- Flyers fall 2-1 to the Red Wings for a franchise-record ninth straight loss to open the season
- Philadelphia is 0-6-3 and has scored just 11 goals in nine games
- Read below for the late Copp winner, Tocchet’s reaction and what Saturday looks like
The Flyers still haven’t won a game this season, and now they own a piece of franchise history nobody wanted.
Andrew Copp broke a tie with 4:38 left in the third period Thursday night, and Detroit beat Philadelphia 2-1 at Little Caesars Arena. It was the Flyers’ ninth straight loss to start the year, a new franchise record. They sit at 0-6-3.
Our graphic after the game shows Matvei Michkov staring up at the ceiling in his orange sweater, which pretty much sums up the mood in that building. Michkov did score, swatting a bouncing puck past Daniil Tarasov late in the first period. It was one of only 11 goals the Flyers have managed through nine games, and they haven’t put up more than two in any of them.
Detroit answered in the second when Anton Johansson finished a 2-on-1 off a Dylan Larkin pass for his first NHL goal. Then came the winner. Nate Danielson won a puck battle and fed Michael Rasmussen behind the net, who slid it through the crease to Copp at the doorstep. Here is the go-ahead moment:
Philadelphia got a late chance but Oliver Bonk shot wide from in front with eight seconds left, per the NHL.com recap by Dave Hogg. Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots in the loss.
Rick Tocchet pointed to a couple of second-period mistakes. Michael Bunting took an embellishment call that wiped out a power play, and Tyson Foerster tripped Alex DeBrincat on a play that gave Detroit a man advantage of its own. Tocchet talked about the Flyers not coming through when it counts.
“There are moments in a game when you have to come through, and we’ve been having a tough time of that,” Tocchet said.
Jamie Drysdale said the group plays well in stretches but can’t string together 60 minutes.
“When we play, we play good hockey,” Drysdale said. “But if we don’t do that for 60 minutes, the outcomes aren’t going to change.”
Another loss Saturday at home against Ottawa would make it ten straight without a win. According to Hockey-Reference’s database, only three teams have opened a season that way in the salary cap era: Arizona twice and San Jose once. Tocchet coached one of those Coyotes teams. The Kings’ 0-3-2 start looked rough a few days ago, and Philadelphia is now well past that. Questions about Tocchet’s job, like the ones Elliotte Friedman addressed earlier, are only going to get louder.
The Flyers get Ottawa at home on Saturday night.
