It’s home opener day, friends! After a 4-3 season opening win vs. Chicago last Friday, the Flyers finally hit the ice again. This time, in front of their home fans at the Wells Fargo Center. In addition to the best season opener moments of the last 10 seasons, let’s take a look at some of the best from the home opener.
Dominating the Caps 8-2
Because there’s really only one standout home opener moment in the past few years — hell the last one ended up being the same score on the losing end vs. San Jose — let’s start with that. The 2017-18 Flyers came into the season looking to rebound after missing the playoffs the year prior. Questions about Dave Hakstol’s ability to coach had already arisen (and ohhh boy would they strengthen as time went on that season) and the team was looking for a hot start. After winning the season opener in San Jose behind a hat trick from Wayne Simmonds, but then going 1-2-0 in their next three games including that god awful Nashville game.
But most of that ill will from the Nashville game went away with the display the Flyers would put on in the home opener. They ran roughshod on the Washington Capitals, scoring eight goals en route to an 8-2 win. This was the first start for Brian Elliott in front of the home crowd, and he didn’t disappoint, stopping 21 of 23 Washington shots. The goal scoring for the Flyers came from Scott Laughton (X2), Claude Giroux (X2), Sean Couturier (X2), Valtteri Filppula (lol), and Wayne Simmonds.
Unveiling another banner vs. Colorado
In the 2010-11 home opener the Flyers were raising another banner to the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center, with the 2010 Eastern Conference champions edition. The team was fresh off a trip to the Final and expectations were high heading into the season. After beating Pittsburgh to start the year but losing to the St. Louis Blues in game two, the Flyers headed home to face the Colorado Avalanche.
This game marked the home debut of Sergei Bobrovsky who was superb stopping 25 of 27 Colorado shots. The Flyers would get a two goal night from Jeff Carter, a shorthanded goal from Claude Giroux, and the empty netter from Darroll Powe.
An OT thriller vs. Washington
We go back to just the year before that last game, in 2009 where the new-look Flyers featuring Chris Pronger and Ray Emery took to the home ice for the first time. This game would be a roller coaster to say the least with the Caps answering every Flyers’ punch and the Flyers answering the Caps. Mike Richards would score a hat trick with each of his goals either giving the Flyers the lead, or tying the game. The guy was pretty damn good!
The hero of the night however would be birthday boy Danny Briere, who scored the overtime winner after Scott Hartnell tied the game late in the third. Kimmo Timonen also tacked on a goal in this game to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead in the second period, before this game turned into an offensive onslaught.
