauthier, Flyers fans may want to look away.

    Selected with the No. 5 overall pick in 2022, Gauthier never played for the Flyers after forcing a trade out of Philly.

    “We tried to give him space,” Brière said the night the trade was made. “We tried to get in touch with him many times. They would not communicate, as far as the Gauthier side. So at some point, we had to make a decision.”

    Why? No one knows.

    “It wasn’t one specific reason why I asked for a trade,” Gauthier said on a Zoom with Anaheim’s media after the trade. “It was multiple, [recurring] issues that I’d seen over the past year and a half, two years of being under the Flyers organization. It kind of hit me all at once, thinking, ‘I can’t move forward with this, and I really need to step up for myself and see what’s best for my future,’ and that’s what I did.”

    Last season, Gauthier notched 20 goals and 44 points in 82 games, finishing fifth in Calder Trophy voting with 92 votes — well behind fourth-place finisher Matvei Michkov — and was named to the All-Rookie Team. Amid that, he returned to a city that did not show him any brotherly love on and off the ice in a 6-0 thrashing by the Flyers last January.

    Cutter Gauthier, once the Flyers’ top prospect before forcing a trade, has 19 goals this season for Anaheim.

    This season, he already has 19 goals and 39 points in 42 games for an upstart Ducks team that is tied for third in the Pacific Division. Gauthier, who turns 22 this month, is on pace for 37 goals and 76 points.

    In October, Gauthier had an eight-game point streak, helped by his first NHL hat trick against the Florida Panthers. He skates on the left wing of the Ducks’ top line, alongside Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn, while also getting time on the second power-play unit, where he has tallied four power-play goals and eight points.

    Poehling, a first-round pick in 2017 for the Montreal Canadiens, resurrected his career in Philly after being signed to a one-year, bet-on-himself deal on July 1, 2023.

    The speedy center, who collected 28 points in 77 games that season, became a favorite of then-coach John Tortorella and earned himself a two-year extension on Jan. 26, 2024. The following season, despite being impacted by injury, he set career highs in goals (12) and points (31) in 68 games with the Flyers.

    Trevor Zegras is even better than the Flyers thought, and other things we know as the calendar flips

    Across his two seasons, Poehling was heavily relied on to kill penalties. He skated the second-most shorthanded minutes among forwards (235 minutes, 17 seconds). He tied Scott Laughton and Garnet Hathaway for second on the team with three shorthanded goals during that time frame and tied Hathaway, with whom he was often paired, for third with five shorthanded points.

    Poehling, who has two goals and 14 points this season, has eight points across his last 12 games while centering Anaheim’s fourth line with Jansen Harkins and tough guy Ross Johnston.

    What happened to Drysdale and Zegras?

    In summation, two words: good things.

    The two buddies have been key to the Flyers’ good vibes this season, with Zegras leading the team in goals (15), points (39), power-play goals (five), and power-play points (12) through 40 games.

    While Zegras has officially put his last two years in Anaheim behind him, Drysdale has quietly shifted from being just a purely offensive blueliner who is questionable on defense to a guy who can play a complete 200-foot game.

    Jamie Drysdale, who is still just 23, has improved defensively in his first year under Rick Tocchet.

    With Drysdale paired with Emil Andrae since Nov. 22, the two have skated more than 300 minutes together and have been on the ice for 18 goals by the Flyers and just nine against.

    So does Drysdale like being the veteran on the pairing with Andrae, who is the same age as him (23) but has played 182 fewer NHL games?

    “A little bit, I do, yeah, I like it,” Drysdale said. “I love playing with Emil. He’s got a good mind, and I think that we have similar mindsets as well on and off the ice. And it’s good to build off each other.”

    Drysdale is known to be a quiet guy, but he says he’s been more chatty on the ice, which is important as the veteran in the pairing. And a lot of it is to remind himself what to do, too, which seems to be working.

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

    He takes a lot of pride in his trajectory, noting that the defensive side is “coming to me more naturally now.” And while Drysdale’s power-play time is up and down, coach Rick Tocchet likes that he is consistent at five-on-five and is very good at following his philosophy of skating forward to defend.

    “Well, I had heard a lot of different things, but what’s his identity?” Tocchet said when asked what he knew of Drysdale before coming to Philly. “And I didn’t really know that, but I know the one thing is that he came to camp in really good shape and he wanted to shake the tag that he wasn’t a good defensive player.

    “So he corrected those two things, right? Came in great shape. He’s been really good [at] defending, so now we’re going to ask him [for] a little more offense eventually, but that’s a work in progress. I don’t want him to suffer in his other parts of the game to try to get the other part. I think he’s just got to chip away at that part, and he’s a very coachable kid.”

    What is the trade grade today?

    Originally, our Drysdale-Gauthier trade received an A-minus grade, and the Zegras trade an A. Today, almost two years after the former and just over six months after the latter, it’s an overall A.

    Why?

    Although Gauthier would rank No. 2 in scoring on the Flyers behind Zegras across several categories and has a promising career ahead of him as a goal scorer, the forward made it clear he didn’t want to play in Philly. So why keep a malcontent?

    Trading him away became inevitable, and it made sense to bring in another young guy with pedigree like Drysdale, who has not only shown a stark improvement — and a desire to do that — but is good in the room. He has become a key defenseman for the Flyers while skating an average of 21:35, tying his career high from 2023-24. And he has worked so well with Andrae that the Swede has finally become an everyday defenseman on a pairing earning top-four minutes.

    And what can one say about Zegras? The New York native has been a revelation on the ice and in the locker room.

    Those 39 points in 40 games are setting him up to demolish his previous career highs — he’s on pace for 31 goals and 80 points — set in 2022-23, before then-Ducks coach Greg Cronin moved him to the wing. Is he playing the wing in Philly? Sure. Is he also playing some center? Absolutely. And he’s in a spot where he’s able to shine with his creativity and awareness while also having buddies like Drysdale, Cam York, and linemate Christian Dvorak around.

    Flyers players and close friends (from left) Trevor Zegras, Cam York, and Jamie Drysdale have had a strong season since being united.

    “You’re always looking for high skill level, talented players, and at the time, he was a distressed asset. … You have to be thoughtful and a little bit lucky, and provide an environment where the player can shine,” Flyers president Keith Jones recently told The Inquirer.

    “He’s done a great job,” Jones added. “It’s really proof of Danny’s willingness to wait for the right time, and he was really patient on this one. It’s been well-documented that it was a long process. Trevor kind of fit what we were looking for, and he has been all that and more with what he’s done for us.”

  • Flyers takeaways: Trevor Zegras on pace for a career season; Dan Vladař continues to be ‘amazing’

    Flyers takeaways: Trevor Zegras on pace for a career season; Dan Vladař continues to be ‘amazing’

    RALEIGH, N.C. — On Sunday night, the Flyers dropped their third straight game, and their third straight after regulation, with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

    Yes, it’s a losing streak, but the Flyers were facing the Eastern Conference’s best for the second straight night. And while things started slowly for Philly, it was able to find its footing and snag a point.

    Here are two players who played a big role.

    The Flyers’ Trevor Zegras has a four-game points streak.

    Storm front

    The Flyers may have been playing the Hurricanes, but there’s a storm front coming from Trevor Zegras. Acquired in June, the 24-year-old from New York is on pace to smash his career highs.

    Zegras is riding a four-game point streak (three goals, three assists) and has 13 goals and 32 points in 31 games. He has already tied his point total from last season in 57 games.

    If he maintains this pace, he will score 34 goals and 85 points. His career highs are 23 goals and 65 points, set in the 2022-23 season.

    Flyers drop second straight game to Hurricanes in 3-2 shootout loss

    Coach Rick Tocchet agreed that Zegras was one of the better players for the Flyers right from puck drop.

    “He wants the puck. He wants to make plays,” Tocchet said. “That’s what we want from him; he’s been doing it all year. And then when he gets the puck, he’s making plays through the middle of the ice, which is nice.”

    Trevor Zegras was very active around the Carolina Hurricanes’ net, and he finished with a goal and an assist.

    Zegras tied Nick Seeler for the team lead on Sunday with seven shot attempts. Although three missed the net and two shots were blocked, two more were on goal, with one finding the back of the net.

    That goal came in the last two minutes of the game to tie it up and force overtime. But it was one moment of many by Zegras that set the tone.

    In the first period, with the Flyers trailing 1-0 and having just one shot on goal, and on their second straight power play, Emil Andrae was struggling with Seth Jarvis deep in the Flyers’ zone.

    Zegras came over and followed one of the fundamentals when there is a man advantage: If you lose possession, you need two players on the puck. He threw a hit on Jarvis — just the 11th by the lithe forward this season — with Andrae squeezing him out on the other side, ending the Hurricanes forward’s possession.

    Cam York returns to lineup for Flyers’ rematch with Hurricanes

    It wasn’t the most altering moment of the game, but it seemed to say that it was time to end the Flyers’ poor play. And the Flyers did start to pick up the pace after that, powered by Zegras.

    “I mean, it’s a team game,” he said when asked about carrying the load. “It’s a team effort, especially if you’re talking power play. I definitely just try to do what I can to be the best for my teammates. But I mean, those guys were making plays all night.”

    According to Natural Stat Trick, Zegras had one rebound attempt and created another two, with one coming from Noah Cates atop the crease as the Flyers looked for the equalizer in the third period.

    He also led the team with six scoring chances. None came during five-on-five play. Most came during six-on-five action — the Flyers scored both goals at this strength, one on a delayed penalty and the second with the goalie pulled.

    After a slow start, the new power-play units started to gel with Zegras (4:47), Cates (4:22), Tippett (4:22), Drysdale (4:02), and Brink (3:55) getting the most time with the man advantage.

    Originally, with Andrae on the power play alongside Zegras, Cates, Bobby Brink, and Owen Tippett, the Flyers had one missed shot and two more blocked. But Tocchet moved Andrae off the unit — and also off the second pairing.

    “I thought Emil was struggling,” he said about Andrae being moved down to play with Noah Juulsen. “He’s been struggling the last couple of games; not struggling, but has been a little bit off. Just trying some different things.”

    Zegras’ old power-play buddy with the Anaheim Ducks, Jamie Drysdale, was moved to the unit, and things started to pick up. This unit had eight chances, including three shots on goal.

    “I think the power play was good tonight,” Zegras said. “I think we got some looks that we wanted to.

    “We had the prescout on their penalty kill for the last couple days, so we kind of knew what to expect, and just finally broke through on the six-on-five, which was good.”

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar made 30 saves against the Hurricanes on Sunday.

    Here I am

    In Star Wars: A New Hope, Darth Vader says, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” He’s a lot nicer than the villain, but Dan Vladař could probably say the same to those who doubted his signing in July.

    You cannot lay any blame at Vladař on the two goals he allowed to Carolina — one off a broken play and the other a deflection on a power play — but you can assuredly praise him for the 30 shots he bested.

    “He’s a stud,” Drysdale said. “There really is no other way around it. Both of our goalies have been great this year and really, really give us a chance. So that also instills a lot of confidence in our group, for sure.”

    The Carolina Hurricanes are known for shooting from everywhere, and they did that on Sunday.

    In the first period, he faced 14 shots on goal, nine in the second, seven in the third, and a pair in overtime. He got a lot of work in the opening 5 minutes, 44 seconds, facing eight shots on goal compared to zero for the Flyers.

    The Czech netminder, who should be getting a call soon to represent his country in the Olympics, was often spotted using his blocker. He stopped Jordan Martinook in the second period and then Carolina defenseman K’Andre Miller on a breakaway.

    “He’s amazing,” Zegras said. “He saved my butt a couple of times. But, I mean, it’s every night, right? You guys [the media] see it. It’s big saves, timely saves, saves that he shouldn’t even be making.”

    Flyers Warriors program supports veterans re-entering civilian life: ‘It is a life-saving type of program’

    And while the official play-by-play says Jackson Blake missed the net, it was Vladař’s patience and movement that forced the son of former New York Islander forward Jason Blake wide.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, 19 shots were low-danger shots — and Vladař stopped them all.

    “You look at their shots, their shots are from the corners and stuff like that, like they’re kind of cheap shots. So we’re not too worried about that,” said defenseman Cam York, who returned to the lineup after missing four games.

    “I think we’re worried about trying to make sure those aren’t Grade A chances. And, you know, Vladdy, he’s so good that he’s going to make those saves.”

  • Flyers drop second straight game to Hurricanes in 3-2 shootout loss

    Flyers drop second straight game to Hurricanes in 3-2 shootout loss

    RALEIGH, N.C. — It’s a good thing hockey games are 60 minutes.

    After a dreadful opening 19 minutes, the Flyers picked up the pace. Although they did not get the win, they did earn yet another point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

    Andrei Svechnikov scored the winner in the shootout. Trevor Zegras hit the post, and Christian Dvorak and Matvei Michkov were stopped by Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi.

    The Flyers have lost after regulation in each of their three meetings with Carolina, including Saturday night in a 4-3 shootout in Philly. There is one more meeting in Game 81.

    Although they extended their point streak to four games, the Flyers have now lost three straight — all after regulation. It is the longest losing streak of the season.

    Cam York returns to lineup for Flyers’ rematch with Hurricanes

    Zegras tied the game with 1 minute, 52 seconds left in regulation.

    Dvorak split the defense and had a good chance stopped by Bussi. But the Flyers maintained possession and, with a six-on-five, got to work by controlling the boards.

    The puck ended up on Travis Sanheim’s stick, and he put a shot on goal at the boards near the left faceoff circle that was deflected in front by Dvorak. The puck popped out to Travis Konecny, who went cross-crease to the open Zegras for the easy goal.

    It was Zegras’ 13th goal of the season, and he had an assist on the night too, giving him 32 points in 31 games.

    Just over five minutes into the game, and on their eighth shot of the period — the Flyers had zero and didn’t get their first until 7:09 into the game — William Carrier gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead.

    Carolina captain Jordan Staal won the faceoff back to former Flyers defenseman Sean Walker, who walked the line. His pass attempt from just inside the blue line went off Konecny, slowing the puck down. Dvorak, with his back turned, tried to knock it away, but Carrier was able to get the shot off quickly and past Dan Vladař.

    Entering the night, Carolina ranked 29th on the man advantage (15.1%), and the Flyers’ penalty kill had fallen to 15th (81.5%). It did stop Carolina on the only pair of power plays on Saturday in Philly.

    But on Sunday, Taylor Hall made it 2-0 on a power play, one of five in the first period between the two teams. In the bumper, Hall redirected an Alexander Nikishin point shot.

    The Flyers struggled to find their legs early on and only mustered four shots in the opening frame, but one found the back of the net.

    Skating six-on-five on a delayed penalty, Zegras and Jamie Drysdale passed it back and forth between the right flank and point before Zegras set up the blueliner for the quick one-timer. Drysdale’s third of the season, which came off the stick of Carrier, cut into the Carolina lead with 53 seconds left in the period.

    And it seemed to spark the Flyers, who, while still getting outshot, had not just more chances, but more quality chances too.

    Hurricanes’ Jordan Martinook (48) jumps over a shot by teammate William Carrier (28) for a goal during the first period.

    They almost tied it with 42 seconds left in the first on a shot by Owen Tippett. But Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin, back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 11 against the Flyers, stuck out his leg to steal a sure goal. Seconds later, Michkov tried to sneak the puck in at the right post but was blocked by Jalen Chatfield.

    In the second period, Zegras made a play in the neutral zone that allowed Konecny to skate and put a quality shot on goal. Bussi stopped it, and then the rebound attempt by Dvorak as he crashed the net.

    Drysdale had a good chance with just over nine minutes left in the middle period when he picked off a stretch pass and drove to the net. His shot just missed.

    And the Flyers’ new power play units started to look better as the game wore on — and they got plenty of chances to build chemistry with four opportunities, although one was cut short. Late in the second period, the unit of Drysdale, Zegras, Bobby Brink, Noah Cates, and Tippett had several good looks with shots just missing. The Flyers missed the net on 13 chances in the game.

    Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    But the man advantage in the third period had its best look. Zegras sent a one-timer from the right flank that Bussi stopped, but he couldn’t control it. Cates, atop the crease, was robbed by the Hurricanes’ goalie.

    During all this, Vladař played the angles well and was stellar in goal. After allowing two goals on 14 shots in the first period, he stopped the next 16, including a breakaway chance by K’Andre Miller, in regulation.

    In overtime, he stopped two shots, with one coming off the stick of Sebastian Aho during a power play for Carolina, which went 1-for-6.

    Breakaways

    Defensemen Ty Murchison and Egor Zamula, and forward Nic Deslauriers were healthy scratches. … Captain Sean Couturier skated in his 904th career game, surpassing Hall of Famer Bill Barber for third on the Flyers’ all-time games played list. … Sanheim played 31:06, one second shy of his career high set in November 2024.

    Up next

    The Flyers head north to take on the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Flyers hang tough with the Golden Knights but lose on Mark Stone’s overtime game-winner

    Flyers hang tough with the Golden Knights but lose on Mark Stone’s overtime game-winner

    Facing one of the NHL’s perennial Stanley Cup contenders, the Flyers hung tough but ultimately fell 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime.

    The Flyers are now 2-4 in games decided in the extra session. Philly has also lost three of its past five games.

    Travis Konecny fanned on the puck in the Flyers’ zone during the extra period, and Vegas’ Jack Eichel got it before ultimately finding Mark Stone crashing backdoor for the overtime game-winner.

    Flyers defensemen Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen inching closer to returning from injury

    Vegas took a 1-0 lead 6 minutes, 7 seconds into the game on a goal by Zach Whitecloud. The play started when Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin poked the puck away from Christian Dvorak as he skated down on a two-on-two with Konecny, and it went right to Eichel. Vegas’ center, who has already been named to the U.S. Olympic squad, got the puck and sent a stretch pass up to Braeden Bowman at the Flyers’ blue line.

    A former teammate of Jett Luchanko’s at Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League, Bowman pulled Emil Andrae out of position and dished the puck to Ivan Barbashev. The Russian winger found Whitecloud splitting Konecny and Jamie Drysdale, and the defenseman flipped the backhand past Dan Vladař.

    But, as it usually happens, the line that gave up the goal tied it.

    Travis Sanheim knocked away an Eichel pass attempt in the neutral zone, and the Flyers got to work. They got the puck deep and kept it in the offensive zone for the next 38 seconds. It ended with Sanheim skating to the top of the left face-off circle and threading the needle to Trevor Zegras at the right post for the goal.

    Flyers center Trevor Zegras scored his team-leading 11th goal on Thursday night.

    Zegras now leads the Flyers with 11 goals. He is one off his total from last season, when he scored 12 in 57 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks.

    Vegas retook the lead in the second period on a power-play goal by Stone. The Golden Knights’ captain scored on his second rebound attempt after Pavel Dorofeyev put a shot from the high slot on goal off the rush.

    Christian Dvorak has done wonders for Trevor Zegras and the team’s depth down the middle. Should the Flyers consider keeping him around?

    But the never-quit Flyers tied it again. Carl Grundström put pressure on defenseman Brayden McNabb, creating a turnover along the boards in the Vegas zone. Dvorak scooped up the puck and skated around the right circle and up in the zone before feeding Noah Juulsen for the one-timer from the left face-off dot. The goal is Juulsen’s first with the franchise and registered at 92 miles per hour.

    Breakaways

    Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who was the World Series MVP in 2008, was at the game in a Tocchet jersey; however, Tocchet was misspelled as Tochett. … Actor David Boreanaz, who grew up in the Philly area and is a noted Flyers fan, and Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly were also in attendance. … The Flyers did not have a tribute video for former goalie Carter Hart, who returned to Philly for the first time. Contrary to what was reported on the ESPN broadcast, a source told The Inquirer there was no extra security behind the Vegas bench. It was the normal NHL-required security.

    Carter Hart not made available to the media; will not start Thursday vs. Flyers

    Up next

    The Flyers play a home-and-home with the Carolina Hurricanes beginning on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m., NBCSP). Sunday’s game is at the Lenovo Center (5 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Flyers host fourth annual Casino Night at Vie: ‘It’s a great night for a good cause’

    Flyers host fourth annual Casino Night at Vie: ‘It’s a great night for a good cause’

    Guests surrounded the roulette tables, lined up their chips, and prepared for a night of giving back at the fourth annual Flyers Casino Night. Each year the fundraiser invites fans to interact with players as they participate in casino-style games, making it a team-favorite event.

    “It’s a great night for a good cause,” said goaltender Samuel Ersson. “It’s one of those nights you always look forward to and circle on your calendar. So it’s nice to finally be here.”

    Similar to last year’s Casino Night, the event featured a silent auction that included signed memorabilia from a number of different Philly athlete of all sports — including a pair of signed Allen Iverson Reeboks — as well as trips to destination vacation spots such as Italy, Mexico, and Croatia, and plenty of signed Flyers merch.

    All proceeds from the event go toward Flyers Charities, to support their mission of “creating strong communities by eliminating financial barriers and reviving play spaces to grow the game of hockey and aiding local families affected by cancer throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.”

    The Flyers are playing well for the first time in what seems like forever. Let’s enjoy them and stop complaining

    According to Blair Listino, the president of Flyers Charities, the event continues to grow each year — adding more sponsors and even more fan activations, including a new venue, a new area for guests to get live watercolor portraits, and a spot to make their own Boxbar charm bracelets.

    “Every year we try to be a little bit creative about different prizes,” said Listino, who is also CFO of Comcast Spectacor and the Flyers’ alternate governor. “And every year there’s a lot of new faces. We have a lot of new sponsors and I think it’s really exciting. It’s just showing that this event has been growing every single year and more people want to get involved.”

    Jamie Drysdale shows off his new suit on the red carpet.

    Vie, located on Broad Street, rolled out the red carpet and players dressed to impress as they prepared to interact with fans. Flyers centers Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras arrived in Christian Dior and Ferragamo dress shoes, respectively. Meanwhile, 23-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale made a last-minute trip to State & Liberty on Walnut Street.

    “Well, I didn’t have a black suit,” Drysdale said. “And I figured Casino Night you kind of need a darker suit — navy, black. So, I went out and got this yesterday.”

    Flyers’ Matvei Michkov ‘feels better’ after slow start and vows to train harder going forward

    Although each player had a different red carpet look, they each shared the same answer when asked what they were looking forward to the most from the night: celebrating a good cause with fans.

    “It’s awesome,” said forward Owen Tippett. “The fan interaction is a lot of fun. You get to meet all the fans that come out and support us, as well as mingle around and play games.”

    Last season, through fundraising events like their Casino Night, Flyers Carnival, and Gritty 5K, Flyers Charities raised over $1.5 million.

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

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

    Looking back, it’s almost fitting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ‘Here we are now, entertain us’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Heart-Shaped Box

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ‘Found my friends’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The answer? Easily.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Breakaways

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

    Up next

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