The Philadelphia Flyers started this brief road trip with a bang. Their recent 5–4 shootout win in Montreal was equal parts exhilarating and exasperating — a game that showcased both their resilience and their rough edges.
It was the kind of night that makes coaches reach for the aspirin but reminds everyone watching why this Flyers team has quickly become one of the most intriguing in the league.
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Now, as they roll into Nashville to face the Predators, the mission is simple: fewer heart palpitations, same two points.
Resetting the Tone After Montreal
Rick Tocchet’s Flyers are many things — fast, scrappy, relentless — but “calm” hasn’t always been one of them. Their trip to Montreal was a perfect case study in both their potential and their growing pains.
They jumped out to a 3–0 lead with an energized, disciplined start, only to see it disappear by the end of the second period. The defensive zone coverage wasn’t where it needed to be, and the Canadiens’ speed exposed every loose seam in Philadelphia’s structure.
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Still, the Flyers clawed back, tying it late thanks to Nikita Grebenkin’s first NHL goal and sealing the win in a shootout behind a rock-solid performance from Dan Vladar.
Nikita Grebenkin (29). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
It was the type of night that shows the team’s competitive DNA — and also, the type they’ll want to avoid repeating. Tocchet has made no secret of his desire for his group to find a steadier rhythm, a more composed control of games, and simply get more regulation wins this early in the season. Against Nashville, that skillset will be put to the test yet again.
Dan Vladar’s Net, Again
After another clutch showing in Montreal’s shootout, Dan Vladar gets the start again — his workload growing as the Flyers continue to search for the right rhythm between him and Sam Ersson (who is currently on IR with a lower-body injury).
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Vladar’s performance this season has been nothing short of impressive. His size and structure have served him well when stopping pucks, and when he’s on, there’s an excellence to his game that radiates out to the skaters in front of him.
The challenge against Nashville will be maintaining tighter coverage, and being able to really see how Vladar bounces back after a run of games where he’s admittedly struggled. His first few games had fans thinking he was invincible, but this will be where we see where his mental resolve is and how quickly he can shake off a tough stretch.
Nashville: Not Flashy, but Dangerous
The Predators might not be the biggest threat as far as Central Division opponents go, but they’re become a disciplined, opportunistic group.
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They’ve got one a dangerous two-way weapon in Filip Forsberg, who continues to be Nashville’s offensive heartbeat, and Ryan O’Reilly — a player who embodies the type of “hard ice” mentality Tocchet’s been hammering home to his own players.
For Philadelphia, that’s the template. They don’t necessarily need a fireworks show; they need a controlled, layered effort that shows they can win by discipline as much as by drive.
Special Teams Trending Upward
If there’s a clear bright spot lately, it’s been the Flyers’ power play.
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After endless critiques over the past couple of seasons, the man advantage is finally showing real structure and chemistry. Two power-play goals in Montreal marked a noticeable shift — more motion, more patience, and more confidence with puck movement.
The Flyers enter Nashville ranked in the middle of the league in power-play efficiency — still a work in progress, but a significant step forward from where they’ve been in recent years. And that improvement has real meaning: it’s giving them a margin for error they simply didn’t have before.
Trevor Zegras (46). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
A Chance to Settle In
It’s still early, but the Flyers are at that delicate stage of the season where tendencies begin to set. The last three games — two home losses and a road win — have revealed both promise and pressure points.
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Against Nashville, the goal is simple but not easy: bring the compete, bring the discipline, and bring a little less chaos.
Because for all the fun and flair this Flyers team can generate, the next step in their evolution isn’t about playing harder. It’s about playing smarter — and showing that they can control not just the score, but the game itself.
Projected Lines
Philadelphia Flyers
Forwards:
Owen Tippett – Christian Dvorak – Trevor Zegras
Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Bobby Brink
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Nikita Grebenkin – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Nic Deslauriers – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway
Defense:
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae – Noah Juulsen
Goalies:
Dan Vladar
Aleksei Kolosov
Nashville Predators
Forwards:
Filip Forsberg – Ryan O’Reilly – Luke Evangelista
Steven Stamkos – Erik Haula – Jonathan Marchessault
Michael Bunting – Fedor Svechkov – Matthew Wood
Tyson Jost – Michael McCarron – Ozzy Wiesblatt
Defense:
Brady Skjei – Nick Perbix
Nicolas Hague – Nick Blankenburg
Spencer Stastney – Justin Barron
Goalies:
Juuse Saros
Justus Annunen
