Kevin Durso

The Tampa Bay Lightning return to Philadelphia, closing out the season series and looking for a sweep on Sunday night.

Alain Vigneault’s postgame press conference lasted about two and a half minutes. But it was his tone and clearly visible frustration that told the story. The Flyers coach and his staff may have received a vote of confidence of sorts from Fletcher just a day earlier, but the veteran bench boss knows when the ship is sinking and he becomes the first guy on the chopping block.

It wasn’t a result that was as out-of-hand as the others recently, but it was a defeat all the same, as the Flyers took the loss for the seventh straight game, 4-1, to the Rangers.

The Flyers pay a visit to the New York Rangers for the first time this season, and get a former Ranger back in their lineup as well, hoping this could be one of the internal improvements that starts to turn their season. 

Fletcher leaned on the difficulty of the team’s schedule and injuries over the course of the first 20 games of the season, placing more emphasis on a few early-season successes and less on the noticeable struggles the team has had over the last couple of weeks.

There’s really no end in sight for the Flyers losing trend, not without some serious adjustments. That was fully evident in the most recent defeat, a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.

Three goals in the third proved to be the difference for the Flyers, as they were handed their sixth straight loss, 5-2, to the Devils on Sunday night. 

The Flyers are battered with injuries, but have faced teams dealing with significant losses in their own right and have struggled to keep up in a five-game losing streak. The New Jersey Devils have lost five of their last six game entering Sunday night’s action. 

The Flyers were blown out again, this time by a 6-3 margin against the Hurricanes on Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center, sending the Flyers to their fifth straight loss.

Following an off day on Thanksgiving, the Flyers return to the ice to face the top team in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes, in the annual Black Friday game. The Flyers used the hot goaltending method to earn a 2-1 win against Carolina on the road earlier this month and they may need another one to salvage a week that certainly hasn’t been good so far. 

After stopping six shots for the Panthers to start the 3-on-3, Martin Jones couldn’t stop a one-time blast from Aaron Ekblad in a 2-1 overtime loss for the Flyers on Wednesday night. 

Less than 24 hours after a blowout loss in Tampa Bay, the Flyers face off on Wednesday night against the Florida Panthers. 

The Flyers are proving that this roster is not equipped to get the job done. Maybe that has to do with the system, maybe that’s talent, but if they wanted to avoid another purge, things needed to improve. For everyone’s sake, it had better start on Wednesday, because this is going to become an ugly season quickly, and it’s only Thanksgiving.

The Lightning got an early goal, then really poured it on late in a 4-0 defeat for the Flyers.

A brutal week begins against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flyers suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to the Lightning last Thursday, and will have to dig deep again to try to earn two points and avoid an extensive losing streak for the first time this season.

The Flyers are having to survive the opposition more than driving play. They clearly have flaws in their play, and it’s fair to wonder how much longer they can go without addressing them. 

Two goals in the third period extended the Boston lead to a 5-2 margin, the final from Wells Fargo Center as the Flyers closed out a three-game homestand.

The Flyers are 6-0 after a loss this season. They face another of those situations, as the Flyers welcome the Boston Bruins back to Philadelphia for the second time this season on Saturday night.

Claude Giroux’s second goal of the game earned the Flyers a valuable point against the reigning Stanley Cup champions. It was just another example of their resilience in the face of adversity, another quick response just when you think this team is starting to reach the breaking point.

Claude Giroux scored with 8.1 seconds left in the third to tie the game back up, forcing overtime and giving the Flyers a crucial and deserved point. Ultimately, the Lightning claimed the win in a shootout by a score of 4-3.

Since their last meeting, the Lightning not only claimed the 2020 Stanley Cup, but followed it up with another title in 2021. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions are in town and the circumstances remain the same. The Flyers are in for another early season test.

Tuesday’s game was the sixth of its kind, a 2-1 overtime win against the Flames that showed the team’s ability to adjust and once again their ability to get the best performance at the most crucial position and use an opportunity to seize the result.

Cam Atkinson’s game-winner 45 seconds into overtime lifted the Flyers to a 2-1 win over the Flames at Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers will induct two new members into its Hall of Fame prior to Tuesday’s game at Wells Fargo Center against the Calgary Flames. This opens up a three-game homestand for the Flyers, and marks the first game the Flyers will be without Ryan Ellis again for the long-term.

The result was a 5-2 loss for the Flyers to the Stars, who got the only goal of a first period while getting heavily out-shot, then took control for the remainder.

A weekend road trip comes complete for the Flyers with a visit to Dallas to face the Stars on Saturday night.

Entering the third period on Friday night in Carolina, it was another similar case. Carolina had only one goal. Hart had 27 saves. This time, the Flyers gave him some run support, and Hart did the rest in a dominant performance that continued his hot start to the season. 

Carter Hart kept the Flyers in another game, and this time his teammates rewarded the effort with two third-period goals in a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

The Carolina Hurricanes have set the tone for the Metropolitan Division. While every team seems to be hovering around where the Flyers are with a 6-3-2 record and 14 points, the Hurricanes sit at the top of the division with a 10-1-0 record and 20 points. A challenging weekend back-to-back on the road begins for the Flyers in Raleigh.