The Philadelphia Flyers fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime, 3-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night.
Mark Stone capped the victory with an OT goal eight seconds after Travis Konecny’s turnover, giving Vegas a 3-2 edge. The Golden Knights never trailed, and the Flyers never led the game.
Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen each scored game‑tying goals, but the Flyers’ power‑play opportunities fell short. Rick Tocchet’s club was unable to convert on a power play with under five minutes to go in the third period.
\”We had a good game, I don’t want to get negative, but the power play, we’re not getting any middle shots,\” the Flyers’ head coach said. \”We’ve got to get a middle shot.\” Tocchet also noted the impact of turnovers, saying, \”He probably feels bad. You can’t make those turnovers.\”
The loss drops the Flyers to 16‑9‑4 overall and 2‑2‑1 on their season‑long six‑game homestand. Vegas is 15‑6‑9 and will face Philadelphia again on Jan. 19 in Las Vegas.
Christian Dvorak had an offensive‑zone turnover that led to Zach Whitecloud’s transition goal, giving the Golden Knights a 1‑0 lead for the 20th time this season. Dvorak finished the game with two assists, bringing his point total to 21 through 29 games, on pace to break his career high of 38 points. Trevor Zegras’s 11th goal of the season came in the second period, his first with the Flyers. Noah Juulsen’s 2‑2 tying goal was his first for Philadelphia.
Dan Vladar answered the bell for the Flyers, stopping 18 of 21 shots. Akira Schmid stopped 17 of the Flyers’ 19 shots, while Carter Hart, who returned to Philadelphia with the Golden Knights, was not in net and backed up Schmid. Hart is three games into his new opportunity with Vegas after being found not guilty in the Hockey Canada sexual‑assault trial.
On Thursday morning, the Flyers added Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen to healthy scratches Nicolas Deslauriers and Egor Zamula for a competitive skate that featured contact. York missed a third straight game with an upper‑body injury and is day‑to‑day. Ristolainen, recovering from a second triceps tendon rupture in March, could make his season debut before the Dec. 24‑26 NHL holiday break. \”He’s going to have a really hard practice today, a lot of pushing and shoving on the ice and see how he reacts off it,\” Tocchet said. \”I think this is the day we’ll know how close he is to playing.\” \”I’d be shocked if he hadn’t played before Christmas, to be honest with you,\” Tocchet added.
The Flyers will wrap up their homestand Saturday when they welcome the Hurricanes at 7 p.m. ET/NBCSP.
Key Takeaways
- OT loss to Vegas leaves Flyers 16‑9‑4 overall.
- Mark Stone’s OT goal capped a 3‑2 win; Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen tied the game.
- Power‑play struggles and turnovers cost Philadelphia; coach calls for more middle shots.
With the Flyers now 2‑2‑1 on their homestand and a 16‑9‑4 record, the team will look to rebound against the Hurricanes while addressing power‑play efficiency and defensive lapses that cost them the game in Vegas.
