NHL putting Flyers, league behind eight ball with shortened preseason

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

As part of the exchange for adding two games onto each team’s regular-season schedule from 82 to 84, the National Hockey League has reduced the preseason from 6 games to 4 for each club.

With the Flyers training camp set to commence two days from now, there’s only a maximum of 4 full days of preparation on tap before the first exhibition game, Sept. 21 in Hershey against the Washington Capitals.

From there, another road game the next night against the Bruins, before the truncated slate ends with home dates vs. Boston (Sept. 24) and Washington (Sept. 26). Then, the curtain falls for good on Sept. 30 at home against the Penguins.

Forgive the metaphor, but that puts the entire coaching staff and roster-ready players under the gun. Aside from what can be immediately gleaned from the skating and drills and eventual scrimmages that are pre-scheduled, there’s the question of instruction. How changes to whatever system needs tweaking will be approached in a limited window.

And yes, where oh where and when oh when will they get to practice the power play? Rick said they were going to have to figure out how to do it beyond the boundaries of the daily practices…

There’s a whole lotta undue pressure coming for all 32 coaching staffs, so don’t bother complaining specifically about what the Flyers staff did or didn’t do, or didn’t do well enough. What has a better chance of distinguishing a solid start to the NHL regular season vs. an NFL model where the starters are up to speed in the first couple weeks, will be the amount of pre-camp prep from on-and-off-ice personnel. 

Note, we don’t actually know what that is because, at least the Flyers coaches would consider this type of info “state secrets” so we’ll have to act surprised whichever way things turn out.

I think there’s actually a technical term in German for what’s coming: Scheisseschau.

Nothing is ever going to be the same, but there was an element of looseness and fun in what was each team’s exhibition schedule, up until about 20 years ago. Camp lasted 2 1/2 weeks or more. Teams played anywhere from 8 to 10 games, often back-to-back multiple times, sometimes in far flung neutral sites or on rinks of American Hockey League affiliates, and mayhem often ensued. 

It was a long-form, low-pressure chance for coaching staffs to take what was written on the whiteboard and practiced in solitude and execute it in real time with a variety of lineups. There used to be guys who had their roster spots cemented who played half the games. Guys on the bubble who played the other half. And the rink rats, the dudes on the fringes still holding on in the AHL or IHL who provided a sideshow with fisticuffs if it proved to be the last time they’d wear an NHL uniform. 

It was often structured like Spring Training; off day on Thursday where coaches formulate game plans, play in Orlando against the Red Wings on a Friday night and have a scrappy lineup led by the head assistant register a couple fights and 100 penalty minutes in a 7-4 game, then return for a local TV engagement Saturday on home ice with a hungry squad and the head coach presiding in front of 10,000 ticket holders and send ‘em home happy with a crisp 5-2 win over the Islanders. 

Then, on Sunday, play a full-squad match against the Devils, or Rangers to best simulate real-game situations. Lather, rinse, repeat. Monday, rest or light workouts with instruction. 

Split the squad again for games Tuesday in Providence against the Bruins and then Wednesday at Rochester vs. the Sabres and expect a touch of anarchy. Maybe mix in a full-roster game vs. the Bears or Phantoms in Philadelphia so the kids get a full and fair chance to see what NHL-level talent requires.

Surprises abounded without such strict controls. In 2005, the Flyers rallied from a 5-1 deficit against the Capitals – including 5 goals in a wild third period – to win, 7-6, in overtime and nobody complained. Where has that been, like, ever since? 

The next year, Pens rookie Evgeni Malkin made his NHL debut, tried a body check in Halifax and ended up slamming into John LeClair. How can we forget Steve Downie making like an ICBM and blowing up Dean McAmmond in 2007? 

Well, the league has rightfully cleaned up a significant amount of that clownery, but what’s emerged over the years has taken on the form of a sanitized appetizer to the 6-month regular season grind. Games shifted from “exhibitions” to “preseason” when used largely as real-time gauges for roster spots and proof that tweaks to systems introduced at the start of camp worked or not.

Under the current system, veterans are restricted to participating in 2 games maximum.

You watch. Maybe the Flyers would have a 5-4 game thrown into the mix, but my guess is “low-event” hockey will result in low-score games for those that don’t count before the games that do. 

Besides, there’s no indication otherwise until I see it with my own eyes either on Thursday or Saturday in Voorhees. Tocchet hasn’t spoken publicly yet, and Danny Briere went on Nasty Knuckles podcast over the weekend and offered nothing in terms of what to expect during camp or the limited preseason competition. I hope the plan is for a good mixture of each rather than just basic blocks of 2 and 2.

You know who could benefit from the old, less pressurized system? Current NHL and AHL guys on whatever fringe exists, like Zayde Wisdom. Garrett Wilson. Oliver Bonk. Devin Kaplan. Cole Knuble. Jett Luchanko. Denver Barkey. Alex Bump. Porter Martone.

Give the NHL hopefuls a long, 60-minute look against their impending competition instead of locking them into a softball two-game series against equal skill and experience level meant to goose pre-camp content levels and prospect promotional opportunities.

When asked on Saturday in Allentown if he was trying to make a point to the front office about his abilities in the rookie game, Bump certainly gave a canned, NHL-ready response: “For sure. It’s kinda getting to that time where you gotta make an impression. Don’t overcomplicate (things). Don’t overthink it. What’s best is to go out and play my game.”

And, in light of the follow-up question about whether Bump could draw from what he knew about playing in the NHL at the end of last year and apply it to the rookie series I have to ask – what is he doing back with the kids, anyway? 

Here’s where the Flyers front office – with a little foresight – can create a ramp to success: if you’re a prospect who plays in more than one rookie series, you’re automatically promoted to competing for a spot in any of the four NHL-level preseason games. 

That certainly fits in Bump’s case, and for Barkey, who admitted after Friday’s rookie opener that he’s been there long enough the first-timers are leaning on him like a veteran to get the hang of it all.

Due to the compressed timeline, I'd really hate to think the first few days at Skate Zone will be nothing more than teachers expressing pleasure or frustration once they find out which of the students did or didn't attend to their summer reading list - with attendant rewards or punishments.

For the rest of the squad, some grace. And the less you think about the success of the preseason depending on their actual game record, the better. Or, if you can’t help it, I can get ya into an Eagles support group. 

Catch Phanatic Mag's founder John McMullen with his Eagles' day-after show

The Philadelphia Eagles opened up their 2026 regular season with another narrow win against the Washington Commanders.

Catch Phanatic founder John McMullen on his Monday morning show here: 

Or, when either technology fails or I get in trouble by reproducing the video, by clicking the link. 

Eagles need to think hard about succession plan for Reese

Courtesy of Philly Voice

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Magazine

Once the airwaves crackle on 94 WIP at 4:25 pm sharp with the sound of an aged baritone, when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field, Merrill Reese will officially kick off his 50th season as play-by-play voice. 

He’s lapped the field so hard, he’s coming up behind everyone else.

The Dean, Bill Campbell, amassed more than 5 decades on the air in a variety of roles but never that long in one spot calling one team. Andy Musser, same thing over 4 decades. Richie Ashburn was a multi-generational fixture in baseball but wasn’t even close. Larry Andersen’s working on almost 30 years’ service as the goofball-in-chief on Phillies telecasts. Gene Hart only made it to 28 years with the Flyers. Marc Zumoff bid happy trails at the 27-year mark in 2021.

In his July 15 Substack post, former Eagles beat writer Paul Domowitch never really got to the point. After waxing poetic about a pair of Air Jordans and allowing Reese the space to confirm his robust sight, speech, memory and vigor for his job before delving into the tragic circumstances which led to his tenure as play-by-play icon – there was no hint that the end is close. 

It’s OK to give a legend his flowers, but let’s not be blinded by the elephant in the room if his eyes are sealed shut due to allergens in the bouquet. And if not done correctly, the path towards Reese’s eventual retirement will be a stain on the Eagles franchise that will linger a long time.

All concerned parties need to take lessons from two pivot points in Philadelphia broadcasting history.

The first occurred less than a year ago, when legendary WMMR midday magician Pierre Robert died in his sleep, sometime before his scheduled shift on Oct. 29. Robert, who’d been on the air here since 1981 in a variety of roles throughout the broadcast day, who appeared to be in the best of health, and who was saved from the Beasley Brothers’ chopping block just 3 years prior, had some years left on his current contract and so much more life to live. He was 70 years old. 

At a legacy rock station which simultaneously targets the 12-plus and 25-to-54 demographics, there should already have been a plan in place to send Robert into the sunset, an exit plan more appropriate than simply walking away at the end of his deal. 

When his untimely passing caught everyone off guard, instead of undergoing a search for comparable and younger talent, WMMR was forced to pull an old name and voice back from the void – Matt Cord – who’d been shifted to WMGK’s older classic-rock demographic about a decade prior.

Sports fans attuned to events outside the Delaware Valley can look to what the San Francisco Giants are dealing with, as longtime broadcaster Mike Krukow announced his retirement, during the first week of August, effective the end of the season. Already unable to make Eastern road trips due to a progressive muscle disorder, the 74-year-old – who pitched for the Phillies in 1982 amidst his 14-year career – has received kudos from every corner of the Bay Area and within the game itself. 

Although his farewell tour will last the final 50 games or so of a lost Giants campaign, he’s fully present for it. 

The second is ol’ Harry and Whitey. That old-time Phillies double act which opened every spring and closed every fall between 1971 and 1997. Neither of them received the proper farewell they so richly deserved in life after growing in reputation as the soundtrack to generations. Both died, from heart attacks, on the road. One with a season almost finished, the other with one just underway. They were both in their 70s when a higher authority suddenly decided they were needed elsewhere in the cosmos.

We all know Philadelphia’s reputation. If you do right by us, we’ll do right by you. If you come from away and want to make your home here, we’ll embrace you like born-and-bred natives. 

But the downside to the positive spin on provinciality is the comfort which creeps in and morphs into complacency over the long haul. And that complacency often manifests itself as misdirected anger when change occurs. 

In a strange way, death smooths over any fallout from impending painful personnel decisions that have to be made with the public’s opinion riding in the passenger seat. 

There are countless thousands of Eagles fans who cannot envision their weekends without Merrill Reese. But life moves on and the older one gets, the less is guaranteed day to day. Merrill is 84 and, miraculously, still chugging along. That’s a lotta luck attached to good living. 

And while we’d all like to see him live to be 120, no one is eternally NFL Sunday sharp. Broadcasters lose something after about age 60. Their creativity. Their invention. Their speed and timing. I think the Eagles going through a decade of almost continual winning has helped things along, eventually that will come home to roost and there will be another rut of losing. 

Can you seriously imagine a propped-up Reese, at age 90, jolted awake for one last “It’s GOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!” on a dreary November Sunday for a 6-11 team?

Old heads remember how Hart clearly lost his timing and vision when the Flyers – stuck in a pit of subpar years without playoff berths and in need of a spiritual boost – brought him back from radio only to TV from 1993 to 1995. There are still many fans negatively vocal about Zumoff’s replacement, Kate Scott, 5 years on. 

Unless something is completely askew, it’s a foregone conclusion Merrill won’t tell anyone he thinks it’s time to go. He’s more than earned the right to call his shot – so long as *he* realizes it eventually needs to be called.

But he hasn’t earned the right to tell anyone in the organization their recommendations aren’t suitable – short of “this is your last year, like it or lump it.”

Reese will be officially honored by the Eagles during their Nov. 8 home game vs. the Giants for his half century of service. That would be a perfect time to make his call, or to have the team announce the structure of a phase out.

Whenever that day comes, don’t mourn. Don’t be angry. Don’t melt the phone lines at WIP or dogpile on social media in a vicious smear campaign. 

Reese has so many accolades trailing behind him that his road to retirement would look more like a smooth red carpet than the Belmont Avenue bridge in April after a snowy winter. Eagles Hall of Fame in 2016. Rozelle Award winner at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. Even a Louis Braille Award for services to the blind and visually impaired from 2013. Called four Super Bowls, two victories. Recognition as the longest tenured PBP voice in NFL history. 

The only lingering question about his legacy should be: who has the guts and vision to make a graceful exit work?

Disclaimer: I worked for Merrill Reese at his Bucks County AM radio station in multiple capacities between 2004 and 2006.

Graham says he's done with football...again

According to a story published this morning in the Inquirer, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham has apparently called it quits from professional football for a second time.

If it's true, Graham will hit the dusty trail as the franchises' all-time leader in games played at 215.

The former University of Michigan product, born and raised in Detroit, was taken by the Birds with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and spent all but one season of his storied career as a DE -- that being 2015 when he was switched to the outside linebacker spot. 

In all, Graham racked up 363 solo tackles, 23 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries and 1 returned for a touchdown over 16 seasons. 

Inarguably, his greatest single play with the Eagles came in the waning moments of Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018, where his strip-sack of Patriots QB Tom Brady shifted momentum and led to the Jake Elliott field goal which provided the final margin in a 41-33 victory.

Graham had initially announced he was done following the 2024 season, but ducked back in last year to appear in 9 games. The Eagles made this subsequent decision easier when they officially released him back on June 2.

This announcement heralds a continuing changing of the guard for the Eagles' offensive and defensive lines, as Lane Johnson strongly hinted a month ago that 2026 would be his final pro campaign. 

Luzardo named National League Pitcher of the Month for August

Major League Baseball announced that Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for August. 

He's the second Phils hurler to get the nod, after Cristopher Sanchez was rewarded back in May during his 50-plus scoreless inning streak.

Luzardo finished the season's most recent calendar portion with a 3-0 record and 1.31 earned-run average over 5 starts, including 46 strikeouts and 9 walks against 21 hits allowed over 32 1/3 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a paltry .172 batting average.

Overall, the 28-year-old native of Peru has compiled a 13-5 mark and ERA of 3.02 with 209 Ks and 51 walks over 169 2/3 innings in 2026. 

Luzardo is just one of 12 Phillies pitchers to record multiple seasons of 200-or-more strikeouts, after: Steve Carlton, Aaron Nola, Jim Bunning, Curt Schilling, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Zach Wheeler, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Cristopher Sanchez, Roy Halladay and Chris Short.

In his next start, scheduled for Monday afternoon vs. the Atlanta Braves, he can match or set a new career high for strikeouts in a single season (216), initially set last season.

Flyers coaches long on philosophy, short on answers for floundering power play

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

On breakup day for the coaching staff, May 14, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet provided his most expansive thoughts, philosophy and plan to date about how to shake the club’s consistently dreadful power play out of the doldrums.

The second-to-last question from that media session revolved around the media-driven revelation of defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s “frank admission” following a Game 3 loss to the Hurricanes on May 8 that players often would disregard – though not willfully – what was planned on the power play, with the messaging and its lack of resonance with each unit contributing to its failure.

“I think when it comes to the power play, you gotta see things. Sometimes, it’s gonna take people longer to see things,” he admitted. “I can name 5 or 6 players where, to get technical, you’re playing against an aggressive diamond where the top guy is aggressive, he’s out of position, well, you gotta see that there should be a 2-on-1 in front of the net.”

“If that particular play happens, sometimes we’re not seeing it,” he added. 

Tocchet also referenced that disastrous 50-second, 5-on-3 advantage from Game 3’s 4-1 setback as a prime example of the confusion. He and the coaches instructed the unit that Carolina plays a “2-up” system, which to them, indicated an easy solution to puck movement. 

“Where do you want the puck to go? Down low,” he said. “It’s gotta be a 3-on-2 in front of the net. Well, we did a ‘high’ play. That’s what I think Jamie’s talking about, we’re missing the reads.” 

"Accountability" from the Top

Tocchet offered a general mea culpa, admitting the coaching staff could impart the lesson in a way more conducive to success. But he had no idea, at that point, how the nuts and bolts would work so all involved could understand the correct reads. He wondered aloud where they could find the proper time and space to accomplish a proper regroup and re-teach. 

“Is it better to do on the ice than in video? I’ve already talked about it with the coaches. We might just have a dedicated half an hour power-play practice on one rink, before the (main) practice even starts,” he said. 

The Flyers managed to wrest defeat from the jaws of victory in the regular season, finishing dead last overall with a 15.7% efficiency. In the playoffs, they were 14th, firing at an 8.3% clip. That was after ranking 30th the year before under John Tortorella and Brad Shaw with a *worse* percentage (14.95%). Before that, it was last (12.2%), last (15.56%), last (12.55%) and 18th (19.16%) in the COVID bubble season.

"I think it’s something we’re gonna have to dive into because it’s been a long time here (since the power play worked),” Tocchet said. “We’re really gonna have to do some really out of the box thinking to fix this.”

The mind truly wanders at this prospect. 

When pressed on how, exactly, the skaters involved on the power play could “get better,” Tocchet put it squarely on the players: “If you wanna be on the power play, you’re gonna have to get these reads. How do you get these reads? Study. Live it. Practice it. Rinse and repeat. That’s really what it comes down to.”

We’ll get to this later in the piece, but the class had a whole summer to do the reading, hope they aren’t cramming the last two weeks before camp.

On August 24, the Flyers released a team-friendly, video roundtable with Tocchet and three assistant coaches during which, in their words, “no state secrets” were revealed. Instead, the on-ice braintrust offered a general wide-ranging philosophical take on how the coaches instruct the players to function in all three zones. 

As for the main man responsible for the power play, Yogi Svejkovsky offered a hint of how an internal issue, like, oh … maybe a failure to adhere to the power play system or making a failed read might be remedied in the moment or during a break in play.  

“As a head coach, you have to trust your assistant coaches that, if the system is not followed, it would be my job, specifically, to deal with the player,” he said. “And then, at the same time you have to deal with (the fact that) every player will be different.”

Whole Team Concept?

Symposium facilitator Jason Myrtetus later spoke of having an “alpha” in the offensive zone to set up a power play, like an Ovechkin or Kucherov to which Svejkovsky replied that there is a whole-team concept which relies on the entire unit understanding their roles, rather than a point person with different responsibilities. 

“You look at in the Eastern Conference as a whole, there’s way more diamonds, way more aggressiveness,” he noted.

“The process was understanding how to beat the structure of the opposition. The only way to see how you do, is to see what you create. Out of that, (you analyze later) are we creating?”

And, then, as Svejkovsky explained, with the help of the off-ice assistants who crunch numbers while watching the post-game video, players have a readout of how their o-zone entries affect their play. 

“We were top 10 in ‘Grade A’ chances, it tells you we should probably not be the last team in the league (in PP percentage),” he added, without explaining exactly what stats or metrics comprised such opportunities.

Svejkovsky proceeded to explain there is an overlap of communication from the top down, as Tocchet previously had control of the man advantage in both Colorado and Pittsburgh, as far as receiving guidance on what to address.

“So, what we’re looking at now is, how can we help our players in different ways, over the last 3 months, to give them the tools to improve,” he continued. “And, let’s say you’re the quarterback, that you understand how to get your lanes open, that you have more time to take shots.”

From here, the idea of summer homework from the coaching staff to the players emerged again, with the expectation that this off-ice study was intended as a primer ahead of whatever they do to practice to Tocchet’s specifications. He gave the strongest indicator yet that nothing is set in stone. 

“It’s going to be a fight for them to see who’s gonna be on that first unit, second unit,” Tocchet said. “This year’s one of the year’s (the slots on each unit) is open.”

New Boys for the New Year

On a July 20 video call with local media to announce his new contract, Drysdale provided the only hint at what skills he might further develop to help the cause. 

“I think there’s a lot of little things I can work on, when I get the puck (make a) head fake … a little bit more deceptiveness, obviously the main kicker is shooting more,” he said. “I’ve been pretty continuously working on my shot the last year and throughout the summer, so it’s something I’m going to come in confident with and use it as a weapon.”

Back at the ranch, assistant Jay Varady, whose umbrella also includes the power play, offered the following when discussing the difference between thinking and reacting when a new system is introduced. 

“I think when you’re teaching new concepts, sometimes a player has to think. And then as you develop and start to get comfortable, they stop thinking and they just start playing,” he explained. 

Again, communication is hammered as a key concept, but at least Varady diplomatically acknowledges the players’ responsibility in absorbing the information, then internalizing it as they practice and play. 

“It’s a process you have to stick with as you’re implementing things. You have to know there’s going to be a little time where you see a little hesitation - have a little meeting, have a conversation and as (learning) starts to grow and progress, it naturally becomes the way you play.”

Ok, but that attitude only works with the internal belief that *this* staff with *this* certain set of skills and system can override the mistakes of the past. We’ve seen the failure up front for the fourth regime and counting.

If that’s the prevailing wisdom, maybe one of the “out of the box” suggestions for fixing things should be keeping the longer-termed players (Tippett, Couturier, TK, Risto) away from PP1 and PP2 to avoid the brain rot that comes from veterans having to fully internalize *another* system.

Who among the newer puck-hungry players might be able to provide a remedy? 

Three likely lads are Trevor Zegras, Alex Bump and Porter Martone. For the former, it needs to be beaten into his brain “shoot first, distribute later,” unless he’s the distributor or quarterback for the unit, then, like Drysdale, he's got to focus on the initial read while carrying the puck. For the middle man, a known shooter, he needs to seek the puck, collect the puck and shoot the puck inside 30 feet. For the latter, if he’s the plumber down low, he needs to muscle defenders in front and be quicker to rebounds and loose pucks. 

Following Up

How does this all mesh with the actual nuts and bolts required to make the power play function in real time? 

We didn’t get an answer here, and we won’t have any semblance of an answer until the units have been determined through camp scrimmages and preseason development, then put on display for the first 10 regular-season games or so. 

Given Tocchet’s assertion that coaches review everything from the previous season to detect what needs to be tweaked – and given that zero time was devoted to an answer about the power play when discussing offensive-zone entries – here’s a short list of questions that should be asked, by anyone who covers this team in any capacity:  

• How do you plan on practicing the power play?
• When would you practice it?
• Do you simulate game conditions? If not, why not? 
• If you do simulations, do you approximate any of the other 31 NHL teams’ PK strategies? 
• What time and space will you devote to meshing o-zone philosophy with power-play entries?  
• When practices did occur, how were changes and corrections made? 
• Now that players have had a year’s familiarity and the head coach has uncovered issues per above, how will you approach it this year beyond the timing and length of practice? 
• How, if at all, will the general five-man-unit offensive-zone philosophy impact the actual power play? 
• How will you deal with addressing these issues given the reduction of preseason games from 6 to 4?

Stick with the Phanatic as we ramp up our season schedule, beginning Sept. 15.

The 10 Greatest Losses in Flyers History

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

The latest edition of Phanatic Biweekly delves into the times the Orange and Black came up short throughout their first 59 years, but where the setbacks made some kind of noticeable impact on the direction of the franchise.

Touch some grass, soak up the sun. Grab a beverage and turn off your mind. Here’s the 10 Greatest Losses in Philadelphia Flyers history.

10. Dec. 22, 2023: Red Wings 7, Flyers 6 (SO) - Little Caesars Arena. The countdown begins with a major comeback in Motown. Defense was optional throughout the contest, the first period in particular. Permanent nemesis Patrick Kane scored twice and the Wings were up 5-1 after 20 minutes. Curiously, head coach John Tortorella opted to keep starter Carter Hart in goal for the remainder of the night and from there, he was noticeably better than his Detroit counterpart, James Reimer.

The rally began on strikes from Sean Couturier and Morgan Frost in the 2nd, followed by Garnet Hathaway, Scott Laughton and Owen Tippett with 5:07 left to give the visitors the lead. A late tally from Dylan Larkin and shootout winner from Kane put Detroit in the win column but also put Flyers fans on notice that a big leap forward for this young roster was possible.

9.  March 2, 2002: Rangers 6, Flyers 5 - Madison Square Garden. Although Eric Lindros reintroduced himself to the Philly faithful as a Broadway Blueshirt less than 2 months prior, this was his true New York debut. 

Still firing on all cylinders after a year away from the game, Big E rifled home 3 goals in a span of less than 10 minutes of play between the 1st and 2nd periods, staking the hosts to a 4-0 lead and posting his first post-Philly trifecta.

But Simon Gagne, working through his 3rd NHL season and counted on to be the brightest young gun in a youth movement, answered twice, Eric Desjardins and Jeremy Roenick followed early in the 3rd and Gagne added his hat trick score with less than 8 minutes to play. Lindros’ career soon faded due to the after effects of repeated concussions, while Gagne went on to record nearly 300 goals in his 11-year Flyers career.

8.   May 6, 2011: Bruins 5, Flyers 1 - TD Garden. You name it, it ended that night in an awful conclusion to a brutal 4-game sweep authored in revenge by the club on the wrong end of a reverse sweep a year before. 

The goalie carousel which saw 3 different players (Brian Boucher, Sergei Bobrovsky, Michael Leighton) man the nets in 11 playoff outings over 2 rounds. The off-ice rampage of Messrs. Carter and Richards. Dry Island. Kris Versteeg.

Ordered to dredge up a franchise goaltender from the highest of heights, then-GM Paul Holmgren sacrificed the club’s two young leaders 48 days later to snag one Russian space cadet. Their leftover cash also managed to lure Jaromir Jagr back to the NHL and, apparently, off all team pictures in CONSOL Energy Arena. The ensuing 93-game regular and postseason was certainly one for the memory banks. We’re still waiting for Claude Giroux to officially take the mantle of “Best Player in the NHL” from Sidney Crosby, though.

7.   Nov. 29, 1991: Penguins 9, Flyers 3 - The Spectrum. Three words: “PAUL MUST GO”

Baby, if you ever wondered when there was a time Philly fans didn’t either blindly follow Mister Snyder or simply wandered away in apathy, it was Black Friday during Paul Holmgren’s 4th year as head coach.

Mired in the midst of an 0-7-1 string which included a 7-3 home loss to Hartford less than 48 hours prior, Flyers fans didn’t exactly come loaded for bear when this one started, but were screaming for vengeance by the end. When it was 6-0 Pittsburgh late in the 2nd period, two separate, competing three-word chants began at the end seats, repeatedly and loudly clashing at center ice in a distorted symphony of discontent.

The Sniders, with much face to save, certainly heard the angry herd. Because their choice for a replacement bench boss (Bill Dineen) was incognito somewhere south of the Adirondacks, it took 2 more losses and 6 more days before Homer was officially sent packing. Dineen’s avuncular manner would be a factor in Lindros’ development as a rookie the following season. Holmgren wasn’t a significant player within the front office until well after an exile of 3-plus seasons as coach and GM with the Hartford Whalers.

6.   Apr. 16, 2024: Capitals 2, Flyers 1 - Wachovia Center. Who cares whether Tortorella knew or did not know, threw or did not throw, the club’s final game of the 2023-24 season, one in which they needed to win to keep their slim hopes for a playoff berth alive? 

It was the most compelling terminal regular season game for the franchise in almost 30 years. Needing a goal and a win to improve their standing, Torts opted to pull the now-dearly-departed Sam Ersson with roughly 5 minutes left in regulation. T.J. Oshie nailed that coffin shut. 

At the same time, the fates of the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins were held in the balance and more conspiratorial minds made like Charlie Kelly and started stringing 2 and 2 together with a lot of wishes as connective tissue to come up with a conspiracy theory. Problem is, nobody could really put it past the crafty and mercurial head coach. Lose, but never be boring.

5.   March 25, 2025: Maple Leafs 7, Flyers 2 - Air Canada Centre. The exact minute everyone – including Flyers upper management – was done with John Tortorella. Typical for the disappointing Leafs to pile on an inferior foe, but when John Tavares, Auston Matthews and William Nylander all do the Happy Dance on your squad at the same time, someone’s ass had to be grass.

Before this loss, Torts was on record as unwilling to coach a full-on rebuild. After it, the fight between Torts and Cam York was publicized. With assistant Brad Shaw given carte blanche, it was an entertaining 9-game stretch to end the season, giving fans a glimpse of what their young players could do with time, space and a velvet hand at the reins. It was “high-event” hockey at its finest ahead of the sweeping changes that led to the current Tocchet Era.

4.   Apr. 2, 1989: Penguins 6, Flyers 5 (OT) - The Spectrum. After failing to win in Philadelphia for 15 straight years, Pittsburgh scored a pair of victories twice in less than 2 months. This one, in the final regular season game loaded with meaning and playoff seeding, happened thanks to the Pens rallying from an early 2-0 deficit then blowing a 5-2 advantage. 

Desperate for a win which would vault them up to 3rd place, Holmgren’s decision to pull Hextall and try for a winning goal in overtime, resulted instead with Mario Lemieux notching his personal record 85th goal, 114th assist, 199th point and locked the Orange and Black into 4th place and a date with division-winning Washington.

Historically, it was the last of a still-standing franchise record of 17 consecutive seasons reaching the playoffs. It also unwittingly set up a mammoth division finals series once the Flyers upset division-winning Washington, the first postseason meeting between franchises which were welcomed into the NHL in 1967. 

The eventual seven game set to decide Patrick Division supremacy was rife with drama. And while we can make a case that Lemieux’s 8-point night in a 10-7 win in Game 5 of that series might have been a greater catalyst for the Flyers, it doesn’t happen without this Game 80 defeat.

3.   November 19, 1985: Islanders 8, Flyers 6 - Nassau Coliseum. What happens when your defending Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender is dead, his countryman and teammate is back in Sweden to attend the funeral and  your No. 1 blueliner is out with a lower-body injury while the team is riding a franchise record 13-game winning streak? Push the four-time Cup champions to the final second of regulation before their victory is secured.

Keenan’s Kids defied all logic in the wake of Pelle Lindbergh’s death. They won their 11th straight against the defending Cup champion Oilers on an emotional night whose impact has been dissected for decades. After breezing past Hartford, they were down 4-1 to the Islanders late in the 2nd period the next night and you’d think that luck would have run out. Instead, they rallied for 4 straight goals and a miracle OT win.

Two days later, the Isles – whose then-league record of 15 straight wins was on the line – looked like they would crash the party with a runaway as the North Stars did in January 1980 to stop The Streak. Instead, the visitors, down 5-1 after just 22 minutes, roared back with 4 power-play goals and 1 shortie.  Ed Hospodar recorded the only 2 goal game of his entire NHL career. His tally with 2:29 left made it 7-6. Bryan Trottier’s empty netter at 19:59 finally put things to rest, keeping the Isles’ mark secure.

2.   Apr. 2, 1972: Sabres 3, Flyers 2 - The Aud. Maybe the most important quote ever uttered (not written on a chalkboard) by anyone associated with the franchise, what Ed Snider repeated to his players on the flight home, as he said to head coach Fred Shero immediately following the worst loss in team history: “Nobody would lose his job over one disastrous goal.”

That one disastrous goal was scored by Buffalo’s Gerry Meehan with 4 seconds left in Game 78, with the Flyers needing just one point to leapfrog the Penguins and into 4th place in the East Division. 

Twenty-three days earlier, Shero’s team was in solid playoff footing, 3 points ahead of the Golden Seals with 11 games to go. They went 3-4-3, including a 4-4 home tie vs. the Penguins the day before which put them 2 points up with 1 remaining. Pittsburgh would win the head-to-head season series tiebreaker with a win and Flyers loss. Meehan beat an unscreened Doug Favell with a 45 footer to win the game, Philly’s only defeat in their last 6 contests.

“It was like getting shot,” said Bill Clement in Jay Greenberg’s Full Spectrum.

“I feel dead inside,” admitted Bobby Clarke in the same chapter.

The mercurial Snider decided to take the long view for once, as Greenberg related: “It was unbelievable what happened. But once I got used to it, I realized we had made great strides. I was still totally and completely confident.”

The only move of significance the front office made in the wake of the unreal setback was to secure Bernie Parent from the Blazers in the WHA, which had nothing to do directly with Favell’s error. 

Just 777 days later, the Stanley Cup came to Philadelphia.

1.   May 31, 1987: Oilers 3, Flyers 1 - Northlands Coliseum. Until the day they win it all, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Edmonton will stand as the high-water mark for the franchise regarding playoff prowess.

More than any other loss, it stands as a model by which all future Flyers playoff teams will be judged; outmanned and injured, a team with 4 or 5 star players at best took the greatest offensive machine in league history which boasted a half dozen potential Hall-of-Famers down to the final 2 ½ minutes before the championship was decided. 

What if Brian Propp’s shot in the 1st period, minutes after Mark Messier tied the game, actually made it all the way through Grant Fuhr’s pads? What if Ilkka Sinisalo didn’t throw an absolute brick on net from 15 feet away with nobody in sight with the game tied, 1-1, early in the 2nd period? What if the puck hadn’t skipped over Ron Sutter’s stick at the Oilers’ blue line with clear ice ahead early in the 3rd period in a 2-1 game?

Legend has it Keenan brought the Cup into the locker room pregame to goose the ultimate visualization for a roster mentally and physically wiped from 26 games in 53 days and 117 since September. Maybe he should have bribed arena staff to poison a few Edmonton pregame meals instead.

Hextall made 40 stops in his 26th playoff game and 92nd appearance of the season, rightfully earning a Conn Smythe Trophy he’d rather not have won. Wayne Gretzky called him the greatest goalie he’d ever faced.

“I’ve never been shot with a bullet,” said Norris Trophy runner up Mark Howe “But it couldn’t hurt any more than this.”

It will be 40 years next spring, and the bullet holes in thousands of fans have healed but never faded.

NBA, Sixers release full 2026-27 regular-season schedules

The National Basketball Association released the full schedules for all 30 member clubs on Thursday afternoon, including that for the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The new-look Sixers open the season unusually early, Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden to help the rival New York Knicks raise their championship banner. Two nights later, their home opener welcomes LeBron James' OG club, the Cleveland Cavaliers. And on Halloween Eve (Oct. 30), the Knicks make their first trip back to Philly since their Game 4 blowout victory in the Eastern semifinals on May 10.

The regular season concludes on Sunday, Apr. 11 at home against the Charlotte Hornets. 

In between some key matchups are as follows:

Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 pm a national TV contest as Jaylen Brown welcomes his former team, the Boston Celtics, to South Philly.

A Thanksgiving Eve (Wed. Nov. 25) 5 pm start at home vs. LeBron's second team, the Miami Heat.

Of course, the previously-announced 5 pm ET Christmas Day national TV broadcast of the Sixers in Los Angeles to face the Lakers.

New Year's Day finds the Sixers taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee, while Monday, Jan. 16 finds the club with a Martin Luther King Day matinee at Atlanta. Philly will also be on the road for a Presidents' Day afternoon (Feb. 15) tilt in Dallas.

The league ratchets up the drama between the old rivals, as the Sixers play in Boston twice in the latter half of the season: Jan. 21 and again on Mar. 7 -- a matinee start scheduled for ABC.

For the full schedule with dates and times, bang either this link or this one.

Grebenkin locked up, last of Flyers loose contract ends

Late last week, the Philadelphia Flyers managed to puncture the mid-summer doldrums and announce a contract for the last of its restricted free agents.

Nikita Grebenkin, who, unlike teammates Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, was not arbitration eligible, nonetheless returns to the fold on a 2-year deal worth $2.2 million.

The 23-year-old bottom six winger, who was acquired at the March 2025 trade deadline in the deal which shipped Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, compiled 14 points over 55 regular-season games during his first full NHL campaign. 

Brind'Amour supplies Flyers with Cup winning recipe

Courtesy of WRAL

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

When Phanatic Offseason Biweeklies left you 2 weeks ago, we asked you to consider the first half of Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s blueprint for success – as mentioned on the Nasty Knuckles podcast from July 9 – and whether or not the Philadelphia Flyers front office and roster possess the requisites to duplicate.

In the second of this two-part column, further examining the back half of Brindy’s prime points, we’ll tackle organizational buy-in for longer-term success and player buy-in with the coaching philosophy.

We know ‘Canes owner Tom Dundon wanted to win, but lacked the requisite knowledge and patience most multi-millionaire owners do in pursuit of championships. Does a gestalt entity like Comcast want to win? 

I don’t think Dan Hilferty has ever directly addressed this, on the dais or at breezy downtown lunch hours. Like appeals for a number of chronic diseases, there’s more money in research and development instead of cures, with less risk involved. 

There’s certainly less risk in Flyers GM Danny Briere preaching about waiting for something that “has to make sense” compared to the cap hell that his three predecessors both faced and put themselves in. Nothing about this offseason put a dent in that idea – especially the Carlsson offer sheet, which the opposing GM emphatically stated would be matched, and was.

Tocchet’s on the second of a 5-year deal that history and entropy strongly suggests he’s not likely to finish; Briere’s entering his 4th year at the helm. Sands through the hourglass are about to be falling at a quicker rate – unless they can replicate the Hurricanes’ 8 straight years of reaching at least the conference semifinals.

From a statistical standpoint, the Flyers have only seen one stint in franchise history equivalent to the Hurricanes’ current run: nine seasons from 1972-81 reaching the 2nd round or further, including 2 Stanley Cups and 4 Finals berths.

But that was in a league steadily growing from 14 to 21 teams, with a handful of impatient, maverick owners and GMs willing to throw away 1st-round draft picks for immediate gratification. One GM, Keith Allen, presided and earned the nickname “Keith the Thief.”

This does not exist in the current 32-team league where 16 make the playoffs and 22 are in the running until a week before the regular season concludes. 

Between 2007 and 2012, the Orange and Black won at least one playoff series in 4 of those 5 seasons. That spree bridged two head coaches, John Stevens and Peter Laviolette, but included several major moves which radically altered team chemistry.

Although Brind’Amour has been the on-ice leader this whole time, the Hurricanes acknowledged that even a well-respected franchise icon like Ron Francis was unsuited from the GM chair to transition from a tear-down through a rebuild. Francis was essentially promoted, then his contract terminated. After, Don Waddell, who signed on as both president and GM, was sacrificed in 2024 for the players’ inability to get over the hump. 

They hit the jackpot with Eric Tulsky, who cannot be confused with any traditional hockey mind. 

Meanwhile, the Flyers keep going in the same direction. Cleaned out the perceived cold, corporate personages in the front office only to goose the spirits of the suffering faithful by hiring a bunch of photogenic ex-players to key positions. Which, counterintuitively, if you’re going for a longer term rise to success, it kinda makes sense to give the John LeClairs and Patrick Sharps and Keith Joneses of the world plenty of runway to learn their craft among the league’s administrative sharks.

They’ve already got the Flyers-as-family, “if you’re not for us, you’re against us” attitude down pat. No need to look further than the smear campaign against William C. Gauthier as a tell.

But it’s hard to imagine even Hilferty could keep up the jovial “past is prologue” attitude for another 5 years. He’s on the back nine of his professional and personal life and no doubt would start getting an itchy throat and trembly hands if his shiny new toy doesn’t win a few races soon – or at least gains a few hundred more season tickets in the effort. 

They got a big spiritual and financial boost with a surprise playoff chase that resulted in a second-round appearance but linear continuation is not a reality. It was clear for those who watched, that Briere’s “step back” was couched in terms of a playoff berth or playoff success. The Flyers may win 40 games and lose a round next year; they may win 44 games and not make it. It is no doubt maddening for fans young and old to accept this is part of the process.

In that way, the Hurricanes cracked a code more daunting than Enigma, because they *never* took a step back in 8 years.

When asked about the ingredients for success in his coaching methods, Brind’Amour led with the following: “Everybody’s playing. You just have to get the buy in. There’s no master class on which way to go. It goes back to the leadership stuff. If your top guys are buying in, you don’t have any room for anyone to do it differently.”

Brind’Amour, though, is a unique mixture. He’s the kind of person who’s a) obsessively driven, b) carries a better-than-average hockey IQ (dating back to his playing days) even if he’s not sold on analytics, and c) knows what it takes to win both as a player and direct supervisor.

Tocchet really isn’t an analogue. He’s definitely not a, hasn’t convinced anyone in Philadelphia or anywhere else that b applies (with the possible exception of championing Steven Stamkos when Barry Melrose slagged him off in Tampa), but can skate by with c as he both won as a player in 1992 and stood beside Mike Sullivan for the Penguins’ last 2 titles in 2015-16.

You know who was an obsessive? Mike Keenan, Tocchet’s first coach and architect of the first Flyers Renaissance from 1984 to 1987. Keenan, famously, never powered down from the insecurity that drove him to act like he did, because he didn’t play professionally.

If anything, that buy-in from Carolina players clearly emanates from a deep respect for the guy on the bench. 

We heard a lot of propaganda in the break-up pressers from Flyers coaches and players themselves about how ‘Tocc’ is embracing a more modern mindset with the younger roster – Michkov aside – and how the players are comfortable with the way things are. I hope that supposed concordance will be analyzed and scrutinized beyond this space in the coming year. 

“We’ve been real fortunate. The 23 guys we have here are here for a reason, they get it. The guys who didn’t quite fit, you gotta move on. That’s just kinda how it works,’ Brind’Amour added. 

“That’s our secret sauce. We got the right people in the right chairs and they’ve been able to put the team first, which is … everyone talks about it, but to be able to do it … I see it every day in the way we go about our business,” he noted.

We know there is a significant gap in presentation and belief regarding the Flyers power play, with Tocchet having admitted that one of his young defensemen is publicly at odds with the system. We don’t know whether Sean Couturier – who showed flashes of his old self in the playoffs – can rejuvenate to the level of Jordan Staal (28 goals regular/postseason) or successfully put the team’s needs ahead of his own as he cruises toward retirement on a mega-contract. 

We don’t know what happens to team chemistry when roster changes are necessary. It can’t be playtime in the sandbox all the time. Two or three or more of the current young core may not be here if Briere sniffs the sweat off the Cup and it is up to those remaining to suck it up, learn and grow along the way. 

We don’t know if Tocchet or Briere will preside over things by the time a return to the Finals is made, but continued success and applied knowledge will spur management to find appropriate bridge deals to keep both where they are. 

“It doesn’t guarantee everything,” Brind’Amour concluded. “It guarantees you one thing, and that’s a legitimate chance. That’s what we’ve had these 8 years, we’ve been knocking on the door. It’s much better knowing you have a chance by the way you play.”

Needing a right-handed bat, Phils instead opt for 3-time batting champ Arraez

In desperate need of a right-handed bat to fill out a lineup chronically struggling vs. left-handed pitching, the Philadelphia Phillies opened up the final day ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline by acquiring infielder Luis Arraez from the San Francisco Giants.

The deal, as reported by Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark finds Arraez -- a left-handed bat who is expected to play second base and who leads the National League in hitting at .324 over 105 games for the last-place G-men -- and right-handed relief pitcher Caleb Killian heading to San Francisco in exchange for pitching prospects Marty Gair and Ramon Marquez.

In his 8th MLB season, the 29-year-old Venezuelan has won three batting titles with three separate franchises (Minnesota, 2022; Miami, 2023; San Diego, 2024) and may repeat the feat with a fourth if he keeps pace in Philly.

No firm plans were announced for a reshuffling of the infield and outfield, despite much online speculation from beats who should have that information in pocket; however, multiple reports revealed that first baseman Bryce Harper had multiple conversations recently with GM Dave Dombrowski over his willingness to return to the outfield. 

Further, Harper was reported to have brought his outfielder's glove on the recent road trip which concluded in Baltimore with Sunday's rain-shortened 8-0 victory.

These reports were solidified just ahead of the 6 pm (ET) deadline by Inquirer reporter Scott Lauber, who stated on X that the plan revealed by Phils manager Don Mattingly would be: Bryson Stott to 3B, Harper to RF, Arraez to 2B and Alec Bohm to 1B.

Killian's acquisition hopes to offset the loss of the disappointing Brad Keller to pending UCL surgery. The 29-year-old SoCal native went 3-6 with a 4.26 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 20 walks over 45 games for the Giants in 2026.

Another deadline deal announced a short time ago saw the Phils snagged left-handed reliever Brooks Raley from the fading New York Mets in exchange for righty prospect Luke Gabrysh and outfielder John Spikerman.

Eagles, Carter agree to 4-year contract extension

It's the first official day of Training Camp 2026 and the Birds are angling to make the sports headline of the week across the Delaware Valley. 

As reported by multiple non-team sources, the Philadelphia Eagles and defensive tackle Jalen Carter have apparently agreed to terms on a mega 4-year contract extension.

The 25-year-old native of the Orlando region and University of Georgia product stands to make up to $160 million across the length of the deal, which would make him the highest paid player at the position in the National Football League. 

For all the details, watch Phanatic godfather Johnny Mac break it all down:

Sixers make it 'internet official' with LeBron

The Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the signing of future Hall of Fame forward LeBron James via social media late this morning.

James spent the past 8 seasons toiling for the Los Angeles Lakers, helping the legacy franchise win their last NBA title in the 2020 COVID bubble. Over 60 games last year for the Lake Show, James posted 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest, alongside a .515 shooting percentage en route to his 22nd All Star selection. 

Since arriving as the No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, the Akron native has posted averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 boards, 7.4 assists 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per regular-season game over 1,622 appearances for the Cavs, Miami Heat and Lakers - the most in NBA history.

Further, while participating in a league-record 302 postseason contests, James has compiled averages of 28.2 points, 8.9 boards. 7.2 helpers, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks while winning four NBA titles (2012, '13, '16 and '20) and appearing in 10 NBA Finals. James won Finals' MVP in each of his club's four championships.

Vibes around the Sixers franchise are at an all-time high due to the signing, with multiple reports of thousands of LeBron jerseys either bought or on order by fans across the region. Additionally, there are multiple unconfirmed reports of astronomical mark-ups on tickets for the team's as-yet-unannounced home opener. 

Nick Nurse's provisional lineup now includes James, along with recently-acquired Jaylen Brown, former league MVP Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ edgecombe.

LeBron's 'last decision' is apparently going to be Philadelphia

King James will apparently finish out his career by balling for South Broad instead of South Beach.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Friday morning, that agent Rich Paul stated LeBron will sign a 2-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $8 million.  

James took to X himself shortly after the reports were made, saying in a series of tweets: 

"I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game.

"I've had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I'm not going for money. I'm not going for for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and have the chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time."

Once made official, the deal will bring the highest-profile NBA player to this city since Julius Erving retired following the 1986-87 season. 

James, 41, will be heading into his 24th NBA season since his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Flyers don't need to look far for contending recipe

by Bob Herpen

Phanatic Hockey Editor

Although it’s been 16 years, featuring 9 head or interim coaches, four GM tenures and one irreplaceable ownership loss since their last appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, it’s pretty clear the Philadelphia Flyers are insistent they’re going to do it their way.

On the Nasty Knuckles podcast released on July 9 – 25 days after the Carolina Hurricanes won the second Cup in franchise history – the boys welcomed former beloved Flyer, ‘Canes head coach and 2-time Cup winner, Rod Brind’Amour to the fold. 

In general terms, the path toward winning the title during the 2-month war of attrition, usually encompasses four things: overall health, systemic buy-in, near perfect execution, along with outstanding play by at least three players: one forward, one defenseman and a goaltender.

Oddly enough, these are the elements which elevated failed Flyers head coach Craig Berube in 2019 when he took over a moribund Blues club and rode the wave to the championship: near freakish health up and down the roster; stellar performances from Ryan O’Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo and the lack of a book on rookie netminder Jordan Binnington.

But that was an eternity on the NHL timeline. 

Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes – whose core has been together for 8 years – finally broke through after 7 long years of losing in either the conference semifinals or conference finals, by tapping into that formula, which does, admittedly, rely on some freakish luck. 

“A perfect example in these playoffs, you gotta be healthy at the end,” he said. “You’re not going to beat the best teams if you don’t have your best. We went through this playoff, I had one forward miss one game. (Nikolaj) Ehlers missed one game in the Ottawa series, that’s it. Our sixth defenseman (Alex Nikishin) missed two games.”

There’s the rub. 

Flyers hockey has always been about parroting the same abstract nouns you’ll find in any TV advertisement for the military: honor, sacrifice, taking the hit to make the play, protecting teammates, etc. Problem is, that sacrifice has *always* caused issues that damage durability.

Not that they are difference makers, but Nikita Grebenkin and Rodrigo Abols’ lack of availability due to injury killed bottom-six depth. Owen Tippett missed 4 games and was injured internally for however many before that; Dan Vladar hurt his right upper body area 3 games in and played for the remainder. 

The list goes on: Trevor Zegras had a sprained elbow ligament, Travis Konecny broke multiple ribs and one nose; Alex Bump sprained an MCL in one knee, Christian Dvorak a separated shoulder and broken rib, Cam York a broken rib and Garnet Hathaway a broken leg. That was only across 10 games in 2 rounds, while Carolina played 19 over 4 rounds. 

It is asking A LOT of the current coaching staff and even more of the hockey gods to bless the Flyers with excellent playoff health for 2 months straight, given their franchise ethos in the spring is nothing short of coming in like a wrecking ball. 

“There is a learning curve to all this,” Brind’Amour continued. “You don’t really know it when you’re in it, but now that you’re on the other side of it … there’s little things we’ve figured out.”

Could Tocchet, as bench boss, “figure it out” having been on the losing end of two Cup Finals vs. Edmonton and a Wales Conference finals run vs. Montreal whose hopes of victory were scuttled by repeated serious injuries to key personnel (Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin, Brad McCrimmon)? Or is he too caught up in the hero worship in this town from all the heroic, broken bodies pushed to their limit against superior foes?

One of those big “little” things the ‘Canes learned, is how to maximize their strengths by subduing the opposition through puck possession – and the fatigue that comes with the opposition chasing whoever has it – rather than brute strength shown in big hits and corner/netfront play. 

They surely did so by embracing analytics, which Brind’Amour admitted he’s not crazy about, but which owner Tom Dundon and GM Eric Tulsky are clear devotees.

“Even in the playoffs that we lost, he’d (Dundon) come to me (and say), one year we got beat by Florida four straight and he said, ‘You guys should have won all those games.’ If we lost 4 straight and we were getting pounded analytically, there probably would have been a change,” he admitted.

They’ve also figured out how to maximize what Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet calls “low-event hockey” with respect to keeping pucks out of the net: in an era of increased offense, only 12 times during the regular season and 3 more in the playoff over a total of 101 contests did the ‘Canes surrender 5 or more goals.

When co-host Riley Cote asked Brind’Amour about “organizational patience” given Carolina came up short 7 straight years in the 2nd or 3rd round before making the finals and winning it all this year, hit answer might have hit on something deeper than the usual. 

“I think what probably happens is you get GMs in place who are worried about their job, so they don’t really have the vision, the long term vision, so that hurts,” he offered. “I also think, from our standpoint here, our owner wants to win. When we won, he came to me and the first thing he said was, ‘Well, that took a long time!’ Why did it take so long? He really didn’t understand.”

I bet a lot of you reading this are with Dundon. However, what’s unstated is the imbalance between a relatively new hockey market in the Triangle region of a southern state and one of the league’s legacy franchises. 

Success often depends on building from a clean slate. Front office regimes can’t realistically bear the cement parachute of previous failed attempts. By nature, the inherent confidence of the new group, starting at Day One, has to be the driving force behind their decision making. 

On the other hand, there are multi-generational families of Flyers fans who have seen failure after failure with different cooks concocting different recipes in the vain attempt to distill the glory of half a century ago. Young men have married, become fathers and grandfathers and some have passed on with no significant replication of whatever formula each generation utilized to reach the top. 

And yet, Danny Briere is constantly asking for renewed patience as he waits for deals which “make sense” to move this roster forward. 

Keep it here 2 weeks from now where the next Phanatic Offseason Biweekly completes the examination based on Brind’Amour’s interview.