New Flyers Thoughts: Three Takeaways From Their Preseason Opening Win

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It took longer than expected, but the Philadelphia Flyers won their preseason opener over the New York Islanders, 3-2 at UBS Arena on Sunday.

They survived an 11-round shootout in which defenseman Emil Andrae finished things with a pretty goal on Isles goalie Parker Gahagen.

However, it took a Matvei Michkov goal with their goalie pulled to force overtime. The Russian winger put home a rebound of a Jamie Drysdale point shot with 1 minute, 18 seconds remaining.

All in all, it was an entertaining first night of action and a positive step forward for the Flyers.

With that in mind, here are three key takeaways from Sunday night’s game.

Zegras Solid In His Flyers Debut

Trevor Zegras looked good in his first Flyers’ action, playing as first-line center on a line with Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin.

One of the keys for Zegras to succeed as a pivot will be his attention to defensive detail. He did not disappoint as he had a first-period pass interception that led to a transition opportunity the other way.

Offensively, he and Michkov had several scoring opportunities throughout the game. If Tocchet continues using line pairings, there’s a good chance both players get off to great starts.

Additionally, on the power play, Zegras flashed in working with his linemates, along with Cates and Drysdale. Their passing movement was crisp. As the game wore on, they began attacking the middle of the ice, something head coach Rick Tocchet wants to see more of.

On the flip side, Zegras did get called for holding an Islander player’s stick a second too long, killing off a power-play before it could begin.

Bjarnason & Kolosov Impress

The Flyers had to be happy with what they save from their young goaltending tandem as their performances held them in the game.

Aleksei Kolosov handled the first two periods of action, while Carson Bjarnason took the net for the third period, overtime, and the shootout.

The Belarusian’s performance showed a surprising maturity after a very suspect first North American pro season. After an uneventful first period in which he only saw five shots, Kolosov gave up a game-tying goal to forward Kyle Palmieri.

Kolosov would get tested again after rookie center Jack Nesbitt committed a turnover that led to a near goal, but he showed his athleticism going from left to right post to stop Eittu Liukas.

Additionally, he made an impressive “ten bell” save on Hunter Drew prior to giving up his second goal to defenseman Marshall Warren on a two-on-one break.

With Bjarnason taking over in net for the final period, the Isles put pressure on the rookie goalie. He had to deal with an early flurry that forced him to make three big saves in succession. Later in the third period, he made a huge save on a breaking Bo Horvat. The Isles forward was waiting for him to open his five-hole but he never did.

Fortunately, Bjarnason’s calmness allowed him to navigate some dicey moments in overtime and the shootout. One of his biggest adjustments compared to Development and Rookie Camps was his assertiveness in attacking angles better. That will serve him well in his first pro season, competing with his partner tonight.

Jack Nesbitt Is Going To Be A Player

From the drop of the puck tonight, Nesbitt did an excellent job centering a fourth line with Rodrigo Abols and Samu Tuomaala that played impressively.

Authoring the first goal of the game, Nesbitt did some excellent work in reading the play in the neutral zone, forcing a turnover, then finding Abols to his left with a nice feed.

Additionally, he handled both power-play and penalty killing duties. He came off the wall and attacked the net, which drew a penalty against fellow rookie Kashawn Atcheson to get the Flyers on the PP.

At the same time, it wasn’t a perfect evening for the 2025 12th overall pick. Nesbitt committed a second-period turnover that led to a near goal, but Kolosov was able to cover for him. Despite that moment, he looked poised and confident, especially when he took command of realigning his wingers during a third period defensive zone face-off.

It was a pretty assertive moment for an 18 year old.