Philadelphia Flyers Turn Newark’s Nightmare Into Reality Again
Listen up, Jersey: your little undefeated-at-home fairy tale just got curb-stomped by a Flyers team that’s starting to look like it actually enjoys making you miserable. 5-3 final. First regulation L on home ice this season for the Devils, and Philly did it with the casual cruelty of a cat playing with a half-dead mouse.
The scoreboard doesn’t tell the full story. Jacob Markström faced 38 shots and let in five because, well, sometimes the hockey gods decide it’s your turn to be the piñata. Meanwhile, Dan Vladar over here stopped 28 of 31 like he was bored. Devils fans left muttering about moral victories. There are none tonight.
Photo Credit: Leigha Grace/Olde City Sports Network
Owen Tippett decided it was a personal milestone night. Kid roofs his 100th career goal, grabs his 200th point, tacks on an assist, and then—because why not—gets awarded an empty-netter on a penalty like the refs just wanted to twist the knife. Three-point night. The Flyers crowd chanted his name like he just cured cancer. Tippett now has as many multi-point games this year as the Devils have regulation losses at home. Math is fun.
Matvei Michkov—yes, that Matvei Michkov—kept cooking. Seventh goal of the season, third-game point streak, and he casually slid past Peter Zezel for fourth-most goals by a Flyer 20 or under. Only Lindros, Gagne, and Ricci are ahead of him now. Let that sink in while you remember the Devils used the second overall pick on a defenseman who scored tonight… and still lost by two.
Trevor Zegras (remember when Anaheim fans cried when he left?) is apparently allergic to losing to New Jersey. Goal, assist, points in both games against the Devils this year, and he’s sitting on a team-leading 24 points and tied for the goal lead at nine. Dude’s out here collecting Jersey scalps like they’re Pokémon cards.
Konecny? Goal and a helper. Fourth multi-point night. Yawn. Sanheim and York keep feeding the stat sheet from the blue line like it’s their job (it is). Dvorak quietly hit double-digit assists because someone has to be the responsible adult while the kids light the place on fire.
Rick Tocchet picked up his 300th win as an NHL head coach, and he did it by handing Sheldon Keefe the kind of loss that makes you question life choices. Second game of the season series: Philly 6-3 dub in Jersey, then 5-3 tonight. That’s 11-6 aggregate. Smells like rivalry restoration… or just domination with extra steps.
New Jersey got goals from Nemec, Meier (on the power play, cute), and Mercer, but it never felt like enough. Because it wasn’t. The Devils are still good on paper. Too bad hockey isn’t played on paper.
Philly improves to whatever-the-hell their record is now and heads into the third meeting of this series whenever it is with a very simple message to New Jersey: come get this work again if you’re feeling brave.
Broad Street is buzzing, the kids are alright (some are straight-up filthy), and the Devils just got reminded that “unbeaten at home” has an expiration date.
See you next time, Jersey. Bring a better goalie. Or a priest. Either works.
- Jesse Bell/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Leigha Grace/Olde City Sports Network
