3 Takeaways From Flyers’ 4-3 Confusing Shootout Loss to Kraken

When the Philadelphia Flyers took the ice around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, they heard a familiar sound. Seven consecutive defeats to start their 2026-27 season, a franchise record, is enough to rethink everything, and that apparently includes the warm-up mix, which they reset to last year’s version after just three regular-season games with the new playlist.

What followed was the closest thing to a 2025-26 game as the Flyers have played this season. They were tied with the Seattle Kraken in shots on goal through 60 minutes. They won the 5-on-5 expected goal battle for the second time this season. A two-goal third-period comeback showed the impressive resilience they perfected following the Olympic break in February. They even reached the shootout, their bread and butter last season with 10 wins in 14 tries, including one that ended their six-year playoff drought.

But it’s one thing to feel like the past and another to bring it back. Through eight games, the Flyers remain winless after falling in a five-round shootout. Their first moral victory of the season, a solid effort last Thursday in Ottawa, was followed by two more ugly defeats. If the Flyers can’t follow up this effort with stronger results, very little will be off the table as this season threatens to slip away.

Effort There, Execution Lacking

Playing in the NHL and ESPN’s annual Frozen Frenzy, the Flyers showed more urgency from the jump than in most games this season. They had six shots on goal through the first 10:15 and generated some quality looks. Trevor Zegras nearly scored on his first shift from the slot, and Owen Tippett showed his dazzling speed to create a chance a few minutes later. As in last season, they had offensive lulls; no shots in the final 9:45 of the first period or the last 10:43 of regulation. But it was better.

However, porous passing undid much of that work. There were numerous missed chances; Porter Martone was unable to hit Nick Seeler for a one-timer from below the goal line, missed breakaway feeds for Christian Dvorak and Travis Sanheim, and egregious failed clears from Dvorak, David Jiříček, and Matvei Michkov (who also made some of Philadelphia’s best passes of the night), among others.

Their issues were especially apparent on the power play. The Flyers managed just three shots in 4:16 of man-advantage time and again struggled across the board on both units. But things finally came together early in the third period. Oliver Bonk’s dazzling end-to-end transition and cross-ice feed set up Dvorak for a one-timer to break Philipp Grubauer’s shutout bid. Just 1:13 later, Sanheim showed tremendous patience below the goal line to create the equalizer at 4-on-4.

Those plays reminded everyone the Flyers can make excellent plays. But if they executed on more of the simple opportunities they had in the first 40 minutes, this result could’ve been different.

Valiant Vladař

When you’re struggling to generate offense, you turn to your best players. That’s exactly what the Flyers did when Dan Vladař earned an assist on Dvorak’s goal to kickstart their comeback, showing why the Flyers committed to him long-term during the offseason.

In all seriousness, Vladař stabilized his main responsibilities after two shaky appearances in his first three starts. It wasn’t just the quantity of saves he made last year that was so impressive. Vladař consistently delivered impressive and timely stops that flipped momentum or seemed to single-handedly earn the Flyers a standings point (or two).

He did that multiple times Tuesday. An impressive push across the crease prevented Seattle from scoring a second power-play goal in the opening frame. Savvy patience allowed him to stay with Jordan Eberle on a second-period penalty shot to keep the score 1-0. Then, right off the center face-off after Dvorak’s goal, Vladař again lunged to his right to deny a backdoor look. After helping the Flyers kill a 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 penalty, the latter in overtime, he delivered in desperation to rob Mackie Samoskevich of a shootout winner.

Ultimately, it wasn’t quite enough for a win, as Bobby McMann (who scored the opening goal on the power play) beat Vladař in the fifth round of the shootout to end the game. But Vladař did almost everything he could to push the Flyers over the hump.

Zeal from Zegras

Entering Tuesday, the most notable thing Trevor Zegras did since last season ended was his preseason penalty for tucking in his jersey. It wasn’t just that he entered the game with no goals and two assists. One of Philadelphia’s most skilled players being completely invisible summed up the team’s ugly start perfectly.

Thankfully for the Flyers, they got a much more noticeable version of the 25-year-old in this game. It wasn’t all good, as Zegras first drew attention for a second-period penalty for slashing Grubauer after he swallowed a shot. Coming out of the box, Zegras quickly took a shot himself, then swatted the puck back at Grubauer after he saved it and the whistle blew. Seattle’s netminder responded with a push, and both players were penalized.

When a team is winless through seven games and its highest-paid player hasn’t scored, these are the straws you have to grasp at. But the Flyers got much more tangible impact from Zegras in the third when he took Sanheim’s sweet setup and ripped the puck past a lunging Grubauer for the tying tally.

Grubauer ultimately got the last laugh by stymying Zegras to begin the shootout. But it was a much-needed breakthrough from one of Philadelphia’s most important players. Like the rest of the team, maybe there’s finally something to build on here.

What’s Next

For the second straight game, the Flyers have a very beatable opponent in the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit is just 1-3-2 and is obviously dealing with its fair share of problems, although they solved one by signing Alex DeBrincat to a massive contract extension Tuesday night.

Lose that one, and things look really rough. The Flyers’ next four games are against 2026 playoff teams, although they at least looked good against the Senators, the first of those opponents. Heading into that stretch with no wins would be awfully daunting, to say the least. Having one wouldn’t exactly be sunshine and rainbows, either.