The Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 season has officially come to a close. Game number 82 took place against the Sabres in Buffalo Thursday night. Three Flyers Michkov, Konecny, and Foerster entered this game with 24 goals but the main implication of this match had to do with lottery odds for draft positioning. The Flyers could end up anywhere between 4th and 7th depending on how and when this game ended. The optimal ending being the Flyers with a loss in regulation.
Wild Ride
The final game of this tumultuous season had more than a little something for everyone. This tilt could not have been much more wide open than it was. End to end odd man rushes, breakaways, and a lack of discipline on behalf of both squads led to a very fun watch to be honest. At times the defensive play looked just slightly more intense than an NHL All Star Game.
Firsts
Newly acquired Flyer Devin Kaplan made his NHL debut. Kaplan hails from New Jersey and came to the Flyers by way of Boston University. Also AHL referee Peter McDougle was overseeing his first game in the NHL.
Philly vs Buffalo
You wouldn’t know it based on the final score but both goaltenders made some highlight reel saves while being hung out to dry way too often. Aleksei Kolosov took the first hit to his GAA. Alex Tuch cut right through the Flyers defense to pick up a pass and tap the puck home. 1-0 Sabres.
Owen Tippett was a force all night long. Buffalo goaltender James Reimer denied Tip on a breakaway early on. The breakaway evolved from Tippett just being faster than every other player on the ice.
With 6:11 left in the 1st period Peyton Krebs had all day to complete a breakaway deking then beating Kolosov high glove side. Just wide open hockey. 2-0
Moments later Matvei Michkov scored his 25th goal of the season on the power play to tie Macklin Celebrini for goals in the rookie scoring race. 2-1
Less than a minute later Jack Quinn scored on a 2-on-1 rush that turned into a 2-on-0 as they blew through the Flyers defense. 3-1
One in a million shot
The 2nd period opened with more of the same. Right off the bat Kolosov made a spectacular save on one of the many Sabres odd man rushes.
Seconds later another odd man rush this time they had Kolosov hung out to dry. He was still covering the left post when a cross ice pass found Jiri Kulich wide open in front of the gaping Flyers net. Somehow Kulich missed the gargantuan target directly in front of him. The puck soared past the net and into the far corner where it hit rookie referee Peter McDougle dead in the grapes.
A 3rd odd man rush resulted in a JJ Peterka goal 1:24 into the 2nd period. The Sabres continued to outgun the Flyers. Five minutes into the middle period shots on goal were 18-5.
Matvei Michkov took the lead in goals by a rookie, scoring his 26th from his favorite spot along the right post 7:11 into the second. You have to admit Michkov’s rookie season has been everything the Flyers had hoped for. He has truly been a bright spot in this Flyers season which desperately needed one. 4-2
Tragedy narrowly avoided
Ryan Poehling hit the cross bar on a give and go from Devin Kaplan. Poehling’s momentum carried him into a collision with Buffalo netminder James Reimer. Poehlings skate blade slid across Reimer’s neck as they both hit the ice.
Play was stopped Reimer skated to his bench. The blade had cut through the skin ever so slightly on the side of his neck right by the carotid artery. Reimer has been stopping pucks in the NHL for 15 seasons. It’s been speculated that he may retire after this season. He was attended to and returned to finish the game and he has a whole lot to be thankful for tonight. The very slightest change in detail and it could have been a very different situation.
The final period of 2024-25
Tyson Foerster scored his 25th goal of the season just fifteen seconds into the 3rd period. It was his 9th goal in the last nine games. Foerster is really coming into his own. He could be someone to watch next season. 4-3
Kolosov and Reimer continued to take turns wowing the crowd with some fantastic play. Kolosov stoned Krebs on a breakaway. Reimer made a stop on Coots that went to review. Approximately 78% of the puck was over the goal line but in ice hockey that means 100% no goal.
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JJ Peterka had what would have been his second goal of the game called back when it was determined that Kolosov’s glove had been kicked off his hand. This game was a real variety pack.
As time was running down the Flyers pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker. Matvei Michkov was getting plenty of ice time looking for that illusive 1st NHL hattrick. The Flyers were feeding the puck to Michkov as often as possible.
Ryan Mcleod scored on the Flyers empty net with 48 seconds left. For everyone who was stressing out about the standings this goal was a gigantic relief. 5-3
The Flyer kept their net empty and Michkov on the ice. The Sabres knew that Michkov was obviously the man to cover and kept him away from the net. Michkov threw a pass to Bobby Brink at the point and he blistered a slapshot passed Reimer with just 19 seconds left in the season.
Final score Sabres five, Flyers four. Draft position secure. We’ll go over some forensics on this season over the next couple days but that’s all for now. As Gene Hart always used to say, “goodnight and good hockey”.
Extra Credit: I would like to thank you folks for reading along and hashing things out with me during the course of yet another Flyers season. You have made this our strongest year on record and we are always very grateful. I also want to thank the Flyers organization for all the hospitality and access to the team. And of course to Jamey Baskow and everyone here at the Flyers Nitty Gritty. It’s truly an honor spending so much time around the greatest game on the planet and the people who love it.
