Flyers End Losing Streak in Montreal, Beat Canadiens 4-1
Dec 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras (46) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Montreal Canadians goalie Jacob Fowler (32)during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers continued their road trip tonight, as they stopped in Montreal for their second game at the Bell Center this season.
Tonight, not only did the Flyers end the losing streak, but they ended the extra time streak as well, as the Flyers won over the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. While they were not winning, this was the fifth straight game with points for the Flyers.
Ristolainen Makes Presence Known in Season Debut
One of the important key features to game 32 out of 82 was the season debut of Flyers’ defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who had missed the last 16 games of last season and the first 31 games of this season, after undergoing a procedure on his right tricep in April earlier this calendar year.
With the Flyers looking to give Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale quality minutes, big defensemen are needed to balance out the blue line, making Ristolainen’s role as important as it can be. Ristolainen, at six feet four inches and 208 pounds, was able hop back into the lineup after missing the last seven months and more. It wasn’t long until that big body made its return, as Ristolainen was able to send the message to Montreal with an electrifying hit on Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky, something the Flyers have not seen much of, as the defensemen tend to skate back, especially with the lead.
After tonight, the return of Ristolainen was a perfect fit right into the mix with his two blocks and three hits, and he will show as time goes on in the National Hockey League.
Vladar Stands Strong
One of the biggest reasons for the Philadelphia Flyers’ great start is the newly acquired goaltender Daniel Vladar, who has impressed the Flyers’ organization and fan base. The issue of goaltending may have been addressed with the sneaky addition by Flyers’ general manager Daniel Briere. Coming into tonight, Vladar held a save percentage of .908 and a goals against average of 2.48, both top 15 in the NHL.
Tonight, Vladar saw 23 shots, of which only one had gone in. A .955 save percentage was good enough for his 12th win of the year. This usually would look normal, as Vladar has had games where he is completely focused and stops over 20 shots. However, the Flyers faced the Canadiens tonight, a tough opponent, especially for Philadelphia. With star shooters and defenseman such as Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov, Slafkovsky, and reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, the Flyers have struggled to defend these sharpshooters, as the Canadiens contain one of the best young cores in the National Hockey League.
Though tonight was impressive, Vladar will go all out no matter the opponent, arena, or time.
Zegras and Grunstrom Continue Their Surges
Two more pieces to this Flyers team that have played a huge role up to now are Trevor Zegras and Carl Grundstrom, who both scored a goal in tonight’s win for the Flyers.
Grundstrom, who has been a clutch call-up for the Flyers, had the equalizer with under a minute to play in the first period of action in Montreal. A great feed from Owen Tippett set up shop for the red-hot Grundstrom, who had no problem burying the puck homefor his third goal of the year. Grunstrom, who gave the Flyers the lead against the San Jose Sharks last week, has found a way to score during clutch moments of the game, like his game-tying goal Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, just after they had scored. With tonight’s goal, Grundstrom has scored three goals in his last five games.
With the game tied at one apiece, a two-on-one chance from Travis Konecny and Zegras would allow Zegras to perform his signature five-hole move, common in the shootout, for the Flyers’ first lead, which would remain in the Flyers’ favor for the rest of the night. With this beauty, Zegras has extended his three-game goal streak to four games, a new career high after three games was the career high. That goal was his 14th of the season, and 33rd point in his 32nd game of the year, in his 300th career game in the NHL.
Though on completely different lines, carrying completely different stories, both Grundstrom and Zegras have both found the right time to get hot, as the Flyers look to get back into another win streak.
Road Trip Continues Thursday Night
After tonight’s successful trip to Montreal, Quebec, the Flyers hit the road for Thursday night, where they will face off against the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30 PM, looking to spark another win streak.
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.
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