The Flyers Have Work To Do After Loss To The Devils - Flyers Postgame 10/1/26

he Flyers are only two games into the season, but after their loss to the New Jersey Devils, there are already some things that need to be addressed.

Now, before anyone starts panicking, let’s remember that this is only Game 2 of an extremely long season. There is plenty of time for this team to figure things out, improve and become the team everyone expects them to be.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t legitimate concerns.

One of the biggest takeaways for me is that the Flyers simply need to be more aggressive offensively.

Philadelphia needs to shoot the puck more.

There were too many stretches where the Flyers struggled to generate consistent offensive pressure, and when opportunities presented themselves, they needed to be more willing to put the puck on net. You aren’t going to score if you aren’t shooting, and the Flyers have enough offensive talent on this roster to create more chances than they did against New Jersey.

The Flyers’ first goal of the season was from Rasmus Ristolainen, which was certainly a positive. Getting production from the defense is always valuable, but Philadelphia needs its offensive players to start creating more opportunities as well.

That brings me to players like Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov.

Both players are extremely talented, and there are going to be high expectations surrounding them this season. Two games does not define either player, but the Flyers are going to need more from their top offensive talent as the season continues.

They need to be more involved, create chances and find ways to consistently put pressure on opposing defenses.

And speaking of lineup decisions, I don’t think benching a star player like Porter Martone is going to make this team better.

If anything, I think it could make things worse.

Martone is a player with tremendous potential, and the Flyers need to give their young talent opportunities to develop and contribute. Obviously, coaches have to make decisions based on what they see in practice and during games, but taking a player with that kind of ability out of the lineup isn’t going to magically fix the team’s offensive problems.

The Flyers need more offense, not less.

On the other side of the ice, Joseph Woll deserves a ton of credit for his performance.

Woll had an unbelievable debut, making 41 saves and keeping the Flyers in the game. Facing that many shots in his first appearance, Woll gave Philadelphia a chance and showed exactly what he can bring to this team.

That kind of performance is something the Flyers can build on.

As for Dan Vladar, I’m not ready to put much stock into his opening performance either. I think there is a legitimate chance that Vladar was rusty coming off his injury. He didn’t have the ideal amount of time to get back into game shape and get enough practice reps before being thrown into regular-season action.

I’m expecting Vladar to bounce back.

It’s only two games into the season, and there is no reason to make a major conclusion about a goaltender based on one performance. Vladar deserves the opportunity to get comfortable again and get back into his rhythm.

At the end of the day, though, the Flyers have to be better.

That doesn’t mean the season is over. It doesn’t mean this team can’t be successful. It’s only Game 2, and there is still a tremendous amount of hockey left to play.

But improvement needs to happen.

The Flyers need to generate more offense. They need to shoot the puck more. Their top players need to step up. Players like Zegras and Michkov need to become bigger factors, and the team needs to find ways to consistently create pressure in the offensive zone.

There is plenty of time for this team to figure things out.

But while it’s still extremely early, the Flyers can’t use that as an excuse to ignore what went wrong against New Jersey.

Two games don’t define this team — but they can certainly show you what needs to change.

And after the first two games of the season, there is plenty for the Flyers to work on.

Frosty’s Thoughts: 

After one of the most humiliating losses in recent history, many hoped to see the Flyers come out on fire for game 2 of the regular season. That is not what happened. They appeared flat, took multiple undisciplined penalties, and ultimately could not create any sustained offense for the entirety of the game. The devils appeared to be the quicker and stronger game throughout. Through two games, the Flyers forwards have scored 0 goals. Rick Tocchet’s constant jumbling of lines clearly provides no benefit. Additionally, his usage of certain players remains questionable — as Christian Dvorak lead the way in terms of TOI for the Flyers forwards. For the second straight game, Porter Martone was a ghost. In fairness to Martone, most of the forwards were invisible as well. The dump and chase was ineffective as the Flyers lost more board battles than won. 

The main positive to take out of this game is that Joseph Woll is spectacular. Woll stood on his head, facing over 40 shots, and is the sole reason the Flyers walk away with one point.

It’s only 2 games into an 84-game regular season, so it’s too early to legitimately panic. However, these first two games are not a trend you want to see continue. They need to figure it out and figure it out quickly.

Photo Credits: All About The Jersey