The early-season excitement swirled when the Philadelphia Flyers won six of their first seven home games in 2025-26.
Rick Tocchet joined Unfiltered to announce the “strength of the pack” after a spirited rivalry victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I just like the pack mentality. It’s always been kind of in the way I’ve grown up and the most successful teams I’ve been on. We’re trying to create that around here, and the guys have bought in.”
His tone changed after a rough weekend in South Philadelphia. The first-year Flyers head coach questioned his team’s will in an ugly loss to the Calgary Flames, who had lost 11 of their first 13 games this season entering Sunday’s contest.
The Flyers forfeited the momentum with a whimper in consecutive home regulation losses to finish an early stretch of nine of 10 games at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Less than a week after discussions about their strength on home ice, the Flyers suddenly sit tied for the lowest point total in a bunched, unforgiving Eastern Conference.
Fans might write off a few early-season duds for a 6-5-1 team while the Eagles still occupy the spotlight in Philadelphia. However, NHL scheduling based around the 20-day break in February for the Winter Olympics will impact the playoff picture significantly in 2025-26. The most favorable part of the schedule has passed, and the Orange & Black have very little to show for it.
Flyers Fail to Capitalize on Favorable Schedule
Rick Tocchet spoke after the emotional win against the Penguins about the early scheduling advantages.
“Let’s face it. The schedule’s been in our favor. We’ve had a couple games, then we have two days off. We get practice time. I get to give the guys rest. We haven’t really traveled too crazy… You’ve got to make hay…. There’s some teams, they’re playing four (games) in six (days), then four in six. They’re going to get the easier schedule (later in the season). We’re going to probably get the tough one.”
-Rick Tocchet
The Flyers had just defeated an opponent who traveled from Pittsburgh on the second half of a back-to-back and finished a stretch of four games in six days.
Two matchups against the wounded Florida Panthers in the first week of the season also softened the challenge of the season series against the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Flyers split with a team that will more confidently lock up a playoff spot in the second half with better health and a deeper roster.
The early clutter of home games also included a win against the Minnesota Wild – who had traveled after a game the previous night in Washington D.C. – and the Seattle Kraken toward the end of an exhausting road trip against five East Coast teams.
The Flames traveled after a Saturday night loss in Nashville for a 7pm puck drop in the Eastern time zone. Their lifeless opponent managed only three shots on goal and one high-danger scoring chance in the first period.
The Flyers deserve some credit for an overall solid 6-3-0 record in their first nine home games. However, the empty weekend completely changes the perception of their early accomplishments.
Tocchet emphasized the need to stack victories early. A team that entered the season without favorable playoff odds will now travel for eight of their next 12 games through the end of November. One of the toughest portions of the schedule for the 2025-26 Flyers includes two road back-to-backs and one of the taxing stretches of four road games in six days that Tocchet mentioned.
Challenges Looming
NHL records will sometimes mislead fans into an overly optimistic outlook. The Flyers have won six games and lost six this season, but the overtime point rules skew the terms of the league standings.
Their .542 win percentage lands them tied with five other teams for eighth in the East. However, only six of 32 NHL teams sit below the hollow hockey .500 mark, and they all play in the Western Conference.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
The Flyers entered the season tied for the 27th best championship odds on FanDuel and the 24th best on ESPN Bet. The challenges of the Olympic break forced a lopsided schedule with 19 of their first 30 games at home and only 22 of their final 52 at home.
Tyson Foerster and Sam Ersson have also hit the shelf with injuries in recent days. Neither of the two key lineup pieces is imminent to return, although the Flyers hope for short recovery timelines.
Travis Konecny downplayed the impact of the road schedule, speaking confidently about the Flyers and their ability to manage away from Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“We just try to play the same to be honest with you… It was great being home for a chunk at the start of the season here, being around family, and having the fans supporting you. Now we go on the road, and focus on some hockey, and get some points.”
-Travis Konecny
The alternate captain and 10-year NHL veteran maintained a reasonable perspective after only two losses in the first quarter of season, despite a relatively slow start individually by his career standards. However, a roster with talent discrepancies now still faces an uphill battle to avoid setting a franchise record with six consecutive seasons outside the playoffs.
The Flyers begin the tough schedule north of the border against the Montreal Canadiens.
Tuesday 11/4 at 7pm: @ Montreal Canadiens on 93.3 WMMRThursday 11/6 at 8pm: @ Nashville Predators on 97.5 The FanaticSaturday 11/8 at 1pm: vs. Ottawa Senators at 1pm on 97.5 The Fanatic