Zegras Scores Twice, Michkov Deals Dimes as Flyers Roll Predators 4-1
Oct 30, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The action for the Flyers on Thursday began before puck drop.
Coming into tonight’s contest against the Nashville Predators, Daniel Briere and the Flyers made a move before the puck dropped tonight. Samu Tuomaala heads to Dallas in exchange for Christian Kyrou. Kyrou, a 22-year-old right-shot defenseman with high-end puck skill and a quick release and a ton of upside, was a 2022 second-round pick and reports to Lehigh Valley. Kyrou brings offensive upside from the blue line and could get a look on the power play once he settles.
This was a needs swap. The Stars are in need of more wing scoring, and the Flyers wanted right-handed puck movement in the zone, so this fits for both. Trading a surplus winger for a mobile defenseman fits Briere’s steady reshaping of the system. If Kyrou adjusts quickly, he’ll give the Phantoms a faster transition game and another developing option for a late-season push or for reinforcements next season.
While this was happening, the crease got thinner. Samuel Ersson went to injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and Flyers top goaltending prospect Aleksei Kolosov was called up. Coach Rick Tocchet reiterated that it was a tweak, something stemming from warm-ups on Wednesday, the game on Tuesday. It’s a big moment for him and a test for the defense, especially against a physical Nashville team that thrives on pressure around the crease.
That was obvious in the game, with Nashville controlling the tempo early in the game, outshooting the Flyers 19-4 at one point, But 2 quick goals turned the tide, with the offense taking it to Nashville 4-1 as the Flyers young guns showed up and showed out on the offensive side of the puck all night, capped with a empty net insurance goal from Travis Konecny in the third period.
Tonight, the Flyers’ defense didn’t hold the line in front of Daniel Vladar, especially early on. Vladar was very busy with the Predators outshooting the Flyers 10-3 in the first and 14-8 in the second. This is becoming a trend this early in the season. The defense is giving up too many shots; thankfully, Ersson and Vladar have been up to the task this season, underscoring how big Ersson’s going to the IR is for the team. Granted, Kolosov is someone who is highly regarded by the Flyers brass, but Ersson has proved he is a good change of pace to Vladar.
I would like to see the defense keep some of those shots on goal. This starts with the back check from the forwards, and keeping the passes in the zone in front of the blue line to a minimum. The Predators seemed to pass at will, which kept the puck in the Flyers’ zone too long and allowed them to pepper Vladar with shots, but the newfound star goalie has stepped up to bail out the defense when there are lapses in continuity with the young defensive pairings for the Flyers.
As good as Vladar was tonight, there was one player who outshone him, and this is becoming all too common this season. Trevor Zegras put on an offensive show tonight; he had 2 goals and an assist. His first goal came in the high point from a masterful setup pass from Matvei Michkov, which he dug out off the boards, allowing Zegras to uncork a laser beam wrister past Juuse Saros, who truly had no chance at.
Though the Flyers were outplayed for the better part of two periods, they found themselves up 2-0 after Jamie Drysdale took an incredible pass from Michkov from behind the net and buried a wrist shot in the back of the net.
The Flyers’ offense looks like a well-oiled machine with Zegras as the tip of the spear, especially with him scoring a second goal in this game, highlighting what an absolute steal of a trade Briere executed this offseason. Zegras is playing at the level that everyone thought he would be playing at, with 12 points in 10 games. This is the level that Anaheim had in mind when they drafted him 9th overall in 2019. We can’t know for sure if it is how Tocchet gets through to him, or if it’s that he is allowed to lead now, but one thing is for sure. Trevor has found a home here in Philly.
Another wrinkle to the Flyers’ offense is how well Michikov is setting up his teammates. When he is on the ice and the puck touches his stick, there is a better-than-average chance that it’s going to turn into a masterful pass. This is a testament to his ice vision and selflessness, which is incredible to see in a 20-year-old player. The Flyers are much better when he is on the ice, which we saw last year, but this year, his vision and passing have taken a huge leap forward. His time on the ice has taken a bit of a hit this season, but if I can make one request of Tocchet this season, I’d like to see him on the ice closer to 19-20 minutes per game. He plays hard through the whistle and keeps defenses from getting comfortable.
With tonight’s win, the Flyers are the first team in the NHL with 6 home wins, as they have had a very home-heavy schedule to start the season, and to the credit of this young team, they are defending their home ice incredibly well. This shows that the team as a whole has made strides in maturity, skill, and trust in each other. They will have a day off, and welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, looking for their 7th home win. This Flyers squad is maturing in front of our eyes, and the league is taking notice.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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