Flyers Show Fight in Comeback, But Costly Mistakes and Questionable Decisions Lead to Another Loss Flyers Postgame 10/13/26

The Philadelphia Flyers fell to the Seattle Kraken 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday night, extending their winless start to the season to eight games. While the Flyers showed some life in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit, the same problems continue to hold this team back: undisciplined penalties, sloppy offensive execution, and coaching decisions that deserve serious criticism.

Dan Vladar was arguably the Flyers' biggest bright spot of the night, making 29 saves and keeping his team in the game when things could have gotten out of hand. He even recorded an assist on Christian Dvorak's third-period goal. Vladar gave the Flyers a chance to win, but once again, the team in front of him failed to get the job done.

The Flyers struggled to find any consistent offensive rhythm during the first two periods. Too many easy passes missed their targets, puck possession was inconsistent, and the team repeatedly made the game harder on itself with unnecessary mistakes. It is difficult to win hockey games when basic execution becomes a problem, especially when a team is already struggling to build confidence.

Discipline was another major issue. Jack Studnicka took a tripping penalty in the first period, Jamie Drysdale was penalized for a slash on a breakaway in the second before taking another minor later in the game, and Noah Cates also went to the box for tripping. Trevor Zegras took two penalties in the second period, including one that contributed to a dangerous stretch of penalty killing for Philadelphia. The Flyers managed to survive several of those situations, but constantly putting themselves shorthanded is not a recipe for success.

These penalties cost the Flyers valuable momentum and forced them to spend too much time defending instead of creating offense. When a team is desperate for its first win, those mistakes become even more damaging. The overtime bench penalty for too many men on the ice only added to the frustration, taking away an opportunity to finish the game in three-on-three overtime.

To Philadelphia's credit, the team finally found some offense in the third period. Dvorak cut the deficit to 2-1 at 6:07, and Zegras tied the game just 73 seconds later with his first goal of the season. The quick response showed that this group has the ability to generate offense and fight its way back into a game. Unfortunately, that urgency was missing for much of the first 40 minutes, and the Flyers could not find the winning goal in overtime or the shootout.

Tocchet's Seat Should Be Getting Hot

In my opinion, Rick Tocchet's position as head coach needs to be seriously reconsidered. At some point, the conversation has to move beyond the players making mistakes and toward the person responsible for preparing the team, developing its talent, and getting consistent performances out of the roster.

I believe this Flyers team has more talent than its results are showing. There are players capable of making plays, creating offense, and competing at a much higher level. The problem is that the execution is not there consistently, and the team continues to look unprepared to handle the situations that matter most.

One of my biggest concerns with Tocchet is player development. Young players need a coach who can help them improve, build confidence, and understand how to contribute at the NHL level. I have not seen enough to convince me that Tocchet is getting the best out of this roster. Developing talent is about more than giving players ice time; it is about putting them in positions to succeed and helping them grow through their mistakes.

I also question whether Tocchet is getting enough emotion and urgency out of this group. This team needs someone who can light a fire under the players and make them understand the importance of every shift. Falling behind is one thing, but repeatedly watching the team struggle with the same execution and discipline issues is another. The third-period comeback proved these players can respond when they finally find that extra gear. The question is why that level of urgency is not showing up consistently from the opening faceoff.

I understand that changing coaches is not a magic solution, and the players have to take responsibility for their own performance. However, when a team continues to lose and the same issues keep resurfacing, the coaching staff cannot be exempt from criticism. If Tocchet cannot get this group to execute, develop its younger talent, and compete with greater consistency, I believe the Flyers need to consider moving in a different direction.

Shootout Decisions Raise More Questions

The shootout was another frustrating part of the loss, particularly when it came to the decisions behind the Flyers' selection of shooters. One decision I strongly disagree with was using Denver Barkey as the fifth Flyers shooter instead of giving Owen Tippett an opportunity.

Barkey is a young player with potential, but this was a game the Flyers desperately needed to win. Tippett scored 28 goals last season and has a proven ability to create offense and finish scoring chances. In a moment when the team needed a goal to stay alive, I would have preferred to see a proven scorer like Tippett get that opportunity rather than putting Barkey in that position. Barkey ultimately had his attempt stopped, and Bobby McMann scored in the fifth round to give Seattle the victory.

For me, this is another example of the decisions that leave Flyers fans questioning the direction of this team. When you are searching for your first win and trying to stop a season from spiraling out of control, every decision matters. I would rather put the puck on the stick of a player with an established scoring track record in that situation.

The Flyers Need Answers, Not More Excuses

Ultimately, this was a game the Flyers had an opportunity to win. Vladar gave them a strong performance, Dvorak and Zegras helped produce a much-needed comeback, and the team showed that it can compete when it plays with urgency. But the sloppy passing, costly penalties, and inability to finish the job continue to overshadow the positives.

The Flyers are now 0-5-3, and the frustration is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Moral victories only go so far, especially when the team keeps finding ways to lose games it has a chance to win.

In my opinion, the talent is there, but the execution, discipline, and leadership are not where they need to be. Tocchet deserves a significant share of the blame, and I believe the Flyers should seriously consider whether he is the right coach to develop this roster and get it moving in the right direction.

Vladar deserved a better result Tuesday night. The Flyers showed some fight, but until this team starts playing a complete 60 minutes, cleaning up its mistakes, and making smarter decisions when it matters most, the losses are going to keep piling up.