The calendar pushes further into the season, and the Flyers, within the scope of this year and the long-term picture, they're trucking along.
On Tuesday morning, general manager Danny Brière held a press conference over in Voorhees to talk about the team's progress past the halfway mark of their schedule.
He talked about the goaltending picture, which will stay at three at least for now between Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Alesksei Kolosov, even though it isn't ideal to carry all of them on the NHL roster for long. He talked about trade buzz, trying to find a center for Matvei Michkov (they're looking but not rushing), and the rumors circling Rasmus Ristolainen, who seems to be becoming this deadline's Sean Walker (they're getting calls on him, but not shopping him). He talked about the recent dominance from Noah Cates' line, too, Travis Konecny's rise into NHL stardom, and guys like Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Jamie Drysdale trending back upward again, along with where it could take them.
But they're taking their time. They're sticking to their plan.
And on the ice Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, the team itself stuck to its process, grinding out another low-event contest until late to beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, in overtime for their third straight win.
Ristolainen was the OT hero after a move and a loose puck just trickled by Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon on a rush and a deke that got away from Owen Tippett in the blue paint. The defenseman was the one to crash in and clean it all up.
Philly Rock City. #DETvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/btWp4XxF4w
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 22, 2025
The Flyers had their ups, and definitely their downs, but for right now, they're are hanging in there.
They're 22-20-6 for 50 points, keeping them within an arm's reach of the Wild Card picture, and are on a 5-2-1 stretch since coming back home from the holiday break – and if you want to narrow it down further, they're 5-0-1 since pummeling Cutter Gauthier and the Anaheim Ducks a couple of weeks ago, all with steadily better and better defensive hockey.
Well, that and "Goaltending," head coach John Tortorella said postgame of the team's biggest difference of late.
"To me, I think your whole team changes, your attitude of your team changes from where our goaltending was to where it is now," he continued. "It's just, that's the way it works in the National Hockey League."
Ersson, who had Tuesday night's start in net, saved 27 of 28 shots to continue his strong return from injury, which included some clutch stops in the third period and into OT on some dicey Detroit opportunities.
It's still a rebuild, and Brière stressed again on Tuesday morning that the goal is to develop the Flyers into a legitimate Stanley Cup Contender tomorrow, not a bubble playoff team for today.
But they can compete right now. They've shown it, and although they're still on the outside looking in, they have a shot at making another postseason push so long as they can keep their momentum going – and their goaltending at least somewhat steady, too.
"For us, the future is still the key, and we're looking ahead," Brière said. "We're looking forward. The players are going to decide in the moment how far they want to push it."
Tuesday night's win over Detroit pushed them just a bit further.
Michkov generated four of the Flyers' eight shots on goal through the opening period, but they left it scoreless through a first 20 minutes of possessions trade-offs and suppressed chances.
Just past five minutes into the second, Michkov came back and kept his balance with the puck off a check from a zone entry, nudging it forward enough by the blue line for Farabee to step away with it and then move it down to Sean Couturier.
The Flyers captain slipped it back to the winger, and Farabee made a slick move to his backhand to flip a shot by Lyon for the 1-0 lead.
A backhand beauty from Beezer. 🤌#DETvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/J8xbsyKeML
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 22, 2025
Ersson carried a 14-save shutout going into the second intermission, and the line of Konecny, Frost, and Owen Tippett spent the last couple of minutes of it hemming Detroit down in their own end with rapid cycling and shot after shot that they just couldn't thread through.
The lack of finish on their opportunities, a team-wide issue all season, once again bit them when Detroit's Ben Chiarot snuck down from the point and buried a backdoor pass by Ersson from out of the right corner 30 seconds into the third.
BENNY FROM RAY RAY pic.twitter.com/AhZ1wAMX60
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 22, 2025
With the game tied at one, play flew back and forth again, with the Red Wings gaining a shot advantage on a flurry at the top of the crease in front of Ersson that he endured until he could finally fall on the puck for a stoppage.
Later on, past the halfway mark of the period, Ersson created his own scare when he skated out of the crease to play a puck, but had his pass immediately picked off by Detroit and coming back his way. Patrick Kane was moving in with the puck, but Travis Sanheim made a clutch play with his stick to knock the puck away and out of danger, which relayed into the Flyers turning it the other way and putting some pressure back on Lyon through Koecny and then that pesky line of Cates, Tyson Foester, and Bobby Brink – though still to no break in the stalemate.
They needed overtime, only after a few more causes to hold your breath, and down to the final few ticks until Ristolainen cashed in.
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports