The Flyers got exactly the kind of response they were hunting for - right up until the game slipped away in overtime.
After getting blasted 7-0 in their opener, Philadelphia came out in Newark needing a steadier night and found one for long stretches. They grabbed an early lead, got a big performance in net from Joseph Woll and even pushed ahead again in the third period. But the Devils kept coming, and Jack Hughes ended it in transition as New Jersey beat the Flyers 3-2 at Prudential Center.
The decisive sequence started with a costly turnover by Travis Sanheim, who had earlier given the Flyers their best offensive moment of the night. Sanheim blasted home a shot in the third period to make it 2-1 Philadelphia, but his turnover later fueled the Devils’ overtime rush. Jack Hughes finished the break and sent the Flyers home with their second straight loss.
Philadelphia’s first goal of the season came from Rasmus Ristolainen, who set up in front and redirected a Sanheim shot past Jake Allen. The Flyers scored on the power play after a delayed penalty, giving them a 1-0 edge in the opening period.
They could not build much else early, though. New Jersey controlled possession for long stretches and eventually broke through late in the second period when Dougie Hamilton beat Woll with 2:02 left. The Devils then tied it again in the third when Luke Hughes scored after Christian Dvorak lost the puck in the offensive zone and Travis Konecny appeared to overplay the coverage, leaving Hughes open.
Woll was the main reason the Flyers had a chance at all. In his debut, he stopped 41 of 44 shots and was under siege for much of the night. He faced 29 shots before the third period even began and turned aside a huge Jesper Bratt chance while Philadelphia was killing a penalty in the final period, stretching out and using his right leg pad to keep the puck out.
Jake Allen was solid at the other end, stopping 23 of Philadelphia’s 25 shots.
The Flyers’ penalty kill gave them a real foundation early, going 3 for 3 in the first period. Nick Seeler delivered two hard blocked shots on the first kill, including one when Woll was trying to stretch for a save. Seeler, already a bit hobbled, absorbed the shot right in front of his goalie.
Philadelphia’s night looked a lot like survival mode for long stretches. The Flyers had to defend constantly, and New Jersey’s shot total reflected that. The Devils had been pouring on pressure before finally getting rewarded, while the Flyers came in after allowing 38 shots in Wednesday night’s loss to the Penguins.
The result leaves Philadelphia in an early hole again. Last season, in Rick Tocchet’s first year as head coach, the Flyers also started 0-1-1. New Jersey was playing its season opener Thursday, and the teams will meet three more times.
The Flyers get Friday off before returning home to face the defending champion Hurricanes on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSP.
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For a fan base that came in hoping for cleaner structure and a more competitive start, the result left very little to hang onto. Instead of setting a tone for the months ahead, the Flyers spent the evening chasing the game and searching for answers, and the bigger question now is how they respond after an opening-night loss that already feels hard to shake. [Read more 🡒]