Ivan Provorov

Last week, the hockey world was rattled by the firing of Barry Trotz by the New York Islanders. As the Flyers coaching search continues, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in his 32 Thoughts column that Trotz is a “top candidate” of the Flyers.

It wasn’t all that noteworthy to hear players speak of the frustrations of the season, the losing streaks and such that made this a historically bad season for the Flyers. There were a few players that addressed it in a way that rang through louder than others.

The Ottawa Senators scored three times in the third period to hand the Flyers one final loss on the season by a score of 4-2, giving the Orange and Black a 25-46-11 record to finish the season.

For the Flyers, multiple young players helped snap a six-game losing streak in a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

A three-goal period got them in front, and after the Flyers tied it up early in the third, two more goals sealed the Flyers' fate in a 5-3 loss to the Ducks at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.

Auston Matthews scored his 51st goal of the season and Morgan Rielly had three points as the Leafs finished off a 6-3 decision on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center. 

The final 15 games for the Flyers will serve as a chance to evaluate. They will provide a look at some new faces entering the lineup in the last couple of weeks and maybe even a new face or two to come down the road. It is a way to take inventory going into the offseason – what does the team already have and what does it need even more of on the roster moving forward?

The Flyers moved Justin Braun at the trade deadline to the New York Rangers for a 2023 third-round pick. So was Derick Brassard, who heads to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2023 fourth-round pick.

It’s not about whether Owen Tippett has the ability in him. That’s what got him drafted 10th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. It’s about if he can consistently have noticeable performances like the one in his Flyers debut on Sunday, especially if the opportunity for ice time and an increased role is there. 

As has happened many times before, the Carolina Hurricanes got the last laugh, as Jordan Martinook scored on a deflection with 3:50 remaining in the third for the game-winning goal in a 3-1 loss for the Flyers on Saturday afternoon.