The Flyers’ recent slide hit a new low Saturday afternoon, and it wasn’t pretty.
In front of their home crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia was steamrolled by the Rangers, 6-3, in a game that felt out of reach not long after the opening puck drop. The Flyers found themselves trailing 6-1 in the second period, and while the final score offered a bit of window dressing, the damage had long been done.
This marks six straight losses for the Flyers - their worst stretch of the season - and they’ve been outscored 31-12 during this 0-5-1 skid. That’s not just a cold streak; it’s a full-on freefall.
Goaltending Carousel Continues
For the third consecutive game, Rick Tocchet was forced to go to his bullpen early. Aleksei Kolosov, making just his second start of the season, didn’t register a single save on the three shots he faced.
All three ended up in the back of the net - and they came in a dizzying span of 1:20 in the first period. That kind of start will rattle any team, and Tocchet didn’t wait long to make a change.
Samuel Ersson came in just 8:25 into the game and finished the afternoon with 22 saves on 25 shots. He was solid in relief, but the Flyers were already in a deep hole by the time he took the crease.
The Flyers are clearly missing Dan Vladar, who sat out his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. The team is hopeful he’s close - he’s listed as day-to-day - but Tocchet said pregame that Vladar’s status for the upcoming road trip remains uncertain. If he’s not expected to play, the team may opt to keep him home to continue treatment.
Zibanejad Torches Philly
Mika Zibanejad led the charge for the Rangers with a first-period hat trick - all before the second intermission. One of those goals came on the power play, highlighting another sore spot for the Flyers: their penalty kill.
Over the last four games, Philly has surrendered eight power-play goals. That’s a glaring issue that needs urgent attention.
The Rangers, who came into the game riding their own five-game losing streak, looked like a team desperate to flip the script - and they did just that. Spencer Martin, making his first start of the season in net for New York, turned aside 27 of the Flyers’ 30 shots. He wasn’t tested often early, but when he was, he held up.
Bright Spots? Few and Far Between
Travis Konecny gave the Flyers an early 1-0 lead, but it evaporated in just 43 seconds. Travis Sanheim and Trevor Zegras added goals later, but by then, the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Defensively, it was a rough day for the Flyers’ blue line. Cam York and Jamie Drysdale each finished with a minus-3 rating, part of a defensive effort that simply couldn’t contain New York’s transition game or top-line pressure.
Rodrigo Abols left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. His status moving forward remains unclear.
Meanwhile, Bobby Brink missed his sixth straight game with an upper-body injury, though he did skate Saturday morning and is considered a possibility for the Flyers’ next game. Rasmus Ristolainen was placed on injured reserve and won’t travel with the team for their upcoming road trip.
Without Ristolainen, the Flyers will likely need to make at least one call-up to shore up the back end. Depth is about to be tested - and not just on defense.
What’s Next
The Flyers kick off a three-game road swing on Monday night in Vegas. That’s not exactly the easiest place to start when you're trying to get right, but this group doesn’t have time to dwell. The schedule keeps moving, and the Flyers need to find a way to stop the bleeding - fast.