After nearly a month without a win on home ice, the Philadelphia Flyers finally gave their fans something to cheer about at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals wasn’t just a much-needed victory-it was a gritty, resilient performance that showed flashes of the kind of hockey Philly’s been trying to string together all season.
The hero of the night? Jamie Drysdale.
With just over five minutes left in regulation and the Flyers on the power play, Drysdale buried his fourth goal of the season-a clutch tally that broke a 2-2 deadlock and stood as the game-winner. It was the type of goal that doesn’t just lift a team on the scoreboard, but can spark momentum heading into a crucial stretch.
The Flyers didn’t start this one with a bang, but they did start with structure. After killing off an early penalty, they struck first.
At 5:56 of the first period, Owen Tippett finished off a slick passing sequence in the offensive zone for his 19th of the season. Tippett’s been a consistent bright spot this year, and his ability to find seams in the defense continues to pay dividends.
Despite being outshot 11-7 in the opening frame, the Flyers went into the intermission with the lead-and they built on it early in the second. Carl Grundstrom got a fortunate bounce off Jakob Chychrun’s skate, and just like that, it was 2-0. Grundstrom’s eighth of the year wasn’t pretty, but it was the kind of greasy goal that good teams find a way to score.
But the Capitals weren’t going quietly. A missed shot on the power play turned into a costly mistake for Philly.
The puck rimmed around the boards and out of the zone, setting up a two-on-one the other way. Anthony Beauvillier fed Aliaksei Protas, who buried his 19th of the season to cut the lead in half.
It was a momentum-shifter, and the Caps weren’t done.
Early in the third, Beauvillier struck again-this time cleaning up a rebound to tie the game at 2-2. That gave him a two-point night and gave the Flyers a serious test of composure.
They passed.
With under six minutes to go, the Flyers earned a power play-and they didn’t waste it. Drysdale’s goal, coming with just 5:23 remaining, was a laser that beat Clay Stevenson and reignited the home crowd. It was a huge moment for Drysdale, who’s been steadily growing into his role on the back end.
Dan Vladar was steady in net, turning aside 26 of 28 shots. He wasn’t flashy, but he didn’t need to be-he made the saves that mattered. On the other side, Stevenson stopped 18 of 21, but the Caps couldn’t find a way to beat Vladar late when they needed it most.
Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Konecny each chipped in with two points for the Flyers, doing a little bit of everything-forechecking, creating chances, and keeping the energy up when the game tightened. For Washington, Beauvillier was the standout with his goal and assist, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Philly’s late push.
Now, the Flyers turn their attention to one final game before the Olympic break-a Thursday night matchup with the Ottawa Senators. If Tuesday’s win is any indication, they might just be finding their stride at the right time.