Five Goals, Five Questions: Kolosov Struggles as Flyers Close Preseason on Sour Note

 The Philadelphia Flyers closed out the 2026 preseason Saturday night with a performance that exposed one of the biggest concerns heading into the regular season: goaltending consistency.

Philadelphia fell 5-1 to the Washington Capitals at Xfinity Mobile Arena, finishing the preseason with a 1-3 record. While there were certainly issues throughout the lineup, the spotlight inevitably falls on goaltender Alexei Kolosov, who finished the night with just 19 saves on 24 shots.

A .792 save percentage simply isn't going to get the job done.

The Flyers surrendered three goals in the second period before Washington added two more in the third. Philadelphia managed only one goal of its own, with Jamie Drysdale providing the lone offense early in the second period on assists from Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster.

But whatever momentum Drysdale's goal provided disappeared quickly.

The Saves Weren't There

There are nights when a goaltender can allow four or five goals and still walk away having played well because of the quality and quantity of chances faced.

This wasn't that kind of night.

Kolosov faced 24 shots and stopped 19 of them. Washington's goaltending combination of Charlie Lindgren and Petersen, meanwhile, stopped 32 of Philadelphia's 33 shots.

That contrast tells much of the story.

The Flyers generated enough offense to put 33 shots on Washington's net, but their opponent's goaltenders consistently made the saves necessary to keep the Capitals in control. At the other end, Philadelphia simply didn't receive the same level of goaltending.

And when a team allows five goals on 24 shots, it's difficult to point anywhere else but the crease.

One Bad Period Changed Everything

The game remained scoreless after the opening period, giving Philadelphia an opportunity to establish control.

Instead, the second period became the turning point.

Washington scored three times, turning a 0-0 game into a 3-1 deficit. Drysdale's goal gave Philadelphia life, but the Flyers couldn't prevent the Capitals from answering.

For Kolosov, it became a period that ultimately defined the night.

Once Washington established its lead, Philadelphia was forced to chase the game. The Capitals added two more goals in the third, putting the contest out of reach.

A goaltender doesn't have to stop everything. Nobody expects that.

But the saves that keep a team within striking distance are precisely the saves Philadelphia needed and didn't receive.

The Timing of the Goals Matters

Five goals allowed doesn't tell the entire story.

When those goals happen matters.

Philadelphia entered the second period tied 0-0. Instead of taking advantage of the deadlocked game, the Flyers found themselves trailing by multiple goals after Washington's three-goal outburst.

That put additional pressure on an offense that had already struggled to convert its opportunities.

Meanwhile, Washington's goaltenders did exactly what Philadelphia needed from its own crease: make the routine saves, make the difficult saves when necessary and prevent one mistake from becoming a momentum swing.

Philadelphia didn't get that from Kolosov.

A Preseason Performance That Raises Questions

There is an obvious caveat here: this was preseason.

The result does not determine what will happen once the regular season begins. Players are competing for roster spots, line combinations are still being evaluated and teams are not necessarily playing with the same urgency they will have in meaningful games.

But preseason is also an opportunity.

It's an opportunity for players to establish themselves, build confidence and demonstrate that they can be trusted when the games begin to count.

Kolosov's final preseason performance did not provide much reassurance.

His 19-for-24 night leaves Philadelphia with legitimate questions about whether he can provide dependable goaltending when the Flyers need it most.

Drysdale Provides the Highlight

Lost in the goaltending struggles was a positive offensive moment.

Jamie Drysdale opened the scoring for Philadelphia in the second period, with Konecny and Foerster picking up assists.

Foerster also led Flyers skaters with four hits, providing a physical presence in a game where Philadelphia struggled to maintain momentum.

Those positives, however, were overshadowed by the five goals going the other direction.

Now It Counts

The preseason is officially over.

Philadelphia finishes the exhibition schedule 1-3, and the Flyers now turn their attention toward the games that matter.

Their regular-season opener comes Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins on TNT.

There will be no preseason excuse then.

No exhibition-game caveat.

No opportunity to simply chalk up a poor performance to experimentation.

The Flyers will need saves.

And after allowing five goals on only 24 shots against Washington, Kolosov enters the regular season with something to prove in the crease.

Because if Philadelphia's goaltending looks like it did Saturday night, the Flyers won't need to wonder why they're losing games.

They'll already know where to look.

Jesse Bell / Olde City Sports Network
Photos Credit / Melissa Molyneux / Olde City Sports Network