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Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (0-6-3) are home on Sunday to take on Travis Green’s Ottawa Senators (6-2-0). This is the second of three meetings this season between the teams, and the second in October.
The Flyers played one of their better games of the early 2026-27 season in their 2-1 loss in Ottawa on October 8. The difference-maker: Philadelphia failed to convert a third period power play. Ottawa scored on their next power play, as Carter Yakemchuk blasted home the game-winning goal at 13:01.
Two nights ago, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead over the Detroit Red Wings in a low-event first period. The Red Wings took over the game in the middle stanza. The match entered the third period tied at 1-1. The Red WIngs scored in the latter stages to skate off with a 2-1 victory.
The Senators, meanwhile, have gotten into a good groove since the last time they played the Flyers. Ottawa has won three of its last four games, although two of the victories were via shootout. On Thursday, Linus Ullmark’s 20 saves backstopped a 2-1 (1-0) shootout victory over the New York Islanders. Shane Pinto netted the shootout winner while Ridly Greig (1st) scored in regulation.
Projected Goalie Matchup
Flyers: Dan Vladar (0- 3-1, 4.21 GAA, .875 SV%), backup Joseph Woll (0-3-2, 2.77 GAA, .916 SV%)
Senators: Linus Ullmark (6-0-0, 1.20 GAA, . 949 SV%), backup Samuel Ersson (0-2-0, 5.26 GAA, .829 SV%)
Flyers scoring leaders
Points
Matvei Michkov — 3
Christian Dvorak — 3
Trevor Zegras — 3
Travis Sanheim — 3
Travis Konecny — 3
Sean Couturier — 2
Owen Tippett — 2
Nick Seeler -2
Goals
Matvei Michkov — 3
Christian Dvorak — 2
Tyson Foerster — 1
Porter Martone — 1
Trevor Zegras — 1
Owen Tippett – 1
Travis Sanheim — 1
Rasmus Ristolainen — 1
Assists
Travis Konency — 3
Trevor Zegras — 2
Denver Barkey — 2
Sean Couturier — 2
Nick Seeler — 2
Four players — 1
Where to Watch
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena
Television networks: NBCSP
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Flyers Injury Report
The Flyers hope to get some healthy players back in upcoming days. Cam York has missed the past four games. Meanwhile, Rasmus Ristolainen has missed the last five. Young defensemen Oliver Bonk and David Jiricek have stepped into the starting lineup.
Additionally, the injured Travis Konecny is still tied for the team scoring with three points (0g, 3a). Michkov and Christian Dvorak are the only Philadelphia players with more than one goal on the season to date.
Lastly, Nikita Grebenkin (back surgery) is sidelined for at least four months from October
Potential Flyers Lineup (Thursday starters)
Porter Martone – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Trevor Zegras – Sean Couturier – Owen Tippett
Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Tyson Foerster
Michael Bunting – Jack Studnicka – Noel Acciari
Travis Sanheim – Oliver Bonk
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Simon Benoit – David Jiricek
Joseph Woll
Dan Vladar
PP1: Drysdale, Dvorak, Michkov, Tippett, Barkey
PP2: Jiricek, Zegras, Foerster, Martone, Bunting
PP1: Jiricek, Foerster, Barkey, Martone, Michkov
PP2: Drysdale, Zegras, Dvorak, Bunting, Tippett
Available: Garrett Wilson
Team Toyota Flyers Spotlight: Alex Bump
Philadelphia Phantoms forward Alex Bump has responded very well to his (temporary) demotion from the Flyers back to the American Hockey League. Through his first five games back with John Snowden’s team, he’s racked up seven points (five goals, two assists).
Bump had an uneven training camp. However, he made the Flyers’ opening night NHL roster. He did so on the strength of periodic strong play in 17 regular season NHL matches (5g, 4a, nine points) and six playoff games (2g, 0a) in the second half of last season. He also had a standout rookie camp this September.
Unfortunately, Bump was as ineffective as the rest of the team in his three NHL games this season. He ended up a healthy scratch when Denver Barkey returned, and was then returned to the AHL. He was better off playing in the American League than sitting with the big club.
Factors to consider with Bump
On the surface, it feels like a no-brainer to recall Bump to the big team immediately. The team scuffles for offense. Bump provided some last year (other parts of his game still need fine-tuning). Additionally, Travis Konecny has dealt with injury. Somehow, TK has missed four games and still leads the team in assists. He’s tied for the team in points despite having yet to score his first goal of the season.
Porter Martone has just one point so far (a power play goal). He’s lost two would-be assists to stat-keeper rulings. But he still needs to move his feet more and get to the scoring areas more consistently, game-to-game. Owen Tippett (1g, 1a) is habitually streaky. He’s skating fine after coming off sports hernia surgery.
Tyson Foerster struggled in the playoffs last year after a four-plus month regular season absence. Unfortunately, the issues carried over into this season. He is really pressing. When a hockey-smart player makes low-IQ plays like tripping a stickless opponent and turning over some picks in dangerous areas, you can tell he’s in his own head.
Given these factors, there absolutely is a place for Bump in the lineup. However, it needs to be the right place:
- Bump is a shoot-first player. Unlike Tippett (when he’s on), Bump doesn’t generate many self-created chances. He needs a playmaker with him. That’s why he’s clicked with Jett Luchanko at the AHL level. I’m not advocating for an immediate Luchanko recall, too. Let him keep rolling for the Phantoms a bit before asking him to be the Flyers’ play-driver. I am, however, saying that the Flyers need an NHL version of that chemistry.
- If Bump’s spot is the fourth line with no PP time, it’s pointless to recall him. He’s not an “energy line” candidate — crash, bang, Forecheck and get off the ice to get a scoring line out there on the attack. That’s going to be Shane Vansaghi’s role down the line or maybe Matthew Gard’s calling. Bump needs to be no lower than middle-six and PP2. If he’s not that, he’s an AHL numbers guy. Thankfully, I think Bump is capable of a second/third line evolution with power play time. The tools are all there.
Flyers 4th line woes
Meanwhile, the Flyers need to address their fourth line. Without Sean Couturier (he’s been moved by necessity), the line has become unplayable. Jack Studicka looks like a classic quad-a player who is above-average in the AHL but below-average in the NHL despite “NHL tools” on paper. Michael Bunting deserves a little more time, but he’s helped neither the fourth line at 5-on-5 nor the power play.
Meanwhile, Noel Acciari has only brought a fraction of what the Flyers need from him.
Acciari has been good on faceoffs. He’s been part of the PK upswing after the rough first week in that facet. But he hasn’t brought the agitation and consistent physicality the Flyers need. The Flyers miss what Garnet Hathaway brought. Acciari has been a similar player over his career, but you wouldn’t know it from his Philly games. He’s been an adequate Luke Glendening replacement, perhaps.
In fact, the 4th line incarnation of the last few games has been a marked downgrade from the stretch drive/ playoff version. It’s even been a downgrade on the versions with Carl Grundstrom. However, the Flyers shouldn’t gear a Bump recall to answer that problem.
Flyers Daily: How We Got Here
60th Anniversary: Today in Flyers History
On October 17, 1991, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Quebec Nordiques, 5-3, at the Spectrum. In a game that saw the Flyers recover from a 3-0 deficit to win the game, Rick Tocchet became the Flyers all- time penalty minute leader.
The milestone happened on a relatively innocuous hooking penalty at 7:13 of the second period. The minor penalty gave Tocchet 1,601 regular season penalty minutes as a Flyer, moving him past Paul Holmgren for the most PIMs in franchise history. He would later add two assists in the game to help spearhead the comeback victory.
In this game, Russian import Andrei Lomakin was the primary offensive hero. Continuing a recent offensive hot streak, Lomakin scored two goals to extend his point streak to four straight games (four goals, three assists, seven points). The 27-year-old would go on to post 14 goals and 30 points in a season limited to 57 games due to a broken thumb and other injuries.
Drafted by the Flyers in the seventh round (138th overall) of the 1991 NHL Draft, former Soviet national team star Lomakin became the first player born and trained in the former Soviet Union to play for the Flyers. Lomakin, who remained in North America after his playing day ended, passed away on December 9, 2006 after a long illness.
