The Philadelphia Flyers (21-12-7) didn’t allow that clunker against the Calgary Flames to follow them into 2026. Instead, the Flyers wrapped their five-game road trip with a win against the Edmonton Oilers (20-16-6), 5-2.
Now, they’re two points out of the Carolina Hurricanes for the lead in the NHL Metropolitan Division.
Rick Tocchet is very familiar with the Oilers. He had already coached against them earlier this season, resulting in a 2-1 loss in overtime. A key difference between that game in November and Saturday’s win, aside from the time frame alone, could be the availability of Stuart Skinner. He’s now with the Pittsburgh Penguins, having been sent from Edmonton in the trade that yielded Tristan Jarry. Jarry wasn’t in the lineup.
Daniel Vladař was out to get his receipt on the Oilers for the 2025-2026 season. He occupied the crease when these teams initially battled in November. Vladař went head-to-head with Calvin Pickard. After the win, he split the series against Edmonton, 1-0-1, with a 2GAA and a 92.9%SV, redeeming the loss from November.
Bobby Brink scored the game-winner. Cam York deflected his shot from the slot off of Brink for a slow-rolling goal against Pickard. Despite what the scoreboard read when Brink scored in the first period, the Oilers crept close until Nick Seeler added the insurance goal after a faceoff win by Rodrigo Ābols about midway through the third period.
“Learning throughout the year, we don’t want to back off. At times, we did, and we let them [the Edmonton Oilers] back in the game, but for the most part, the group stuck together; tried to play the right way.” – Rick Tocchet; 1/3/2026
First Period
Shots: 13-9, Oilers
Score: 3-1, Flyers
Denver Barkey scored his first NHL goal to open the floodgates. During the first period, Barkey snapped a shot past Pickard from in close after a sharp, hard pass from Owen Tippett. Then, after Sean Couturier, who went shot-for-shot with Connor McDavid, generated a couple of rebounds, Travis Sanheim extended the lead against Edmonton. Next was the earlier-mentioned game-winner by Brink.
“A hell of a defensive play, and then playing a two-hundred-foot game. Couturier’s line [Barkey-Couturier-Tippett] was outstanding tonight. They were really good. Couts [Couturier] had a great game. Tip [Tippett] and Barkey were a main reason why we won tonight.” – Rick Tocchet; 1/3/2026
Garnet Hathaway re-entered the lineup and fought Darnell Nurse. Hathaway hasn’t produced a point all season; however, he did outlast Nurse, then later earned a plus rating against the Oilers when Seeler scored.
Just as soon as anyone could congratulate Sanheim for officially making Team Canada at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, he crossed a pass through the zone on a transition, leaving an interception turned into a breakaway on the table for McDavid. The turnover proved costly, as McDavid scored, taking a shutout bid away from Vladař. Philadelphia is one of seven teams in the NHL without a shutout logged in the 2025-2026 season. Despite leading 3-1, McDavid made that scoring play look routine. The Flyers are notably one of the teams that don’t play well from ahead.
Second Period
Shots: 20-18, Flyers
Score: 3-2, Flyers
Nevertheless, at even-strength, Philadelphia kept up with Edmonton. The one thing the Flyers simply couldn’t afford was penalties. On the night, they went 1/2 (50%) on the penalty kill, allowing Evan Bouchard to slap a one-timer off a tee from behind the left faceoff circle.
Bouchard put the Oilers within one goal, 3-2, of the Flyers in the second period.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic each hit the post, inches away from representing a tying goal and a clean slate for Edmonton. Particularly on their second power play, the Oilers pressed harder with the puck, and Travis Konecny caught McDavid with a sneaky hip check on an offensive zone entry with speed. Philadelphia took the lead into the third period, knowing McDavid was in rabid pursuit.
“Winning hockey; learning to win. Be careful under some penalties, and you can’t back up. A couple [of] times, we got picked off the weak side passes when they were baiting us; instead of playing north, look at the goals we got in front of the net. Those are just little moments that we’re getting better at. That was the conversation after the second [period].” – Rick Tocchet; 1/3/2026
Third Period
Shots: 29-24, Flyers
Score: 5-2, Flyers
McDavid was terrific on the penalty kill. The Flyers finished 0/2 (0%) on the power play, and in their second five-on-four, they registered zero shots on goal.
Then, Seeler added his benchmark moment in this game, ensuring another two-goal lead in the third period for Philadelphia. That was his first goal of the 2025-2026 season. In addition, Seeler joined Barkey in 2025-2026 milestones, though Barkey’s served as a career milestone. Then, Pickard was pulled for the extra attacker, but Tippett scored the empty-net goal to paint the 5-2 victory for the Flyers in Edmonton.
Up Next
Next, Philadelphia will return to ‘The Call Center’ to host the Anaheim Ducks at 7pm/ET on Tuesday.
Three Stars
