The Flyers look completely disconnected and are playing terrible hockey right now. They’re off to a franchise-worst 0-5-2 start (2 points) in the 2026-27 season after seven games, sitting last in the Metropolitan Division.
Unfortunately, they have been outscored 28-8, ranking near the bottom of the league in goals for and goals against. Last night (Oct. 11) they got thumped 4-1 at home by the Hurricanes, extending the skid, while being booed off the ice. Along with the booing were some “Fire Tocchet” chants.
The results so far:
- Lost 0-7 to Pittsburgh
- Overtime losses to New Jersey and Carolina
- Regulation losses to Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Boston (5-1), and Carolina again
Flyers’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet and the players have talked about poor execution, lack of speed through the middle, losing one-on-one battles, and not generating enough offense or sustained pressure. Possession numbers have been ugly (among the league’s worst in shot attempts and expected goals), and they’ve looked listless and unconnected for stretches—exactly the “not connected” vibe you’re describing. Injuries haven’t helped either.
“I think we go off the rails at certain points of the game. I don’t know if it’s experience, pressure, I don’t know,” Flyers’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet said postgame last night. “It’s a 10-foot play that you have to make. And if we do miss that pass, everybody’s got to dig in for that mistake. You can’t multiply mistakes. We’re making duplicate mistakes. It’s evident for me. It’s tough to correct other than working every day and make these guys understand to stay focused. That if you make a mistake, hang in there. Don’t go off the rails. We go off the rails at certain parts of the game.”
It’s still very early, and a couple of previous Flyers teams that started this poorly rebounded into the playoffs, but the compete level and cohesion issues need fixing fast. Tocchet sounded short on solutions for the 0-5-2 start (franchise-record seven-game winless streak to open a season). Some fans chanted “Fire Tocchet” late in the game. Players, including Trevor Zegras, said they remain fully behind him.
Even still, the Flyers are so disconnected on the ice, that it’s making it look like there might be a fracture inside the locker room. It’s all very interesting, as to why this team lacks compete. At times, they show flashes of competing against top tier teams like Carolina last night, and then it all just falls apart. Hopefully, they can figure things out, before it’s too late.
Next up is home against Seattle on Tuesday.
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
Cool Matvei Michkov merchandise
About Author
