Flyers remain winless to start the season with 4-1 loss at the Lightning
Like the first few games, the Flyers struggled to connect passes, sustain pressure, and create opportunities, and mustered just four shots on goal across three power plays.
TAMPA, Fla. ― Lightning struck four times on Monday, and the Flyers remain winless to start the 2026-27 season.
One of five teams still searching for a win in this young season — the other teams have played fewer games — the Flyers lost 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday in a game that coach Rick Tocchet said postgame his group did not compete in.
Philly is now 0-2-2, and it is the first time since 2014-15 (0-2-2) it did not earn a win in the first four games of a season. That year, they beat the Dallas Stars in overtime the next game to end the slide. The last time the Orange and Black lost their first five games was 2008-09, when they lost six straight (0-3-3), but still made the postseason.
For the first time this year, the Flyers got the first shot on goal when Travis Konecny put a snapshot on Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy under six minutes into the game. Jake Guentzel got the Lightning’s first shot on goal 6 minutes, 40 seconds in from atop the crease during a power play. Flyers goalie Dan Vladař, who was outstanding and showed little of the rust he had in the opener, kicked the attempt out.
Tampa got on the board 16:05 into the first period when Trevor Zegras lost a defensive zone faceoff to Brayden Point. The Lightning center skated to the net and tipped in a point shot by John Carlson past Vladař, who may have been screened by Tyson Foerster as he went out to challenge the defenseman.
The Lightning began to turn it up, outshooting the Flyers 10-3 in the opening frame but thanks to Vladař, they notched one goal. He made several high-end saves, including an authoritative glove save on Brandon Hagel; a right-arm save on Guentzel; stoned Gage Goncalves’ redirect attempt on the doorstep; and made a stretch save on Guentzel during a two-on-one.
» READ MORE: Flyers activate Denver Barkey and place Nikita Grebenkin on IR; Rasmus Ristolainen out for Monday’s game
But just 17 seconds into the second period, Pontus Holmberg made it 2-0 Tampa Bay on a three-on-one after Cam York got caught in the neutral zone. York was skating with his old defensive partner Travis Sanheim because Rasmus Ristolainen missed the game with an injury.
Like the first few games, the Flyers struggled to connect passes, sustain pressure, and create opportunities. Tocchet said the team is too comfortable and cannot make an 18-foot pass.
“When you’re an NHL player, you’ve got to execute some passes,” he said during a postgame press conference that lasted 62 seconds.
It seemed like they just needed a little puck luck to get on the board, and they got it in the second period.
Foerster received a pass from Nick Seeler and curled atop the left face-off circle before putting a shot that ultimately got past Vasilevskiy. The goal was awarded to Foerster, but rookie Porter Martone, who had his best game of the young season, was planted with defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous in front too and reacted as if it went off him.
The Flyers had three power plays and could not muster much with four shots on goal. Zegras, who also hit the crossbar at even strength in the third period, had the best chance with an open net from the right circle, but his shot went high and wide late in the second period after some good passing plays.
Ilya Mikheyev scored on a wraparound with three minutes to go to seal the win for Tampa Bay, and Hagel added an empty-netter with 6.4 seconds left.
Breakaways
Denver Barkey made his season debut and played 13:06, including 2:05 on the second power-play unit. … With Ristolainen out and York and Sanheim reunited, Jamie Drysdale was paired with Simon Benoit and Seeler played with David Jiříček for the second straight game. … Foerster finished with a team-high nine shot attempts and four shots on goal but also tied York for a team-worst minus-3. … The Flyers allowed 36 shots and had 14. … Benoit dropped the gloves with Jeffrey Viel in the third period. … Philly won 54% of the faceoffs.
Up next
The Flyers’ three-game road trip through the Atlantic Division continues on Thursday in Ottawa against the Senators (7 p.m., ESPN+).
