The Philadelphia Flyers only scored five goals in round two of the 2025-26 playoffs. And after generating a batch of goals in the first three games against Pittsburgh, seemed to hit a wall of sorts in the ensuing three games. In terms of the regular season, Philadelphia posted its first positive goal differential (for a full 82-game season) since 2017-18 where they scored 249 goals and allowed 236 (+13). Granted this season’s goal differential was the slimmest of margins (+1), but it was still on the right side of the ledger.
The 240 goals the Flyers scored this year was also their highest output since 2018-19 when they scored 241. It was also their third-highest amount of production since way back in 2011-12 when the team potted 260 tallies. So, while there were obviously some problems generating consistent offensive production, it’s not like the well was completely dry during this 82-game campaign.
The biggest thing heading into next season, aside from the power play ineptness that might need some unorthodox thinking to correct, is trying to ensure the Flyers finish their chances. Philadelphia had plenty of opportunities in Game 2 and Game 3 against Carolina to have at least a one-goal or two-goal lead early. However, they came up short each time. It’s something Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet addressed on Wednesday during his year-end exit interview, realizing Philadelphia don’t quite have that generational game-breaker in their lineup. At least not yet.
“Well how do you score right?” Tocchet said. “That’s one thing. We don’t have Connor McDavid. We don’t have Nathan McKinnon. Or Makar. So, you have to think of other ways to score as a team. Puck possession we talked about. We’ve got to be a better wall team. I think that’s something. Corner work and wall work is a very underrated thing when it comes to hockey. If you look at the teams that go far, you watch their inside game, that’s something we have to improve on.”
Burying chances and wall work needs to improve
Philadelphia had just four guys who scored 20 or more goals, so they didn’t quite have any real snipers outside of Owen Tippett. Of course, Tyson Foerster’s lengthy injury was a setback as the winger had 10 goals prior to his Dec. 1 exit for roughly four months. Needless to say, the Flyers often scrounged for whatever goals they could come up with, resulting in a scoring-by-committee approach more than relying on one or two top-talented goalscorers who could consistently beat goaltenders. That execution is something Tocchet is hoping the forwards (and defensemen) can get better at during the summer.
“Finishing,” the coach said. “Improvement of your shot. There’s some guys — and I’m not going to name them — that have to get a harder shot, improve their shot. And you can do that. You can do that. I coached Quinn Hughes in one summer, his shot went up 12 miles an hour. You can improve that.”
Philadelphia was dead last in shots on goal per game (24.6). Tippett led the team with 220 shots with Travis Konecny a distant second (168). Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, and Christian Dvorak were the only other Flyers to be north of 150 shots on goal in a season. Meanwhile, the approach to the game plan might be changed slightly, namely in terms of holding on to the puck more and also winning important battles in the corners in the offensive zone.
“Systematically, the same thing,” Tocchet said. “Do we want to carry the puck in move? Yes. Be more calculated, of course. But I think puck possession and wall work is something we’re really going to concentrate (on) this year. I think that will enhance more offence from certain players and our team.”
Run-and-gun instills no confidence
Perhaps the biggest factor leading to Philadelphia’s success this season — outside of Dan Vladar — was that the team was rarely involved in a laugher. Only a handful of times was a game truly out of reach either way with five to 10 minutes left in the third. It’s clear those type of pressure situations late in games throughout the regular season helped gain the rather youthful roster experience and confidence. They could play in tight games. And they could win their fair share of them also. This was evident down the stretch when one or two late-game mistakes in regulation could’ve made the difference between a playoff spot and an unexciting first-round pick in the mid-teens in June.
Tocchet said the team isn’t equipped for high-octane goal scoring, so he played with what he had. It was that outlook which he said instilled confidence in the club over the season.
“I just felt the first year coming in here, first off we don’t have that type of team to run and gun,” he said. “To get confidence you have to stay in games. I know people criticize me and there’s a lot of overtime games and tight games, but I think that helped our team. That helped us stay in the race, that helped us get into the playoffs. Losing 6-4 and just playing run and gun for a young player, I disagree with because I think you get no confidence. There’s nothing worse for a younger team. First off you get the hell beat out of you every night physically, and secondly you’re losing 6-3 or 6-4. It doesn’t build confidence.
“Now I’m not saying you have to use a 1-4 defense and stay back all day, that’s not what I’m asking too. But I think the way the players approached this year and being in games, being a 2-2 game and the number of comebacks we had this year. I think it’s going to mean a lot for our team going forward. But having said that, yes we have to stretch the envelop a little bit. A 2-2 game and with six minutes left and we have a two-on-one, can we make that play to score to make it a 3-2 game. Those are the moments we’re going to look for a lot more next year.”
It’s evident the Flyers proved a lot of people wrong this season with their playoff push and playoff series victory. However, the team and the coaching staff know that success will come much easier if Philadelphia can convert on more of the ample opportunities that presented themselves against Carolina. That work will begin this summer, with hopefully better results during 2026-27.
Stats courtesy of ESPN and NHL.com
