The Flyers kicked off the 2025-2026 season on Thursday night on the road against the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. The Flyers fell short in their first game under head coach Rick Tocchet in a 2-1 Florida victory. While on the scoreboard the Panthers may have dominated, having 34 shots compared to Philadelphia’s 20, I’d say it was an overall successful opener against the top team in the league.
The most notable player of the evening for Philadelphia was newcomer Dan Vladar in the net. Tocchet made the bold move giving him the start over the Flyers typical starter, Sam Ersson. Although shocking, Vladar’s successful preseason performance carried over into last night’s game, making 32 saves on 34 shots and ending the evening with a .941 SV%. His outstanding performance against a team of skilled shooters proved Tocchet’s choice to be a strong one. I hope to see Vladar in net on Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and potentially begin to overturn the Flyers’ goaltending drought.
Giving Vladar the start in net wasn’t the only notable roster decision made by Tocchet last night. Dennis Gilbert and Nikita Grebenkin were healthy scratches, alongside Jett Luchanko after initially making the opening night roster for the second year in a row. I have to admire Tocchet’s initiative of making roster changes where he sees fit, especially so early in the season. He’s given the team a reminder that nothing is guaranteed and those that prove themselves to be the best player will be the ones who find themselves on the ice. This initiative is one that will look to fuel the young talent on the team as they work to prove themselves and earn their spot on the ice.
Another hopeful performance last night was that of Noah Cates. The left wing began his fifth season in Philadelphia with a bang, scoring the only goal of the evening. Following through with the rebound on Foerster’s shot, Cates again showed his awareness on the ice. Tocchet summed it up best in the post game interview, sharing, “Cates is invested in what we’re doing”. Cates has proved himself to be a knowledgeable hockey player, making the right plays when needed and creating the right opportunities for himself and his linemates. Last night was no different, as evidenced by his second period goal and multiple shots in the third.
Other high-potential shots last night came from Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett. These players made multiple shots on goal that challenged Bobrovsky, most notably Tippett with some quick, tactical plays. Although they hit the crossbar multiple times, the Flyers held their own against a top goalie. Regardless of skilled attempts from the Philadelphia forward, Bobrovsky is simply an elite goalie whose understanding of the game around him goes unmatched.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Flyers. The faults in the new systems and pairings, specifically that of Noah Juulsen and Egor Zamula, were bluntly exposed compared to the chemistry oozing out of Florida. This specific pairing’s lack of effective decision-making allowed Florida’s thriving offensive-zone possession to exhaust Philadelphia’s defense. Cam York’s absence ricochetted through the defensive pairings. This was most seen on the power play, as the Flyers struggled to hold their own without York’s leadership in the man advantage as had been established in the preseason.
The Flyers overall played a hard-fought game against an undeniably physically, and even mentally, challenging competitor. The pressure of playing against the Stanley Cup Champions is no joke, especially as they are still learning the structure and chemistry under a new coach. While there is definitely space to tighten up the lines and fine-tune the decision-making and quick, effective plays, it was a hopeful start to the season. The Flyers look up to clean up the edges of their game on Saturday’s game on the road against Carolina.
Philly's Next Shift 