The Philadelphia Flyers are hitting the road on Thursday with bruised knuckles, fire in their stomachs, and what one would imagine is a metric ton of confidence after a largely successful home stand, jetting off to Ottawa with hopes of a third straight win in their eyes.

Their most recent victory, a 5–2 win over the Seattle Kraken, was the kind of game that sticks with a team. It had bite, creativity, pushback, and swagger. Xfinity Mobile Arena was rocking from start to finish, and the Flyers looked like a group not just trying to hang in—but dictating how things were going to be played.

Now, they’ll try to bottle that energy and take it north to Ottawa, where the Senators will test just how sustainable this recent surge really is.

Quick Hits

• Dan Vladar gets a third straight start in net.
• Rodrigo Abols come into the lineup; Jett Luchanko sits.
• Nikita Grebenkin keeps his spot in the lineup for back-to-back games.

Confidence, not coincidence

It’s easy to look at the Flyers’ recent stretch and chalk it up to a hot week. But the truth is, there’s structure under the spark. Rick Tocchet’s fingerprints are all over this group—the aggressive forecheck, the disciplined neutral-zone play, the commitment to physical engagement without sacrificing speed. They’re still a team in the early stages of finding their rhythm, but what stands out is how committed they are to the process.

And lately, that process has started paying off in highlight-worthy ways.

Owen Tippett, in particular, looks like Owen Tippett again. After a rocky 2024–25 season where his inconsistency became a talking point, Tippett’s turned that noise into fuel. His skating has always been world-class, but now there’s a decisiveness to his game—the kind of confidence that only comes when a player fully understands who he is. Two goals against Seattle capped what’s been a dominant start to his season, and he’s doing it without cheating for offense. Every play seems to build on the next.

“Whatever line I put him on, he’s really helped that line,” Tocchet said earlier this week. “He’s driving play… he’s emotionally invested in the group.”

York finding his rhythm again

Cam York’s return from injury has been as seamless as anyone could have hoped for. After missing time with a lower-body issue, he’s stepped back in with the same calm command that's put him in conversation as one of the Flyers’ most reliable defensemen.

But it’s not just the defensive work that’s standing out. York’s offensive instincts—his movement along the blue line, his ability to manipulate shooting lanes, his quick puck distribution—were on full display against Seattle, where he notched three assists in arguably one of the best games of his young career.

“I felt good,” York said after that win. “I just stuck to my strengths—getting pucks on net and moving it well.”

The Flyers’ blue line has taken shape around a rotation that balances mobility and physicality, and York has quietly become the bridge between the two. His ability to transition play with poise has helped open up Philadelphia’s offense in a way that’s starting to pay dividends, especially on the power play.

Fire with structure

There’s a looseness—in the best possible way—to how the Flyers are playing right now. Against Seattle, they were electric: fearless in the offensive zone, quick to swarm on loose pucks, and eager to make the game uncomfortable for their opponents. 

But beneath all that spark is a clear sense of purpose. The Flyers aren’t running wild. They’re choosing their moments to attack, sustaining offensive zone pressure instead of forcing plays that lead to odd-man rushes the other way. It’s a mature evolution—one that’s been missing from this group for years.

Ottawa, though, will be a real test of that patience.Tim 

The road ahead—and the challenge of Ottawa

The Senators are built to push pace. They thrive on chaos and transition. They do, of course, have their flaws—defensive structure and the loss of influential players like Brady Tkachuk (out 6-8 weeks after thumb surgery) chief among them—but if you give them space, they’ll make you pay.

For the Flyers, the assignment is straightforward: control the tempo. Their best hockey lately has come when they dictate the rhythm, not when they chase it. That means smart breakouts, quick support through the neutral zone, and avoiding the kind of turnovers that fueled Winnipeg’s opportunistic win just a few nights ago.

Rick Tocchet’s message hasn’t changed much: stay disciplined, stay engaged, and don’t give the game away. It’s the kind of mantra that travels well, even when the ice — and the crowd — doesn’t.

The state of the room

You can feel a belief forming in the Flyers’ dressing room—not the kind that necessarily spills into bold declarations, but the kind that shows up in body language and buy-in.

Every player seems to have a clearer understanding of their role, and every line is contributing something tangible. The Foerster–Cates–Brink trio continues to be quietly excellent; the defense, even amid rotation and experimentation, has looked organized; and Vladar and Ersson have both given the Flyers reliable goaltending early in the year.

It’s still early, yes, but this team looks cohesive. And that’s no small thing.

A test of maturity

Can the Flyers bring the same energy they’ve shown at home to a rink where the matchups are tougher and the atmosphere is less forgiving? Can they keep the emotional edge without losing the discipline that’s kept them in every game so far?

If they can, there’s no reason to think the recent momentum won’t keep rolling. The Flyers have the tools. Now it’s about proving they can use them anywhere.

Thursday night in Ottawa will tell us a lot—not about who the Flyers might become months from now, but about who they are right now: a team that’s starting to play not just with hope, but with intent.

Projected Lines

Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards:

Owen Tippett - Sean Couturier - Travis Konecny

Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink 

Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov 

Nikita Grebenkin - Rodrigo Abols - Garnet Hathaway 

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale

Egor Zamula - Noah Juulsen

Goalies: 

Dan Vladar

Sam Ersson 

Ottawa Senators

Forwards:

Tim Stutzle - Dylan Cozens - Drake Batherson 

Michael Amadio - Shane Pinto - Claude Giroux

Nick Cousins - Ridly Greig - David Perron 

Olle Lycksell - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund 

Defense:

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub 

Thomas Chabot - Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven - Nikolas Matinpalo 

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark 

Leevi Merilainen