Flyers Let One Slip in Utah, But It's Not Time to Hit the Panic Button
Wednesday night in Salt Lake City was a rollercoaster for the Philadelphia Flyers - the kind of game that leaves a mark, not just in the standings, but in the locker room and in fans' memories. After snapping a six-game skid with a gritty, low-event win in Vegas earlier in the week, the Flyers looked poised to build some momentum. And for a while, they did.
They came out strong. Bobby Brink’s power-play goal early in the second period - the first of two man-advantage tallies on the night - gave Philly a 3-2 lead and a sense that maybe the tide was turning. But that feeling didn’t last.
Christian Dvorak’s goal midway through regulation would be the last time the Flyers found the back of the net. From there, the game slowly unraveled. Missed chances, costly mistakes, and a few questionable decisions left the door wide open - and the Mammoth didn’t hesitate to walk through it.
A Win Slipping Through Their Fingers
Let’s talk about the sequence that will haunt this team - and its fans - for a while. With the net empty and a chance to seal the game, Garnet Hathaway couldn’t convert.
Moments later, the Mammoth tied it. Then, in overtime, a turnover from Travis Konecny set up the game-winner.
Just like that, a game that looked like a step forward turned into one of the most frustrating losses of the season.
Veteran mistakes were the common thread. Travis Sanheim got beat on the game-tying goal.
Konecny’s turnover in OT was the final blow. Hathaway’s missed empty-netter?
That’s the one that will sting the most. And it wasn’t just the plays themselves - it was when they happened.
Crucial, late-game moments where execution matters most.
Tocchet’s Decisions Under the Microscope
Head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t escape the postgame spotlight either. One of the biggest questions: Why was Hathaway on the ice in such a critical situation?
The veteran winger has been, at best, average this season. With younger, more dynamic options available, it’s fair to ask whether that decision cost the Flyers a win.
And then there’s Matvei Michkov. The talented young forward logged just 12:11 of ice time - less than all but two Flyers skaters - despite putting together one of his most active games of the season.
Seven shots on goal, a constant offensive presence, and still, limited minutes. It’s hard to square that with the eye test.
Tocchet did call out defenseman Noah Juulsen after the game for a roughing penalty late in the third that put the Mammoth on the power play - a power play that led directly to the tying goal. That kind of discipline lapse in crunch time simply can’t happen.
Perspective Matters
Yes, this loss hurt. It was a gut punch, no doubt.
But it’s also one game in an 82-game season. That’s not an excuse - it’s context.
The Flyers are a team in transition, trying to build something sustainable. Nights like this are going to happen, especially when the margin for error is thin.
There are takeaways here, and they’re not all doom and gloom. The power play showed life.
Michkov looked dangerous. The team created chances late, even if they didn’t finish.
But the execution at key moments - especially from veterans who are supposed to lead - fell short.
Changes could come. Maybe Hathaway sits for a game or two.
Maybe Grebenkin or Carl Grundstrom gets a look in late-game situations. Maybe the coaching staff tweaks how they defend leads.
But this isn’t the kind of loss that should trigger a full-blown organizational rethink.
Frustration Is Fair - Overreaction Is Not
Fans have every right to be upset. The Flyers had that game in their hands and let it slip.
But using this one loss to question the entire direction of the franchise? That’s not just premature - it misses the bigger picture.
This team is building. It’s not always going to be linear.
There will be setbacks. Wednesday night was one of them.
But it doesn’t erase the progress that’s been made, and it doesn’t change the plan.
So, yes - be frustrated. Be mad.
The Flyers should be too. But don’t let one bad night in Utah rewrite the narrative.
This group still has fight, and they’ll get another shot to prove it soon enough.