The Flyers’ first night of the 2026-27 season went from anticipation to embarrassment fast.
What started as a home opener in front of a packed crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena ended with boos raining down after a 7-0 loss to the Penguins on Wednesday night. The same building that had greeted the Flyers with a standing ovation less than five months ago after their run to the second round of the playoffs turned on them in a hurry.
Rick Tocchet’s team had already been humbled in its preseason finale. This was worse - a lopsided beating in a game that counted, against a Pittsburgh team that had its own score to settle. The opener doubled as a rematch of last season’s first-round playoff series, which the Flyers had won in six physical, chippy games.
Instead, Pittsburgh controlled this one from the start and finished it with a power-play goal to complete the rout.
The Flyers are now 0-2-0 in season openers under Tocchet, and they’ll see the Penguins three more times this season.
Dan Vladar’s night got away from him, but he wasn’t the only reason things unraveled. The 29-year-old goaltender had only one abbreviated period of preseason work because of an upper-body injury, so there was always a chance he’d need time to settle in. He never really did.
Pittsburgh’s sixth goal was especially painful. It came on the Flyers’ own power play in the third period, when Nick Robertson’s shot caromed off the boards and then off Vladar’s skate.
Still, the damage was broader than one goalie. The Flyers allowed 38 shots and spent long stretches looking disconnected. The second period was where the game truly broke open, with the Penguins scoring three times in 4:40.
Evgeni Malkin made it 3-0 with a power-play blast. Hendrix Lapierre followed with a wide-open finish after Jamie Drysdale lost a puck battle in the neutral zone. Then Filip Hallander knocked in a loose puck to make it 5-0, and the boos that had been building grew louder.
Philadelphia’s issues showed up early. The Flyers struggled to connect passes in the opening period, and their last shot of the frame came with 12:25 remaining.
A poor line change helped set up Pittsburgh’s second goal, with Rasmus Ristolainen, Porter Martone and Owen Tippett coming off while Trevor Zegras was still in the process of changing and had to circle back. Ville Koivunen took advantage, accepted a pass and beat Vladar with a slick move going straight up the middle.
The Penguins had already struck once before that. At 7:26 of the first period, Ristolainen drew a loud reaction from the crowd when he flattened Sidney Crosby in the defensive zone, but Pittsburgh kept the puck and scored 15 seconds later. Crosby got a secondary assist on the play, and Robertson redirected the puck past Vladar.
Arturs Silovs handled the other end cleanly, stopping all 19 Flyers shots.
Offense was a problem all night for Philadelphia. The Flyers went 0 for 3 on the power play, a familiar issue for a team that has had the worst power play percentage over the past five seasons combined.
Now there’s little time to stew over it. The Flyers are back Thursday night when they visit the Devils.
In Other News...
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The Flyers were at least in the conversation when Toronto and Columbus swung the winger deal involving Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies, a reminder that Philadelphia had some interest in trying to alter its forward group in a meaningful way. Marchenko had enough appeal that the Flyers checked in on the price, but they stopped short of putting together a formal offer that could match what ultimately got the Maple Leafs involved.
What makes the missed opportunity notable is how much of the framework was already taking shape behind the scenes. Discussions reportedly included assets Philadelphia was willing to part with, but the club never pushed the button on a package that would have been significant enough to move the needle, leaving the Flyers on the outside of a deal that changed the winger market and kept them searching for answers on the wing. [Read more 🡒]
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Now the test is whether Philadelphia can turn that progress into something sturdier. The organization has been willing to make bold roster moves, and the tone around the club suggests nobody is interested in treating last year as the finish line. The Flyers enter the season with motivation intact and expectations higher, but the real question is how far this group can push once the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Still Have One Huge Roster Question After Missing On Carlsson
The Flyers push to solve their center problem took a public hit when Anaheim matched Philadelphias record offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, keeping the young pivot in Orange County and leaving the Flyers still searching for a true No. 1 down the middle. It was the kind of swing that signaled how aggressively the front office views the need, and it also underscored just how thin the market remains for a team trying to climb back into contention.
So the work continues, with Philadelphia still exploring ways to add a top-line center and no trade or signing yet in place. Talks and negotiations are ongoing around the league, and the Flyers remain tied to the broader market as they weigh options, but the big question they set out to answer is still there waiting. [Read more 🡒]