The Flyers are only two games into the 2026-27 season, and nobody should be ready to stamp the whole thing a failure. But the first two nights have done nothing to calm the nerves around this team. Against Pittsburgh and New Jersey, Philadelphia looked flat, behind the pace, and strangely easy to play against.
The numbers back up what the eye test is screaming. Through two games, Natural Stat Trick has the Flyers with the most shot attempts allowed at 5-on-5 in the NHL at 125.
They also sit 18th in expected goals generated at 1.92, which is the fewest of any team that has played two games so far. Even more glaring, that total is still below 11 teams that have only played once, including both of the Flyers’ opponents.
After Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Devils, Travis Sanheim didn’t dress it up.
"I'm not sure. If it keeps happening, I guess we got bigger issues, and so we need to clean it up. Need to get back to playing the way that we know we can, and we know that works," Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim said after the 3-2 overtime loss to the Devils on Thursday night.
"I'm not sure why we're kind of straying away from that when it's worked in the past."
Rick Tocchet’s postgame message wasn’t much more reassuring.
"Got to really buckle down here, and the problem is we don't have much practice time, so we're going to have to do it on the fly here. ... I have no idea.
We just talked as coaches, like, we'd have to maybe change some practices. We need more skill work.
Unfortunately, we've only had five or six practices, but I don't know. I don't know, over the summer... but we are choppy with the puck."
That line about limited practice time sounds awfully familiar to Flyers fans who lived through John Tortorella’s run behind the bench. Tocchet may be the one saying it now, but the theme feels the same: not enough time, not enough polish, and not enough consistency with the puck.
What also feels familiar is how this team leans on goaltending, shot-blocking, and improvised offense just to stay afloat. And once again, the power play is sitting right there as a major problem.
"Offensively, I think that some guys are squeezing it, too. And it's only our second game.
I don't know why we're squeezing it," Tocchet added. "We got to relax if there's a play to be made."
There’s also been chatter among fans about Tocchet repeatedly describing players as “nervous,” both in games and in the buildup to the season. Before the year started, he said the group was anxious and excited to build on last season. That may not sound like much, but it lands awkwardly when the same veterans are hearing the same kind of language they heard under Tortorella in 2023-24.
The bigger concern may be what’s happening to the Flyers’ development track. That’s been one of the few things this organization could point to in recent seasons, and it already looks stalled.
Porter Martone has been glued to the end of the bench in both games so far. Alex Bump saw just one shift in the third period against New Jersey and finished with a team-low 8:18 of ice time in a game that went to overtime. Matvei Michkov and Carl Grundstrom were also near the bottom in ice time.
The odd part is that Martone was on the ice for Philadelphia’s first goal, and Grundstrom was out there for the second.
Tocchet explained the lineup choices this way: "I needed some lines here to somewhat control Jack. He was caving some of our lines, and so I just tried to get the best nine, I thought, for tonight."
But if young players are never trusted in these spots, how are they supposed to grow into them? Martone, Bump, and Michkov were brought in to become the kind of players who can handle tough matchups one day. That doesn’t happen if the process keeps shutting them out before it starts.
David Jiricek is another case waiting in the wings. The 22-year-old defenseman has not played yet this season, and Tocchet has already said he told Jiricek he needs to get into one of these games.
Whether Saturday night against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes is the right time is another matter entirely. With the Flyers still winless, it sounds like a no-win decision either way.
It’s still too early to bury the Flyers, but the next test should tell us plenty. A third divisional game in four nights, on the road against Carolina, will show whether this is just a bad opening stretch or something more troubling.
In Other News...
Flyers' Winless Start Just Got More Concerning After Overtime Loss
The Flyers early-season frustration deepened in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes, a result that left them still searching for their first win after three straight defeats. Philadelphia got goals from Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov and had enough push to at least extend the night, but Carolina had the last word in a game that kept the Flyers from building any momentum.
There was more concern beyond the standings, too, with Rasmus Ristolainen a possible injury question after taking a shot to his left hand and briefly returning before being sent for reevaluation Sunday. Goaltender Joseph Woll stopped 37 shots, which gave Philadelphia a chance to hang around, but the Flyers will now have to sort through both the record and the roster as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Gostisbehere Broke Flyers Hearts Again In A Game Carolina Nearly Lost
Shayne Gostisbehere has a way of making life difficult for the Flyers, and he did it again in a game Carolina nearly let slip away. His overtime winner delivered the Hurricanes a win in Philadelphia and marked the third time he has beaten the Flyers in overtime, a familiar ending for a player whose name still carries extra weight in this matchup.
For the Flyers, the night added another layer to an early-season offensive struggle, with chances hard to come by and the margin for error shrinking as the game wore on. The bigger concern may have come on the back end, where Rasmus Ristolainen exited after blocking a late second-period shot and never returned, leaving Philadelphia to absorb another tough result while Joseph Wolls 37 saves helped Carolina escape with its third win of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Have Another Early Problem Fans Really Didn't Need
The Flyers trip through the young season already has a familiar feel to it, and not in a good way. They fell 3-2 to the Hurricanes in overtime after spotting Carolina a goal in the first 10 seconds, then spent the rest of the night trying to claw back into a game that never quite settled into their favor.
There was more bad news beyond the final score, too, as Rasmus Ristolainen left with a right hand injury, leaving Philadelphia to wonder about its defensive depth heading into the next game. Add in a power play that still has not found the net this season, and the Flyers are suddenly dealing with more than just one frustrating loss. [Read more 🡒]