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Five Thoughts with the Flyers in Playoff Position as the Calendar Flips to December
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Why have the Flyers been one of the NHL’s most-improved teams?
It’s a question I’ve been been asked many times already. Through 24 games, about a quarter of the slate, the Flyers are holding on to a playoff spot with games in hand, and they’ve done so in a very unconventional way. They’ve come back while trailing 10 times to get two points and a win, and on four of those occasions they erased multiple-goal deficits along the way.
In most cases, you’re lucky to pull off multi-goal comebacks four times through the entirety of an 82-game season. To have done that four times in the first quarter of this season is remarkable and speaks to this team’s most identifiable trait, which is resilience.
But resilience alone can’t lead a team to the postseason. It takes other key elements of improvement and execution, and here are 5 reasons why the Flyers are off to a very good start.
1) Dan Vladar
Dan Vladar has been simply fantastic after signing a 2-year contract as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The 28-year-old has never played in more than 30 NHL Games in a season has a .912 save %, which is near the top NHL goaltenders that have played at least 10 games. He leads the NHL in save % on high-danger chances and has been the backstop of the league’s 4th-ranked penalty kill.
2) Overtime and shootouts
The Flyers are 2-3 in overtimes decided, but 5-0 in shootouts. With a record past regulation of 7-3, the .700 OT+shootout win percentage is what’s keeping them in a playoff spot. As it stands, there’s only four points separating the 3rd and 13th-place teams in the East.
3) Trevor Zegras
Danny Briere was looking for players with high-end skill that perhaps needed a change of scenery to reinvigorate their career. Zegras fit the bill perfectly after two very good seasons at age 20 (61 pts) and 21 (65 pts).
Zegras was set back with injuries and lackluster point totals. Briere sent Ryan Poehling, the 45th overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, and a 2026 fourth-round pick to land Zegras in what looks like a home run move. Zegras leads the Flyers in goals (9), assists (15) and points with 24 in 24 games. He has also helped the power play with 3 goals and 6 assists.
But where he has had a HUGE impact is in the Shootout. Zegras is now 17 for 25, 68% in career shootout attempts, and because he’s used as the Flyers’ first shootout player, his success puts immediate pressure on the opponents’ shooters and goalie:
4) Balanced scoring
The Flyers have eight players with five or more goals this season. Zegras and Tyson Foerster each have nine and Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov have eight. The balanced scoring has made the Flyers a team that is hard to focus on. Add to that the point production they’re now getting from the blue line with Cam York who (12 pts), Jamie Drysdale (10), and Travis Sanheim (9). They are all driving offense:
5) Coaching
This will be an unpopular take for the vocal minority.
Rick Tocchet and his staff have come in and implemented a Box and One Defensive zone structure that has stifled many opponents, allowing an average of 26 shots per game. For the most part, that structure has protected the middle of ice and limited high-danger chances against.
The Flyers also shifted from a 1-2-2 forecheck to a much more aggressive 2-1-2, knowing the team needed to generate more offense, a sustained attack that was also capable of defending rush opportunities and odd-man rushes against.
It’s stunning that after the last four seasons, when the Flyers had a combined .456 Points % for 7th worst in the NHL, people are actually in favor of firing Tocchet into the sun. The Flyers’ points % this year is 6th in the entire NHL at .646%. If the season ended today, Tocchet would be a Jack Adams finalist for Coach of the Year.
But the season doesn’t end today and the Flyers still have a lot of hockey left to be played. They have things that need to be cleaned up, like scoring first and not having to play comeback kid every time. Eventually that magic runs out. Can they be a playoff team? Time will tell, but they are off to a very good start and have put themselves in a good position.
Jason Myrtetus is a Philadelphia-based broadcaster and host, best known for his work with the Philadelphia Flyers since 2008. He serves as a radio pregame, intermission, and postgame host and is the voice behind the Flyers Daily and Hockey & Hounds podcasts. A passionate hockey enthusiast, Myrtetus played organized hockey from age 5 to 50, starting as a goalie and later coaching youth teams. His career began in rock radio before transitioning to sports, including roles at WIP, WYSP, and 97.5 The Fanatic, where he worked as Assistant Program Director, producer, and co-host. Diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in December 2024, Myrtetus has openly shared his battle, drawing on his hockey-rooted resilience to face treatment. A father of three and husband to Angela, he remains a vital part of the Flyers’ broadcast community.