PHILADELPHIA — It just won’t end.
The Philadelphia Flyers played better on Tuesday night. They had energy, they won battles, and they even fought back from a 2-0 third period deficit to tie the game. But their start-of-season losing streak nevertheless continues, as they fell in a shootout to the Seattle Kraken.
Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras scored for the Flyers, who fell to 0-5-3 on the season. Dan Vladar stopped 29 of 31, while Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves in victory.
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12 Comments (8 conversations)
Matt
Whe Mitchov holds out and demands a trade as an RFA we will know exactly why. Tochett needs to go immediately.
Greg Nesspor
Absolutely. Bruce Cassidy is sitting around doing nothing. Make the call Danny. He can bring his own assistants too.
David LaVeck
It is such a shame that this can happen.
Richard
Tocchet’s use of Michkov is indefensible. So much talent there that is not being developed properly.
jaybes
Pretty honest analysis of this team from one of the best hockey channels on YT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKyYgDNgZNs
At this point I want a new coach to get the kids more confidence and playing time. We need to develop our high draft picks and that…is not going to happen under Tocchet.
David LaVeck
Since Tocchet opened the door: he is trying to play soccer and his actions all season show this to be the case. Any time there is an opportunity for offense, he chooses defense. Examples: Taking Michkov off the top PP and replacing him with Bunting who has had no offensive upside, criminal. Bunting also lost the puck at least twice on the PP. Michkov not seeing the ice in 4 on 4 or 3 on 3. Instead Coots is kept out there after securing the puck on the faceoff, why? Once the game was tied as you mentioned he went into soccer-mode and played safe rather than try to win when you have more control and it is not up to chance like the shootout. I am half-surprised Michkov got a shootout attempt. Matvei being the only player to score in the shootout proves just how wrong this play it safe strategy is. You need to win, not secure a loser point, wake the F up!!
jaybes
Yup. For all the faults of Torts one thing he was good at was reading and channeling the momentum of a game. Tocchet is illiterate in this area.
CARTER Kelly
Hi Charlie,
I was wondering if you ever heard why Tocchet left Vancouver? I have always thought it was so strange a coach would just leave his team for another without being fired. Sorry, this isn’t really related to the articles content.
Bob MCH
Flyers face a daunting existential challenge: Can they lose enough to get a top five draft pick in 2027, to land a 1-C? They have 3 points, and there are several other teams just as bad or worse. This is going to be a rough race to the bottom, but they have to do it. There is no way they will ever get a young stud 1-C without tanking, the only true rebuild strategy available now, in a rising cap space environment. We learned that with the Leo Carlson fiasco. Tank, pick a 1-C (or use the pick as trade bait, plus more, for a young established 1-C). Then get a real coach AFTER the tank and talent acquisition. Problem we learned from Torts, a real coach, was that they won’t land in the bottom five with a great coach at the helm, so the necessary tanking won’t happen. If they do not do this, they will be in middling territory, at best, in perpetuity.
Matt
We will get the #1 pick because there aren’t any top tier 1C prospects this year. If they get the #1 pick it going to be a a #1D based on the top prospect. Level of options falls off fast after the top kid.
Greg Bennett
I would much rather the flyers be good but, the silver linning is this could be the year we draft a #1 cener!
Bob MCH
9 losses, no wins. This time to bottom feeder Detroit. Doing well for that top five draft pick, to get a shot at that elusive 1-C. 3 points isn’t worst in the league, but the kings have 4 games fewer than Flyers, so could pick up a point or two as they catch up on games played. Let’s just hope DB doesn’t decide to trade back a top five pick he lands for a couple of picks in the 12 to 20 range.