Flyers get too cute for comfort in loss to Leafs

PHILADELPHIA - The Flyers are more fun this year. They're more entertaining. They play for each other. They're in almost every game. They have one of the best penalty kills in the league and have been buoyed by timely goaltending. 

Here's what they're not - fancy. Cute. Stylish. 

The Flyers offense has it's limitations. When you aren't frontloaded with star talent, you have to work for your offensive production. You can't always try to make the highlight reel play, because that certain skillset doesn't exist with enough consistency to be a regular part of the game. 

And when the Flyers get too cute, outcomes like Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs happen. 

The Flyers wrapped up October with their best opening month since 2007, going 6-3-1. In nine of those 10 games, the outcome hung in the balance late into the contest. Heck, they've been to overtime four times already. 

But the Flyers grinded in those games. They played within a system and structure that allowed them to be more opportunistic. Getting good goaltending helps a lot on that front. 

In his first six starts with the Flyers, Dan Vladar had allowed just 10 goals, not giving up more than two in any start. But against Toronto he wasn't as sharp. He didn't let in a bad goal, per se, but he wasn't able to bail his team out when they faltered in front of him. 

Goalies aren't perfect. They are going to have the odd start where they aren't at their very best. Good teams find ways to support a goalie in those times. 

Control puck possession. Attack the middle of the ice. Get shots on goal and look for loose change. Try and keep the opponent on their heels more so that their chances are limited. 

They didn't do any of that on Saturday. 

Head Coach Rick Tocchet met with the media following Saturday's 4-1 loss to Toronto. #TORvsPHI pic.twitter.com/WvLsMrx4A6

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 2, 2025

"Offensively we are struggling. We are passing up opportunities to shoot the puck and we don't have people going to the net," said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet. "It's probably the biggest struggle for me this year to get guys to understand that sometimes there's going to be games this year where teams play half-decent structure and you have to have the (wherewithal) to deliver pucks to the net.

"We're trying these high plays and passing up these plays with a swarm in front of the net --  you got to tee it up when you got people in front. ... We need to start shooting pucks with people at the net. ... We're trying all this fancy stuff before that. We have to correct it, and it's on me to get these guys to do that."

Through 11 games, the Flyers are averaging just 24 shots on goal per game. That ranks 31st out of 32 teams in the league. Only the Seattle Kraken average fewer. 

They are doing a decent job of limiting shots - they allow 27.1 per game, which ranks 11th in the league, but they just aren't generating enough of their own.

Add into the fact that the Flyers were playing with new lines for the first time in a while - Sean Couturier was out with an undisclosed injury, he was replaced by callup Jacob Gaucher and Nikita Grebenkin re-entered the lineup in place of Nick Deslauriers. That created changes on three of the four Flyers lines.

Without Couturier, the Flyers look a little more disjointed offensively. It was first notable on Thursday in their win over Nashville as once Couturier went out of the game in the second period, things seemed uneven offensively. 

The Flyers grinded through that game and were able to pull out a win, but the aftereffects were still there on Saturday. 

Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny each picked up an assist Saturday but otherwise didn't have the best game. Combined along with Owen Tippett, who was kept off the scoresheet, the four skilled forwards on the Flyers, were a combined minus-9.

Zegras was tied with Noah Cates for the team-lead in shots for the game with five, but most of those came in a third period when the Flyers were trying to comeback from a three-goal deficit. Zegras did extend his now franchise record for points in consecutive home games to start a Flyers career (tied at eight games with Peter Forsberg and Peter Zezel. Maybe Zegras should change his first name.) And he did have a little bit of bad luck on one opportunity:

TREVOR ZEGRAS HITS DOUBLE POST UGHHH#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/1lce5zPBYe

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 2, 2025

But of the Flyers 33 shots in the game, 19 came in the third period after facing a multi-goal deficit. In the first two periods when the game was either tied or within one, they had 14 shots in total. That was on pace for fewer than their already bottom-of-the-league output. 

"You need to have the courage (to get to the net). Sometimes when you get to the net, it makes them make decisions. Maybe two guys take you and then that play to the side will work," Tocchet said. "But if we have everybody to the side all the time, it's going to be hard. It's on me to get the guys to understand that.

"You know what that is? It's playing in meaningful games. It's playing in the playoffs. When you play in the playoffs it's hard to score. So, you have to have that mentality from now. It's something we're going to have to keep working on."

 Don't miss Snow The Goalie, live at Chickie's and Pete's every Wednesday at 6PM. The show will broadcast from a different Chickie's and Pete's location every week throughout the Flyers season. The next show is Wednesday (11/5) and will be at Chickie's and Pete's of Glassboro, 234 Rowan Blvd., Glassboro, N.J.