Flyers Win Over Pennsylvania Rival in Shootout Fashion
Philadelphia Flyers' Bobby Brink, left, scores a goal against Pittsburgh Penguins' Arturs Silovs during a shootout in an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Philadelphia Flyers kicked off the NHL’s annual Frozen Frenzy tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the long-time rival of Philadelphia.
Though Pittsburgh got on the board first, the Flyers were able to battle back and get two points in the end, after the wild 3-2 shootout win. This win, however, had fans on the edge throughout, whether it was the Flyers’ penalty kill in overtime, an illegal substitution on the Penguins, or the waived-off overtime winner within a minute.
Through and through, the Flyers, with the help of goaltender Samuel Ersson, stood strong and left Xfinity Mobile Arena with two important points.
Power Play Becomes Red-Hot
Saturday’s shootout victory against the Islanders was heavily due to the power play tally from Trevor Zegras. That goal at the time showed signs of hope for a power play that had found itself at the very bottom for the last half-decade.
The conversation continued tonight, after the Flyers tied up the game with, yes, another power play goal. Bobby Brink got the Flyers on the board late in the first period to tie up a very important game for both teams. This goal means a lot for Brink as well, who is having a great year on the power play for himself.
When it comes to the power play, names such as Zegras, Matvei Michkov, or even Travis Konecny come to mind. On the other hand, Brink has scored three power-play goals this season alone. Last season, Brink scored two power-play goals in 79 games under John Tortorella with the less-skilled unit. This is important for Brink if he wants to make an impact on this team, and more importantly, make a push for April hockey. You need a strong power play, and Brink hopes to bring the Flyers right there.
Konecny Reaches Goal Milestone
Another positive that came out of this win was Konecny’s 200th career goal in the National Hockey League. This is Konecny’s 10th season in the orange and the black, and tonight he played his 655th game for Philadelphia.
To start the second period, the Flyers got on a rush after a successful penalty kill, leading to a beautiful wrist shot for the lead. Not only is this a huge milestone for TK, but this is an important goal for a man who had struggled up to this point. In eight prior games, Konecny had one goal and three assists, continuing off of his rough finish last season, where he found a massive goal drought. This goal not only gave the Flyers the lead but also gave Konecny confidence to get back to where he had been two years ago.
Ersson Settles In
One issue for the Flyers that had been an issue for a few years now had been goaltending, specifically issues with Ersson. For his time in Philadelphia, Ersson had never had a save percentage over .900, which tends to be a line you prefer a goalie to be over. The concern for Ersson became larger with the offseason addition of Daniel Vladar, who has been outstanding as of now with a 1.81 GAA and .932 SV%.
The story for Ersson, similar to the power play’s story, starts on Saturday. Ersson had given up a few disappointing goals against before ultimately finding his groove for the shootout win. With both a sliding pad save and a sliding glove save, Ersson seemed to find a rhythm.
This continued tonight for Ersson, even with the backlash towards head coach Rick Tocchet after starting Ersson over Vladar. Tonight, Ersson made 24 out of 26 saves against Pittsburgh, with an unfortunate deflection off a Flyer counting as one of the goals for the Penguins. Ersson fought off a very good Penguins team, who came in 7-2-1. He made big saves in overtime and stepped up again in the shootout.
Overtime Drama in Philadelphia
After a game-tying goal from the one and only Sidney Crosby, the Penguins took the Flyers to overtime, which turned out to be a real test for the Flyers, as they fought the yellow and the stripes after a handful of missed calls.
The Flyers, who had a delayed penalty, faced what the Penguins thought was the game-winning goal, survived a scare, as the play was deemed an illegal substitution.
The disappointment came for the Flyers when a game-winning goal from Tyson Foerster would turn out to be the back of the overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes earlier in the season. Foerster’s overtime winner was deemed offside in the end, an unfortunate break for the Flyers.
Not just that, but the Flyers lost their biggest shootout man in Zegras after a massive scrum following overtime, who just so happens to have the best shootout percentage in league history in a minimum of 20 attempts.
Flyers Win in the Shootout
The Flyers, after another overturned goal in overtime this season, were destined for the shootout for a second straight game. After all the Flyers had gone through tonight, they came out with the two points.
With a Michkov goal in the second round, Brink was set to make his presence known once again after a nasty move to give the Flyers the lead in the third round, ultimately leading to a huge stop from Ersson and the win.
The Flyers continue their home stand on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, looking for their third straight win.
Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
Get New Articles Emailed Right To Your Inbox:
