The Philadelphia Flyers are confidently coming off a shaky start to the season, having won their last two games against the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken.
Flyers Soar Past Wild in OT on October 18
Owen Tippett has five goals to start the Flyers’ season. He tied the game almost midway through the third period after a goal from Vladimir Tarasenko gave the Wild a one-goal lead. Tippett’s original shot missed the net, but the winger was determined to make it work, banking the shot off the Wild’s goaltender, Jesper Wallstedt, and into the net. It was an important third goal of the season for him.
Tyson Foerster set Noah Cates up for his second goal of the season, which won the game for the Flyers in overtime. Cates has three goals and two assists through five games and is currently at a +2 rating. Foerster has two goals and three assists for five points and has a +5 rating for the season so far.
Overall, it was a solid game for the Flyers. They edged out the Wild in shots on goal, face-off win percentage, hits, blocked shots, and takeaways. The 11 penalty minutes were a blight on the team’s stat sheet, but they allowed no power-play goals. They failed to convert on their two power play chances.
Flyers Drown Kraken in Goals for Second Straight Win on October 20
To close out their four-game home stand on Monday night, the Flyers scored five goals to defeat the Kraken in regulation. Despite dropping the first goal to Jordan Eberle, Tippett once again found the Flyers’ tying goal for his fourth of the season. Foerster also earned a goal in the first period.
Travis Konecny found the back of the net as well for his first of the season. Matvei Michkov was awarded the secondary assist on Konecny’s goal, finally tallying his first point of the season. Michkov has been off to a slower start than Flyers’ fans may have hoped, but he seems confident in his game still. Cates scored the Flyers’ fourth goal, earning his third of the season.
Tippett scored his second of the game and fifth of the season to seal the deal for the Flyers.
Once again, the Flyers had the edge in shots and face-offs. The team did take far too many penalties, but only allowed one goal on six chances for the Kraken.
The Flyers Have Hope
Trevor Zegras, a new addition to South Philly, has had a strong showing in his first five games in a Flyers’ jersey. Zegras has recorded five assists and has a +3 rating after five games. Sean Couturier currently leads the team in points, with seven (two goals, five assists). Goaltender Dan Vladar is presently ranked sixth in the league, with four games played, a 1.75 goals against average, and a .929 save percentage so far.
Overall, the Flyers have been struggling with puck possession throughout their first five games of the season. The team is tenth on the penalty kill, which is great, but they should still take fewer calls. They currently rank 22nd on the power play, though, so there’s always room for improvement. Additionally, they are dead last in the league for shots per game.
There is hope for the Flyers’ season yet. The Flyers will head to Ottawa on Thursday to face a struggling Senators team before meeting the New York Islanders at home on Saturday.
