Flyers Stand Tall Over Golden Knights, Snap Six-Game Losing Streak
Jan 19, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) congratulates Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson (33) after the Flyers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers came into Vegas tonight not only with a six-game losing streak, but also with the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights, who entered tonight winning seven straight. With all of the odds inside of Vegas and their casinos pointing to a Golden Knights victory, Samuel Ersson, Travis Konecny, and everyone else played a huge role in coming out of Vegas with the 2-1 regulation win.
Though there were a lot of scary situations, such as the seven Vegas power plays, the Flyers were able to play like they had played earlier in the season, before they began to fall out of the picture, which makes this win so important for Philadelphia. With the return of Bobby Brink, this win can potentially bring the team back together completely. Not only did the return of Brink and the stellar goaltending from Ersson win the game for the Flyers, but the two goals from Konecny looked to be the TK we knew before. This win has the potential to do a lot of things, but right now, the Flyers are grateful to snap their losing streak once and for all.
Ersson Steps Up
Against all odds, the Vegas Golden Knights were only able to send one puck past the Flyers tonight, as Ersson had himself a monster performance in between the pipes, stepping up after it was announced that starting goaltender Daniel Vladar was headed to the injury reserve. Though this is a huge loss for the Flyers, it was not a problem for Ersson to come in after getting pulled in Pittsburgh, to shut down the Vegas Golden Knights here tonight.
Tonight, Ersson saw 26 shots against. Earlier in the season, we had seen Ersson struggle to keep his team in the game, as with even under 30 shots, he had given up three, four, five, or more goals, sinking his confidence to an all-time low. Tonight, Ersson saved 25 out of the 26 shots the red-hot Knights threw at him. In a full 60 minutes, Ersson stopped 96 percent of the pucks he saw his way, showing that the confidence that the team gave him in the last 20 against the New York Rangers, despite the loss, may have translated over to his crease performance.
Even though this performance should not be overlooked by Ersson and the Flyers, the thought to take away from this game is how Ersson can carry this performance with him down the road.
Konecny Pots Two Tallies Tonight
In the 2-1 Flyers win, the two goals came from Konecny. Though both goals came on breakaways, one goal came short-handed, which ended up being the game-winning goal.
The first goal was the first tally of the game, as Konecny was able to turn on the jets as he saw right through the Vegas pass attempt. This goal is a great reflection of the Travis Konecny we saw two years ago, during the 2023-2024 NHL season. Though he scored 24 goals last year, we never truly saw that breakaway wrist shot on the right side like the fans saw the season prior, which he had scored so much on.
Not only did Konecny lack breakaway goals last season, but he also lacked short-handed goals as well, which we were able to see tonight as well. With a tie game at one goal apiece, Konecny stole the puck and scored in the same spot as the first, this time with one less orange jersey on the ice. With the Flyers taking seven penalties tonight (fourteen penalty minutes), this goal was bound to come at some point, and it deserves to go to Konecny.
The Bobby Brink Effect in Utah Next?
Before tonight, the last win by the Flyers came on January sixth against the Anaheim Ducks on home ice, where Brink took a hit in the first period and left the game. Brink would ultimately miss the next six games, which the Flyers had lost all of, one in overtime. Tonight, however, Brink was able to return earlier than expected, perhaps to put a jolt into this team and start up where they left off at the win on the sixth. The Flyers did exactly this, as Brink in the lineup helped lead to the 2-1 win. Brink was able to provide defense and energy for the Flyers, showing that he may have been a missing piece, regardless of goal scoring.
Brink and the Flyers look to start another win streak Wednesday night, in Salt Lake City, to face off against the Utah Mammoth at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, who swept the Flyers in their inaugural season last year. Whoever steps up, or whoever is in net, the Flyers look to play to their way and standards no matter what.
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:
1 thought on “Flyers Stand Tall Over Golden Knights, Snap Six-Game Losing Streak”