The Philadelphia Flyers have been on a roll recently. They swept their annual California road trip last week with a regulation, overtime, and shootout win. In this week-ahead piece, we’ll break down that road trip, the pivotal matchups that await them, and the rest of their schedule.
Flyers Sweep the California Road Trip
The Flyers remain four points back of a playoff spot (but really five, given their lack of regulation wins), but they made significant progress in pulling off the unthinkable. Last week, they swept their annual California road trip.
The week started with a 3–2 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers had a two-goal lead in the last minute of the second period via Luke Glendening and Owen Tippett, but a Cutter Gauthier goal made things interesting. Then, with just 1:54 left in regulation, Leo Carlsson knotted up the score.
In overtime, Noah Cates buried the winner, courtesy of Matvei Michkov, after a lengthy video review. All’s well that ends well.
The Flyers faced the Los Angeles Kings on a back-to-back, and the offense clicked just enough for a 4–3 shootout victory. Travis Konecny recorded his 25th goal of the season, and Michkov and Rasmus Ristolainen each doubled up on assists, with the former sealing things in the shootout.
Two empty-netters made the score seem more lopsided than it truly was, but the Flyers closed out the road trip with a regulation win over the San Jose Sharks, 4–1. Christian Dvorak and Tippett scored with a goalie in the net, while Cates and Travis Sanheim added insurance markers at 6-on-5.
The Cates–Michkov duo was the big standout of the trip, with each recording a team-high four points. Konecny and Tippett were also pivotal to the Flyers’ success, with both nearing the 30-goal plateau—they need five and six more in 13 games. Shifting gears, Dan Vladař was especially solid between the pipes, stopping 58 of 61 shots (95.1%) that came his way.
This was the Flyers’ first sweep of the California road trip since 2022–23, though you can be forgiven for thinking this is the first time it’s ever happened—few fans look forward to these games. This was a big stretch for the team.
Flyers Face Pivotal Matchups in Blue Jackets, Red Wings
The Flyers’ time for redemption is now. Winning games is great, but they also need the teams they’re chasing to suffer a setback. Fortunately for the Orange and Black, they play the Columbus Blue Jackets (85 points) and Detroit Red Wings (84 points), who both occupy playoff spots. Regulation wins are a must.
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The Flyers’ first game of the week is against the Blue Jackets. A victory in regulation would narrow their five-point gap to just three, although Columbus does have a game tonight (March 22) against the New York Islanders. Nonetheless, this will be a big one.
The same is true for the Red Wings, who are perhaps more catchable than Columbus. The Flyers have a game in hand, so if they win that one and beat Detroit without needing overtime, a four-point gap would become zero. However, with the Flyers lacking in the regulation win department, the tiebreaker would go to the Red Wings. Still, the fact that the two clubs could be tied in points is a huge development.
Flyers Schedule March 23–29
| Date | Time (EDT) | Opponent (Record) | Location |
| Tuesday, March 24 | 7 p.m. | vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (37–21–11) | Xfinity Mobile Arena |
| Thursday, March 26 | 7 p.m. | vs. Chicago Blackhawks (26–31–12) | Xfinity Mobile Arena |
| Saturday, March 28 | 8 p.m. | @ Detroit Red Wings (38–24–8) | Little Caesars Arena |
| Sunday, March 29 | 7 p.m. | vs. Dallas Stars (43–15–11) | Xfinity Mobile Arena |
