The Flyers stomped the Devils 5-1 in New Jersey Tuesday to hold onto their 3rd place playoff qualifying spot in the Metropolitan Division. There are no throw away games for the Orange and Black at this point. They need to go hard every night with just four games and one week left in their 2025-26 regular season schedule.
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Detroit Red Wings in the shootout to stay just one point behind the Flyers in the Metro standings. The margins are razor and this thing is going to go down to the wire before we see how things shake out in the East.
As it stands, the Flyers are sill in 3rd place with 92 points, Columbus has 90, the Islanders have 89, and the Capitals are still in the running with 87.
You gotta give the Flyers a ton of credit for what they’ve done to redeem their season after stumbling harshly at the start of the new year. The Flyers have gone 15-5-1 since the Olympic break making them one of the hottest teams in the NHL.
Philly vs New Jersey
Trevor Zegras hit this game with a one two punch early in the opening period. He scored two goals in under two minutes. A wrist shot from the circle at 1:56, and tapping home a Porter Martone pass while charging the net.
Just as quickly as the Flyers offense started it came to a grinding halt. Cody Glass deflected a shot past Dan Vladar at 12:12 and the Flyers did not register another shot on goal for the rest of the period.
Double Down
At the start of the second period Tyson Foerster scored two goals in less than two minutes. At 17:14 Foerster skated the puck in from the red line. With the Devils defenseman playing the pass Foerster snapped a shot past the New Jersey netminder. Jacob Markstrom got a pad on the shot but momentum carried it into the net. Foerster has a bomb of a snap shot, no big wind up or telegraph, the puck just jumps off his stick.
Play went wide open after the 1st Foerster goal. Wide open, up and back, fast paced, the Devils were having trouble keeping up with the Flyers.
Foerster again skated the puck into the Jersey zone. He went to Michkov who passed to Zegras on the right hand side. Zegras passed across the slot back to Foerster who had a ton of net to shoot at. 15:02 into the middle period it was 4-1 Flyers and it stayed that way for a quite some time.
The Flyers wisely focused on protecting their lead. Instead of running up the score or looking to complete hattricks the Flyers forwards back-checked and played it smart. The Islanders outshot the Flyers 24-19.
Dan Vladar
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar continues to impress allowing just one goal in this game. He’s allowed 3 goals in his last 3 starts. Before this season Vladar’s career high in games played was 29.
This victory over the Devils was his 47th start of the season and his 27th win. As time ran out at the end of the game Travis Konecny scooped up the puck and put it in Vladar’s glove. Dan Vladar came to Philly on a mission, and he has been the difference for the Flyers this season. They would not be in this race without him.
New Jersey pulled their goaltender with over four minutes left in regulation. Nick Seeler threw a sky-hook at the Devils empty net from deep in his own zone to set the final score at 5-1. The Flyers have won 10 of their last 11 games on the road.
Next Up: The Flyers are in Detroit to face the Red Wings Thursday night at 7 PM.
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