The Philadelphia Flyers are off to a brutal 0-1-2 start through three games and nine periods of hockey, which is technically good enough for a nine-way tie in the Eastern Conference standings, but don’t let that fool you. Most of those other teams with two points have only played two games, some only one. Philly probably didn’t even deserve those two points, rolling into Sunday with the second-worst goal differential in the entire league at minus-9. Chicago is only one goal worse at minus-10. Seriously, the blueline has scored as many times as the forwards. It’s been arduous, at best.
Rick Tocchet’s Harsh Truth About This Squad
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t pull any punches after practice on Sunday. He knows exactly what’s up. “I mean if this is a trend, we’re obviously not trending in the right direction the last three games,” Tocchet said. “We’re getting outshot two to one, not getting shots. I think every game has a different story, but it’s the same story: our execution’s been off, we’re not getting any speed through the middle of the ice. One-on-one battles, let’s face it, it’s probably 70 per cent to our 30. These are things we have to improve on, and the identity of our team, for the other stuff to happen.” Losing one-on-one battles 70-30? That’s not a small problem, that’s a fundamental breakdown. No speed, no shots, and getting absolutely shelled? This team is struggling, big time, and it’s early enough that a “trend” is the last thing they want to hear.
Joseph Woll: The Only Reason Philly Has Points
Amidst the rough start, there’s been one massive bright spot, one guy keeping them from a truly disastrous record: Joseph Woll. This dude, who came over in a trade with Toronto along with Simon Benoit, sending Sam Ersson and Emil Andrae out of town, has been an absolute revelation in his two games. Woll has faced an insane 84 shots in those two appearances, averaging 42 shots per game! That’s the highest total of any goaltender in the league right now, a whopping 20 more shots than Chicago’s Spencer Knight, who is second in the NHL. He’s also played the second most amount of time this year, only 55 seconds shy of San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov for the top spot. He’s given up six goals on those 84 shots, which is a .929 save percentage, but let’s be real, he’s the team’s MVP by a country mile. His rebound control and compete level are top-notch, and he’s deserved a far better fate than two overtime losses. Honestly, he’s the only reason the Flyers have any points at all.
This squad is facing some serious questions early in the 2026-27 season. With Woll standing on his head and the team still unable to get a win, they have to figure out their identity and quickly. The execution needs to tighten up, they need to generate some speed, and most importantly, they have to start winning those one-on-one battles if they want to turn this thing around.
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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