A player’s “best” game does not always mean their best stat line of the year. There are times where a game stands out because of the timing, the energy, the storyline surrounding it, or a specific moment that felt meaningful in the bigger picture of the season.
And I am only focusing on the regular season for this series. The postseason gave us incredible moments, too, but that is an entirely different story. A story that is filled with momentum and excitement for the future of this franchise. For now, I wanted to highlight some of the performances and moments that helped get the Philadelphia Flyers to the playoffs in the first place.
Rodrigo Ābols
The Game: 3-2 OT W vs. St. Louis Blues (November 20, 2025)
After the Flyers fell behind 2-0 in the 1st period, Ābols opened the scoring for Philadelphia in the 2nd with his first goal of the season, helping shift the momentum back to the Flyers.
The goal came on his fourth shot of the night, which would end up being the most shots he recorded in a single game all season. In just 10:20 of ice time, Ābols also added two hits and two takeaways, making his presence felt in every area of the ice. His effort earned him the second star of the game, marking the first time he was named one of the game’s stars all season, and one of only two times he would receive the honor.
What makes this game stand out even more in hindsight is what it represented. Ābols consistently earned trust on the ice through hard work, eventually securing a spot on Team Latvia for the 2026 Olympics. It is a real shame his season was ended by injury in January, because games like this showed exactly why the Flyers value him.
Denver Barkey
The Game: 5-2 W @ Edmonton Oilers (January 3, 2026)
Barkey scored his first NHL goal just 7:16 into the game, opening the scoring in what became a massive Flyers win on the road. The play started deep in the defensive zone, where Barkey created the turnover behind Dan Vladař and immediately rushed up the ice, stating involved in the play as it developed. The sequence ended with Owen Tippett finding him right in front of the net, where Barkey cashed in on the chance to give the Flyers an early lead.
Statistically, it was actually a relatively quiet night for him afterward. The goal stood as his lone shot on net, and he finished with two blocked shots and a hit. This is more about the moment than the numbers, and this game felt like a huge confidence boost for the young forward.
Barkey earned the third star of the game and was awarded the Bernie Parent MVP mask by his teammates afterward, a locker room tradition given to the standout player after each win. His smile in the postgame photos says everything. It would take him another nine games to score again, but that first NHL goal was unforgettable and felt like the beginning of something bigger.
More than anything, Barkey already looks comfortable embracing the identity and personality that comes with being a Philadelphia Flyer, and moments like this are a big reason why fans are so excited about his future.
Bobby Brink
The Game: 3-2 SO W vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (October 28, 2025)
Brink first tied this game 1-1 with a power-play goal in the opening period. Later in the game, immediately after exiting the penalty box, Brink jumped right back into the play and picked up the secondary assist on Travis Konecny’s goal. He also drew a penalty during the game, impacting things beyond the scoresheet.
The came the shootout. Brink beat the Penguins goalie with a beautiful move before Sam Ersson denied a Penguin at the other end to secure the Flyers win.
Brink earned the third star of the night and received the Bernie mask postgame. It was not necessarily a perfect performance, but it was one of those games where he seemed to have his fingerprints all over everything important.
Alex Bump
The Game: 4-3 SO W @ Pittsburgh Penguins (March 7, 2026)
It is hard not to go with the cliché answer here, but Bump’s best regular season game was his NHL debut. He made an immediate impact, scoring his first NHL goal in his first game.
Just 4:46 into the 2nd period, Bump buried the chance to tie the game 2-2, with the puck somehow finding its way through multiple Penguins players, including the goaltender. The goal helped keep the Flyers alive in a game they would eventually win in a shootout, earning a second massive point during the playoff push.
Bump finished the night with 16:07 of ice time, two shots on goal, a blocked shot, and a hit. He earned the first star of the night and was also given the Bernie mask.
He only added to the storyline from there. When Bump made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 5 against the Penguins, the game was once again in Pittsburgh… and he scored again. Apparently he just really enjoys playing in Pittsburgh and making his presence known.
He already feels like a fan favorite, and a young player doing his best damage against the Penguins, especially in their own building, is always going to win over Flyers fans quickly.
Noah Cates
Cates deserves a special shoutout before even getting into his best performance, because he was the only Flyer to appear in all 82 regular season games. He has not missed a Flyers game since the very early days of the 2024-25 season. That consistency alone is impressive, and so is the level of play he brings every night.
Cates is an underrated player in the league, a guy who works hard every shift and impacts games in so many ways that do not always show up on the scoresheet. Because of that, it honestly felt impossible to narrow his season down to just one game. So he gets a special exception here: two games.
The Games: 3-2 OT W @ Anaheim Ducks (March 18, 2026) and 4-3 SO W @ Los Angeles Kings (March 19, 2026)
Coming out of the Olympic break, the Flyers looked refreshed, energized, and ready for the playoff race, and Cates was a massive part of that momentum. He earned the first star of the game in back-to-back games during the California road trip, helping lead the Flyers to consecutive wins.
Against Anaheim, Cates played the hero in overtime. After stripping the puck away from a Duck, he raced up the ice alongside Matvei Michkov on a 2-on-1. Michkov’s initial shot was stopped, but Cates stayed with the play, collected the rebound, and slipped the puck in. It was just his second overtime goal of his NHL career, with the first also coming earlier in the season.
Then, less than 24 hours later against Los Angeles, Cates picked right back up where he left off. He tied the game 2-2 just 4:12 into the 2nd period before setting up Travis Sanheim less than three minutes later, earning the primary assist on the goal that gave the Flyers their first lead of the night.
Across the two games, Cates logged a combined 36:52 of ice time while recording two goals, one assist, four shots, and two blocked shots. Those three points were only a small part of what was an incredible March for him, as he finished the month with 13 points in 15 games.
Nic Deslauriers
The Game: 3-2 SO W @ Toronto Maple Leafs (March 2, 2026)
Deslauriers’ 700th NHL game came in Toronto, a milestone night that was his 194th appearance with the Flyers, and, as it turned out, his second-to-last game with the team before being traded at the deadline to the Carolina Hurricanes.
He only logged 7:34 of ice time, but he made every second count in the way you would expect from him. Deslauriers finished with four hits and one shot on goal, bringing his usual physical edge in a limited role. At the end of the night, he was awarded the Bernie mask, less for a stat line and more as a recognition of his career longevity and the identity he brought to the Flyers’ locker room. It also felt like a fitting moment of appreciation before his departure from a team he openly expresses his love for.
And of course, there is the extra bit of chaos that fits his story perfectly: when his gear was packed up to be sent to Carolina, the Bernie mask was accidentally included and had to be shipped back to the Flyers. A small, funny reminder of the mark he left behind.
Christian Dvorak
The Game: 2-1 OT W vs. Boston Bruins (April 5, 2026)
Much like Cates, Dvorak is one of those steady, reliable players whose season makes it hard to choose just one standout game. There were a few strong contenders including a two-goal, one-assist night in St. Louis in November and a one-goal, one-assist performance in San Jose in March, but this one ultimately felt the most meaningful.
Dvorak opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game, jumping into a 2-on-1 with Konecny before ultimately electing to shoot himself, a decision that paid off.
The Bruins tied the game early in the 3rd period, sending things to overtime, where Dvorak stayed involved. He picked up the primary assist on Porter Martone’s overtime winner, helping seal a crucial win that pushed the Flyers into third place in the Metropolitan Division.
It was not a big night in terms of volume, just one shot on goal, one blocked shot, and one hit, but it was efficient and impactful. He also went 18-for-25 at the dot, finishing at 72%, quietly controlling key moments.
Tyson Foerster
The Game: 5-1 W @ New Jersey Devils (April 7, 2026)
After suffering a shoulder injury in December, there was uncertainty about whether Foerster would make it back before the regular season ended. Foerster missed 50 games before reentering the lineup, a shock to many. He scored in his first game back, which immediately felt encouraging, but this game against New Jersey was the one that truly showed he was back.
And honestly, it also reminded everyone exactly how much the Flyers missed him.
Foerster scored twice in the 2nd period, with the goals coming just a few minutes apart. On the first, he carried the puck into the zone on a 2-on-1 with Tippett before deciding to shoot it himself, beating the goaltender. Then, later in the period, he buried a rebound off a Trevor Zegras shot after a 3-on-2 rush with Zegras and Michkov.
He finished the night with two goals on four shots in 15:19 of ice time, earning the second star of the game and the Bernie mask in the locker room. More importantly, though, he looked like Tyson Foerster again. Confident, quick, and impactful.
To really understand why this game mattered so much, though, there has to be an honorable mention for his performance against the Devils earlier in the season back in November. In that game, Foerster scored twice in just 17 seconds, with the first goal coming only nine seconds after a Michkov goal. Three Flyers goals in 26 seconds, and Foerster was right in the middle of it all.
That November game showed the kind of player he could be at his best. The April game, after the injury and recovery process, showed that player was still there.
Luke Glendening
The Game: 3-2 OT W @ Anaheim Ducks (March 18, 2026)
The California road trip the Flyers had in March was a stretch where it seemed like everything was clicking for Philadelphia, and it featured Glendening’s best game.
Just three minutes into the game against Anaheim, Glendening opened the scoring with his first goal as a Flyer, and his first goal of the season overall. The play itself perfectly matched the style of player he is. He delivered a hit, went hard to the front of the net, and buried the puck off a Cam York pass. Nothing flashy, just hard-working hockey.
In only his fifth game with the Flyers, Glendening finished with four shots on goal, the highest total he would record in a single game all season. He also added three hits and won 62.5% of his faceoffs, quietly putting together a strong, solid performance.
The Flyers’ March run featured a lot of standout moments from star players and young talent, so it feels important to highlight Glendening’s role in it too. Veterans like him helped stabilize things during that push. He received the Bernie mask after this win, showing how appreciated his effort was inside the room.
Nikita Grebenkin
The Game: 5-2 W vs. Vancouver Canucks (December 22, 2025)
Midway through the 2nd period of this game, Grebenkin opened the scoring by deflecting an Emil Andrae shot past the goaltender for just his second goal of the season. But even before the puck crossed the line, he had already made the play happen. York sent the puck into the zone, and it was Grebenkin who fought to keep possession alive, eventually setting up the sequence that led to the goal.
That was not his best play of the night, either.
Later in the game, Grebenkin created one of the prettiest moves of his season when he danced around multiple Canucks players before setting up Carl Grundström for the Flyers’ second goal of the night. The play was beautiful and showed off the skill that made Grebenkin such a fun player to watch when he was in the lineup.
He finished the night with a goal, an assist, a blocked shot, and a hit in 12:16 of ice time. He also earned the first star of the game, the only time all season he was named a star of the game.
It is a shame injury sidelined him late in the year because Grebenkin brought an infectious energy to the ice. He plays with a ton of grit and creativity, and it always looked like he was having fun out there.
Carl Grundström
The Game: 4-1 W vs. San Jose Sharks (December 9, 2025)
Grundström’s second game in a Flyers uniform came against his former team, and he did not waste much time making an impact. Just over three minutes into the second period, Grundström redirected a Nick Seeler shot past the goaltender for what would end up being the game-winning goal, giving Philadelphia its first lead of the night at 2-1, a lead they would never surrender.
What makes the moment even more interesting in hindsight, too, is how it tied into the identity of that early-season Flyers team. Despite this being the 28th game of the year, it was actually the first goal scored by the Flyers’ fourth line, coming right as Jim Jackson pointed out the line’s struggles on the broadcast. Looking back now, it is funny to think about considering how that line evolved as the season went on. By the end of the year, combinations featuring Glendening, Sean Couturier, and Garnet Hathaway were regularly being trusted to start games and given important shifts during some of the Flyers’ biggest late-season moments.
This game was the start of a huge month for Grundström individually, too. He caught fire offensively throughout December, scoring seven goals in 12 games. In a lot of ways, this game against San Jose felt like the start of him settling into his role.
Garnet Hathaway
The Game: 7-2 L vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (January 10, 2026)
It is upsetting that Hathaway’s best game of the season came in such a brutal loss, because his 1st period against Tampa Bay was genuinely one of the most entertaining individual stretches from any player this season.
The Lightning opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, but Hathaway answered only a few minutes later with his first, and ultimately only, goal of the regular season. The puck deflected in off a Noah Juulsen shot, and Hathaway’s reaction made the moment even better. You could immediately tell how much it meant to him. For a player whose impact is usually measured more through energy and physicality than points, it was a really fun moment to watch unfold.
He was just getting started, too. Even after Tampa regained the lead less than two minutes later, Hathaway kept flying around the ice with an obvious extra spark to his game. Midway through the period, he delivered a huge hit on Declan Carlile, who clearly did not appreciate it, leading to the two dropping the gloves. Hathaway demolished him in the fight, continuing to yell after dropping him to the ice. It was Hathaway’s third fight in four games.
Unfortunately, the rest of the night completely unraveled for Philadelphia as Tampa Bay took over the game. That is what makes this choice feel a little bittersweet, because if the Flyers had managed to keep pace, Hathaway looked like he was on track for one of those truly unforgettable games.
Still, even in a loss, this game perfectly highlights what Hathaway brings to the team: emotion, chaos, physicality, and a whole lot of heart.
Travis Konecny
The Game: 2-1 W @ Vegas Golden Knights (January 19, 2026)
In a tight battle against Vegas, Konecny scored both Flyers goals, both on breakaways that showcased the tenacity and explosiveness that define his game.
The first goal came less than four minutes into the 1st period. Konecny intercepted a pass between two Golden Knights players before immediately exploding up the ice on a breakaway, with a defender desperately trying to catch him from behind. He buried the chance for the Flyers’ first shot of the game.
Then came the dagger in the 3rd period. While shorthanded, the Golden Knights attempted to enter the offensive zone before another pass was disrupted. Once again, Konecny jumped on the loose puck and took off by himself. He got the job done again. The shorthanded goal stood as the game-winner.
Konecny earned the first star of the game and received the Bernie mask from his teammates, both of which were incredibly deserved. It was one of those games where he completely took over when the Flyers needed him most.
That is what makes Konecny such a special player for this team. Even when the Flyers were struggling to generate momentum, he always seemed capable of dragging them right back into a game.
Porter Martone
The Game: 2-1 OT W vs. Boston Bruins (April 5, 2026)
In just his fourth game as a Flyer, Martone delivered a performance that already felt like a glimpse of what was coming. He picked up his second NHL point with a sharp assist on Dvorak’s opening goal, setting the tone early with a clean and confident playmaking touch.
But the moment that truly defined the night for him came later. In overtime, Martone buried the overtime goal, his first NHL goal, on a 5-on-3 power play, finishing off a high-pressure situation with the poise of a more experienced player. It was his 20th shot in just four games, a clear sign of how quickly he was adjusting to the pace and volume of the league.
As mentioned in Dvorak’s section, that win pushed the Flyers into third place in the Metropolitan Division, making it one of the most important late-season wins. And fittingly, it came from a player who is expected to be a central piece of this franchise for a long time. He is already stepping into big moments as if they belonged to him.
Matvei Michkov
The Game: 4-2 W vs. Montréal Canadiens (April 14, 2026)
The Flyers had already clinched their playoff spot the night before, so the final game of the regular season against Montréal had a slightly different feel to it. A handful of veterans were given the night off, several young Flyers were in the lineup, and the pressure was mostly gone.
And in a season where it felt impossible for anyone in the hockey world to stop talking about Michkov, he used that freedom to put on one final regular season show.
From the very beginning of the game, Michkov looked completely in control. He recorded the Flyers’ second shot of the night on a dangerous scoring chance that forced a strong save from the goaltender, and only a few minutes later, he helped create the opening goal. On a delayed penalty, Michkov jumped onto the ice, joined the play, fired a shot from up high, and watched Martone redirect it into the net.
And he kept pushing. Later in the 1st period, after another Michkov shot created a rebound scramble, the Flyers maintained possession in the offensive zone. Michkov eventually worked the puck back up top to Oliver Bonk, who blasted home his first NHL goal. By the end of the 1st, Michkov already had two primary assists and three shots on goal of his own.
More than halfway through the 2nd period, the Canadiens goalie left his net trying to collect the puck before Michkov beat him to it and immediately tucked it into the empty net. It ended up being his eighth shot of the night, he was hunting for a goal. And once he finally got it, his excitement was impossible to miss. Michkov celebrated with the fans along the glass, completely embracing the moment.
The goal stood as the game-winner, and Michkov earned the first star of the night to close out his sophomore season.
Michkov is one of the guys where it was tough to just pick one singular game in the season. There was his two-goal, one-assist performance in the Flyers’ 7-3 win over the Avalanche in January, his two-goal night (including the overtime winner) against the Rangers in February, and his game-winning goal in a two-assist night against the Islanders in April.
We are witnessing just the beginning of Michkov’s career.
Owen Tippett
Tippett is another difficult player to choose just one game for. One of the fastest players in the league. He had two had tricks, three separate four-point games, and six additional multi-point games on top of that. He finished the year with 28 goals, tying a career high and leading the Flyers in scoring. And according to my research, Tippett earned the Bernie mask more than anyone else on the team with six.
It took hours, rewatching game footage, trying to decide between multiple games before finally landing here.
The Game: 6-5 SO W @ St. Louis Blues (November 14, 2025)
It came down to this game in St. Louis and the Flyers’ 7-3 win over Colorado in January, where Tippett recorded a hat trick and an assist. Ultimately, I chose the St. Louis game because it perfectly showcased not just his scoring ability, but also his playmaking and ability to drag the Flyers back into a game.
After the Blues took a 3-1 lead midway through the 2nd period, the Flyers immediately started pushing back. Andrae fired a shot from up top while Tippett battled at the front of the net looking for a deflection. The save was initially made, but Dvorak cleaned up the rebound, with Tippett earning the primary assist through his work around the crease.
Then, with less than two minutes remaining in the 2nd period, Tippett flew into the offensive zone, won a puck battle, and patiently waited for support to arrive. He sent the puck to Emil Andrae at the blue line, whose shot redirected off Zegras and into the net to tie the game 3-3 heading into the 3rd.
Even after the Blues scored twice in the opening five minutes of the 3rd period to reclaim the lead, Tippett was determined. He pressured a Blues player trying to settle the puck, forced a turnover, and quickly found Dvorak with a behind-the-back pass that led directly to another Flyers goal.
Then came the equalizer. With just over 10 minutes left, the Flyers cycled the puck around the offensive zone before Tippett drifted into open space in the middle of the ice. Noah Juulsen moved the puck across to Zegras, who found Tippett, and Tippett ripped the shot through traffic and past four different Blues players to tie the game at 5.
By the end of the night, Tippett had four points, a +4 rating, four shots on goal, a blocked shot, and a hit in 15:57 of ice time. More importantly, he drove the Flyers’ comeback effort every time they needed life.
Trevor Zegras
At first, I thought Zegras’ two-goal performance against the Ducks in January, his first game against his former team, would be the obvious choice. But after digging through the season, I circled back to a different game instead.
The Game: 4-3 SO W vs. New York Islanders (October 25, 2025)
The Flyers were trailing 2-0 midway through the 2nd period when Zegras helped spark the comeback. From the blue line, he passed down to Dvorak at the front of the net, where Dvorak buried a backhand chance to cut the deficit in half.
Then, just two minutes into the 3rd period, Zegras tied the game himself. Dvorak carried the puck into the Islanders’ zone before finding Zegras, who fired the puck into the net for his first goal as a Flyer.
The chemistry between Zegras and Dvorak was already blossoming here. Two new players on a new team, yet they already looked completely in sync with each other. And it was not just a one-game thing, either. Dvorak assisted on six of Zegras’ 26 goals during the season, while Zegras picked up assists on five of Dvorak’s 18 goals. The two were a dependable duo.
The Islanders regained the lead only a few minutes later, but once again Zegras had the answer. On a power play, Brink fired a shot that created chaos at the crease, with multiple Flyers jamming away before Zegras finally poked the puck through the traffic to tie the game again.
The game eventually went to the Flyers’ first shootout of the season, and fittingly, one of the league’s best shootout players stepped up. Zegras scored on Philadelphia’s second attempt, helping the Flyers secure the win.
The night became the first of four three-point games for Zegras during the regular season, and it also felt like an early preview of how perfectly he fit into the identity of this Flyers team. It is a theme throughout this entire article, honestly, but Zegras is fun. He plays with fierce energy, creativity, emotion, and a little bit of chaos. He fits right in as a Flyer.
Sean Couturier
Saved the best for last.
Couturier is owed a massive apology from a lot of people, and that includes me. As the season went along, the version of Couturier that Philadelphia fell in love with years ago slowly but surely started to reappear. He had a certain pep in his step (or skate). He looked healthy, confident, and genuinely happy to be playing.
With that being said, the game that truly cemented this refreshed version of Couturier for me was actually a loss.
The Game: 3-2 L vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (March 24, 2026)
It might seem like a random choice at first glance, especially because it came in the middle of a stretch where the Flyers won three straight before it and three straight after it, but this game just felt important.
Couturier opened the scoring late in the 1st period with his eighth goal of the season, and the reaction inside the building honestly caught me off guard. The crowd-wide “Coots” chant after the goal was the loudest it had sounded in a very long time. You could feel how badly Flyers fans wanted to see their captain thriving again. It felt emotional and very meaningful. I think Couturier felt it too.
Despite the Flyers losing the game, Couturier earned the third star of the game, and it felt like the beginning of something. He would go on to score in the next two games as well, marking just his second three-game goal streak since the 2018-19 season, when he scored in four straight games. This game added fuel to his fire.
There has to be an honorable mention for his performance in the home opener at Xfinity Mobile Arena against the Florida Panthers, too. The Flyers won 5-2, and Couturier finished with two goals and two assists in what was statistically his best game of the season. Maybe it sounds silly, but it almost felt like foreshadowing. A sign of what was eventually coming for Couturier and his team by the end of the season.
Special Guests
And there should be a moment to acknowledge the other forwards who spent time with the Flyers this season, even if they did not end up with full sections in this piece. Lane Pederson, Jett Luchanko, Jacob Gaucher, Garrett Wilson, and Anthony Richard all contributed in their own ways, appearing in short stretches and stepping into roles when called upon. This series focuses on individual standout games, but their presence still mattered in the bigger picture of the season.
