The Philadelphia Flyers have won two in a row, and after the way their season started, that alone is enough to make people take a second look.
They opened the year with nine straight losses, then suddenly turned around and beat the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche. That’s not a soft landing spot. That’s two quality wins in a row, and it has at least put the Flyers back in the conversation about whether they can climb out of the hole they dug.
A big piece of that shift has been Matvei Michkov. He’s delivered multi-point performances in both wins, giving Philadelphia the kind of offensive spark it badly needed. Trevor Zegras also showed up in a big way Monday night, setting up three goals in the 3-2 win over Colorado.
Still, the record is the record, and one small burst doesn’t erase the damage of those first nine games. That was the point of the conversation on Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, where Carter Hutton and Steve Peters dug into whether the Flyers have really changed course or just bought themselves a little breathing room.
“The pesky Flyers, did this save their season, finding a way to win last night, Petey?”
Peters wasn’t ready to go that far. In his view, the Flyers need more than a brief run of good results to truly turn things around.
He said they’ll have to put together several winning stretches over the next month just to get back into the race, especially after losing nine straight to start the season. He also pointed out how difficult it can be for a team stuck in a losing loop to shake that feeling.
At the same time, Peters made clear that the mood around the Flyers is better right now, and that matters. The wins over Ottawa and Colorado were significant, and the next question is whether Philadelphia can keep generating goals.
For him, that’s where this gets interesting: can the Flyers actually score enough to make this last? And just as important, is Michkov finally starting to grow into the player fans expected, or at least closer to the level of the hype that arrived in Philadelphia a little too early?
In Other News...
Flyers Face An Early Test As Buffalo Brings A New Problem
The Flyers arrive in Buffalo with a little momentum after shaking off a slow start and winning two straight, a welcome shift as they head into KeyBank Center for an early-season test. Philadelphias recent uptick has given the group a steadier feel, and the matchup offers another chance to see whether the gains they've made can hold up against a Sabres team that is just coming off a road trip through Canada.
Buffalo also brings a different look this time, with the club expecting one of its top blue-liners back in the lineup after time away. The projected goalies, betting odds and forecast all point to a game that should be tight enough to hinge on the details, which is exactly the sort of spot where Philadelphia can find out whether its recent surge is something more than a short-lived bounce. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers May Have Finally Found A Power Play Fit For Michkov And Zegras
Rick Tocchet has been shuffling the Flyers power-play setup in search of a better fit, and the early signs have been encouraging. The changes have given Matvei Michkov a more natural lane to operate in, and the unit has looked sharper since the coach adjusted the personnel and spacing around him.
The real intrigue is how Trevor Zegras has been used in the mix, with Tocchet trying to unlock more from a group that needed a jolt. Michkovs recent power-play production has helped validate the approach, but the broader question for Philadelphia is whether this alignment can stick once opponents start game-planning for it. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Surge Just Changed Danny Brieres Trade Deadline Pressure
The Flyers spent the early stretch of the season trying to keep their footing while key players were hurt and the results lagged behind the effort. General manager Danny Briere resisted the temptation to force a move during that rough patch, in part because the roster was so banged up and in part because there was little reason to sell off pieces when the team had yet to find any rhythm.
A small surge has changed the tone around the front office, though, and it has added a different kind of pressure. Two straight wins, including one over the Colorado Avalanche, gave the Flyers a little more breathing room and showed younger players can help steady the lineup, which makes Brieres trade-deadline decisions look a lot less straightforward than they did just a short time ago. [Read more 🡒]