Flyers’ Power Play May Have Found a Much-Needed Spark
Flyers right wing Porter Martone (94) waits for a face-off during his first NHL debut game during the Philadelphia Flyers versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on March 31, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Flyers sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division. They’re in playoff position. The Flyers, who have a lot of strengths, have been missing a huge piece of the game that especially shows in the postseason, the power play, which sits last in the National Hockey League.
During the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings owned a power play percentage of 40.0 percent, followed by a 33.3 percent power play for the Montreal Canadiens. Good playoff teams score on the power play, as in the last postseason, the top half of teams all had a power play over 25 percent. That’s about a power play goal a game.
The Flyers, who have struggled entering the zone, passing the puck, and finding the shots on the man advantage, obviously needed a change, as they have been towards the bottom or at the bottom for the last half-decade. Though many have been worrying about the power play all year, Sunday may have been the spark that gives this team hope of a successful power play. That came in the hands of the 19-year-old winger out of Michigan State, Porter Martone.
Martone, who had just gotten eliminated from the NCAA Frozen Four tournament, wasted no time in coming to Philadelphia to bring this team over the edge once and for all. He claimed the decision was easy to make, despite having to leave his team at MSU.
“The Flyers are in the middle of a playoff push,” Martone said earlier this week. “It was a no-brainer.”
Not only has Martone helped with controlling the puck on 5-on-5, but he has also made a massive impact on the Flyers’ power play unit. He’s helped with the man advantage so much so that his first career goal was a game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins on a two-man advantage.
The Flyers lacked the talent and IQ Martone had before he arrived. His positioning and strength helped create that goal. On the power play, the Flyers often pass along the point and meet a guy left or right of the cage, usually resulting in continuous passing until the puck gets tipped out of the zone into the neutral zone. With a crease crasher like Martone, the Flyers can now get guys to the net and throw out pucks to create trouble in the crease, which is exactly what happened.
“He’s got a good stick. He disrupts plays, shoots everything,” Noah Cates said after Sunday’s win on Martone. “For him to get that goal is awesome … especially for a younger kid coming in and helping us bring energy. It’s huge for us.”
READ MORE ON SUNDAY’S WIN:
The power play goal also creates chemistry with other Flyers who need to contribute to power play success. They’ll need that in the postseason.
“I think at this point now we can’t worry about our percentage, it’s about when you get one.”
Surely Martone’s wrist shot will find the net sometime, which will help out the power play as well, as his ability to create shot attempts matches the style of battling for 50/50 pucks to not only get the puck but also shoot the puck, similar to Tyson Foerster‘s game. But for now, the Flyers need to be thankful their new weapon has a gift on the power play, whether it’s his smarts or his strength, Martone can get this man advantage out of its endless hole once and for all.
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’ Power Play May Have Found a Much-Needed Spark”