The Philadelphia Flyers, sitting at a miserable 0-3-2 start, finally put up their best effort of the young season Thursday night in Ottawa, even though it wasn’t enough to grab the win, falling 2-1 to the Senators in their home opener. You might think “best effort” after that kind of start isn’t saying much, but trust me, they were legitimately the better team at 5-on-5 for huge chunks of that game.
They Battled, They Controlled, Then They Faded
Right from the jump, you could see a different energy. Those Flyers killed off four penalties in the first period, a feat in itself when you’re desperate for a win. They absolutely controlled play in the second period. They even outshot a team for the first time all season, firing 29 pucks on net compared to Ottawa’s 26. That’s a huge shift from their previous games, right? But here’s the gut punch: they couldn’t get their forecheck going until it was way too late in the third period. They only managed seven shots on goal in that final frame, and their only score came on the power play. It was a tough pill to swallow, no doubt. Captain Sean Couturier put it plainly after the game, saying, “We didn’t get the result that we needed, but at least we got a good effort. We can build on some good things that we did tonight at least. We got to keep grinding, finding ways to get wins here.” You can feel the frustration, but also that flicker of hope. He’s right, though, they gotta find a way to finish.
Line Juggling and a Full-Team Reset Showed Up Big
After playing four games in six nights to open the season, the team finally got two days off to practice and reset before facing Ottawa. And man, it showed. Coach Rick Tocchet’s line juggling definitely paid off. Couturier was moved up in the lineup, playing between Travis Konecny and Porter Martone. Trevor Zegras, the second-year Flyer, moved back to the wing, reuniting with Christian Dvorak and Owen Tippett, a line that clicked last year. This was a necessary move to try and spark something after such a rough start. What’s wild is that all four trios stayed together for the entire game, and they all ended up with a positive shot attempt differential at 5-on-5. That’s a huge sign of stability and improved play. Tocchet himself saw it, stating, “We competed well. The passing was better. So it is something to build on.” Zegras echoed that sentiment, saying, “I know we’re only five games in, and you can look at those five games 100 different ways, but the way we battled, the way we competed tonight, that’s more of who we are as the Philadelphia Flyers. We got a lot of hockey left, and I think if we bring that kind of effort on a daily basis, we’ll get wins.”
That’s the takeaway. The loss stings, especially at 0-3-2, but for the first time this season, they looked like the team they want to be. They found their identity in that Ottawa arena. Now, they’ve got to take that newfound effort, that improved passing, and that 5-on-5 control, and actually turn it into W’s. The season is still young, but the grind continues, and if they bring that same compete level every single night, those wins will start piling up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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