Flyers Suffer Defeat At The Hands Of The New York Rangers
The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a discouraging 6-3 defeat to the New York Rangers on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. This marked the Flyers' sixth consecutive loss, highlighting ongoing struggles despite some individual bright spots.
The Flyers opened the scoring early in the first period when Travis Konecny netted his 15th goal of the season, assisted by Trevor Zegras and Travis Sanheim. However, the Rangers responded decisively, erupting for three goals in a rapid 1:20 span later in the frame to seize control. New York added three more in the second period before the Flyers mounted a late push.
Mika Zibanejad led the Rangers with a hat trick (including a power-play goal that set a franchise record for career power-play tallies), while Artemi Panarin contributed two goals and an assist, and Brennan Ottoman scored his first NHL goal. Rangers goaltender Spencer Martin earned the win, stopping 25 of 28 shots.
For Philadelphia, the scoring came from:
- Travis Konecny (goal + assist)
- Travis Sanheim (short-handed goal + assist, his 60th career goal as a Flyer defenseman, tying him for fifth all-time among team blue liners)
- Trevor Zegras (goal + assist)
Samuel Ersson took the loss in relief after starter Alexei Kolosov, the starting net minder, was pulled early, with the team allowing six goals on limited shots. The Flyers were outscored 31-12 during this current skid.
Standout Performances for the Flyers
Despite the loss, several players showed resilience:
- Travis Konecny continued his strong season with his 15th goal and now has 10 multi-point games (tied for team-high).
- Trevor Zegras, who joined the Flyers via trade from Anaheim in the offseason, extended his point streak against the Rangers (1g, 1a in this game) and leads the team with 44 points overall.
- Travis Sanheim added to his recent hot streak versus New York (four points in his last two games against them) and paces Flyers defensemen with 21 points this season.
- Owen Tippett picked up an assist, giving him points in back-to-back games against the Rangers.
This was the second meeting in the four-game season series, with New York winning the first in a 5-4 shootout back in December.
While individual contributions from key players like Konecny, Zegras, and Sanheim offer encouragement, the team’s broader performance raises concerns. Defensive lapses, especially early in games, and difficulty containing high-powered offenses have contributed to the prolonged slide. The Flyers now face a challenging road trip starting Monday in Vegas, with injuries (including a lower-body issue to forward Rodrigo Abols in this game) adding to the uncertainty.
The team will need to tighten up defensively, limit mistakes, and convert chances more consistently to reverse this trend and stay competitive in the Metropolitan Division. For now, the focus remains on correcting correctable errors and building on the positives from standout performers.
- Jesse Bell/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Leah Hollenbach/Olde City Sports Network
