The Flyers finally found a little bit of their old identity on Tuesday night, and still walked off the ice with nothing to show for it.
Philadelphia battled Seattle to a 4-3 shootout loss at the end of a strange, messy, encouraging, frustrating night in the NHL and ESPN’s annual Frozen Frenzy. The Flyers pushed hard enough to erase a two-goal deficit in the third period, matched the Kraken in shots on goal through 60 minutes, and even got to the shootout - a place that used to feel like home last season, when they won 10 of 14 tries.
But the result stayed the same. Through eight games, they’re still winless.
That makes the details matter. And there were a few signs here that the Flyers were at least playing with more purpose than they had in most of their previous games.
They came out with more urgency than usual, putting six shots on goal in the first 10:15 and creating some decent chances early. Trevor Zegras nearly scored on his first shift from the slot.
Owen Tippett used his speed to generate another look a few minutes later. The energy was better.
The problem was what came after that.
Philadelphia too often sabotaged its own possession with loose passing and missed connections. Porter Martone couldn’t find Nick Seeler for a one-timer from below the goal line, and the Flyers also missed breakaway feeds for Christian Dvorak and Travis Sanheim. Dvorak, David Jiříček and Matvei Michkov were among the players guilty of ugly failed clears, even though Michkov also helped create some of Philadelphia’s best passes of the night.
The power play didn’t offer much help either. The Flyers got only three shots in 4:16 with the man advantage and struggled on both units.
But when they finally got cleaner execution, they showed what this group can still do. Early in the third period, Oliver Bonk sparked the comeback with an end-to-end rush and cross-ice feed that set up Dvorak for a one-timer and broke Philipp Grubauer’s shutout bid.
Just 1:13 later, Sanheim stayed patient below the goal line and created the equalizer at 4-on-4.
Those two goals were the sharpest reminder of the night that the Flyers still have some high-end play in them. They just haven’t put enough of it together.
Dan Vladař gave them a chance to make it count.
The Flyers’ goaltender was busy, steady and at times downright stubborn, even after Seattle struck first on Bobby McMann’s power-play goal. Vladař pushed across the crease to stop a second Kraken power-play chance in the opening frame, then used good patience to stay with Jordan Eberle on a second-period penalty shot and preserve a 1-0 score.
After Dvorak tied it, Vladař had to lunge right away from the face-off to deny a backdoor chance. He also helped kill a 5-on-3 and a 4-on-3, with the latter coming in overtime, before robbing Mackie Samoskevich in the shootout.
It still wasn’t enough. McMann beat him in the fifth round to finish it off.
Zegras, meanwhile, finally gave Philadelphia something resembling the player they expected when they brought him in. Before Tuesday, his season line sat at no goals and two assists, a quiet start that fit the Flyers’ whole miserable opening stretch.
He was more visible this time, though not always in the cleanest way. In the second period, he drew a slashing penalty after Grubauer swallowed a shot, then came out of the box and swatted the puck back at the Seattle goalie after the whistle.
That sequence ended with both players penalized.
The more important moment came in the third. With the Flyers still chasing the game, Sanheim found Zegras and Zegras ripped the puck past a lunging Grubauer to tie it. Grubauer got the better of him in the shootout, but Philadelphia needed a breakthrough from one of its most skilled players, and it got one.
The Flyers don’t get much time to sit with it. Detroit comes next, and the Red Wings are in similar shape at 1-3-2. They also solved one issue Tuesday night by signing Alex DeBrincat to a massive contract extension.
After that, the schedule turns uglier fast. Philadelphia’s next four games are against 2026 playoff teams, which makes the lack of wins through eight games feel even heavier.
They at least looked respectable against Ottawa, the first of that stretch, and they were better than that on Tuesday. But if the results don’t start showing up soon, the Flyers are going to be staring at a very steep climb.
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