Three Takeaways From Flyers OT Loss vs. Penguins
The Flyers had the perfect start. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the road against their biggest rival, with their most dangerous offensive line leading the charge. Matvei Michkov dazzled again, Owen Tippett was flying, and Sam Ersson stood tall in net.
But hockey is a 60-minute game, and the Penguins took advantage of a lapse in the Flyers' structure, clawing their way back into the contest before ultimately winning in overtime.
It was a game that had everything—offensive fireworks, strong goaltending, and moments of physical nastiness, punctuated by a dangerous hit on Garnet Hathaway that left the Flyers down a key depth piece.
Despite coming away with just a single point, the Flyers remain firmly in the playoff hunt, and there were plenty of positives to take from this one.
1. The Michkov-Tippett-Couturier Line Is Thriving
It's been clear for weeks now that the Flyers have found something special with this trio, and Thursday night's performance only reinforced that.
They were dominant from the opening puck drop, setting the tone for the Flyers' explosive start. Michkov finished the night with two goals and an assist, making him the current leader among NHL rookies in both goals and points.
Tippett added a goal of his own, using his speed to create problems for the Penguins' defense, while Couturier was, as always, a steadying presence in all three zones.
Michkov's impact, in particular, continues to grow. His hockey IQ is off the charts, and his ability to find soft areas of the ice was on full display once again. The grind of the NHL season was starting affect him (as it does with many players at this point in the year), but he's been able to bounce back with a vengeance since the 4-Nations break.
Matvei Michkov rips home his second of the game! 🚀📺: @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/S5tPrXCygm pic.twitter.com/5zu3XHVAZ5
— NHL (@NHL) February 28, 2025
What's even more encouraging is how quickly he's developed chemistry with Tippett and Couturier. Tippett's north-south speed complements Michkov's creativity, while Couturier's two-way reliability allows them to take offensive risks without sacrificing structure.
At this point, it's not just a hot streak—it's a legitimate force to be reckoned with. And for a Flyers team fighting for every possible point, having a group that can take over a game is invaluable. To make things even better, while this line has been clearly clicking, all of the Flyers' lines have been displaying noticeable synergy.
2. The Flyers' Second Period Proved Costly
John Tortorella put it bluntly postgame: 'seven or eight minutes' of play out of an otherwise encouraging performance was where the Penguins found their way back into the game. And while it's easy to point to the overtime winner, the reality is that the tides started to turn in the second period.
After dominating the first 20 minutes, they got caught on their heels in the middle frame. The Penguins started finding pockets of space, taking advantage of breakdowns in defensive coverage. It wasn't a full-scale unraveling, but it was just enough to shift the momentum. Once Pittsburgh smelled blood, they kept pushing, and the Flyers struggled to reset.
The good news? This wasn't a game where they got thoroughly outplayed for long stretches. For most of the night, they were the better team. But in a playoff race this tight, those brief lapses can be the difference between two points and one—or worse, none at all.
One area where the Flyers will want to tighten up is their defensive zone exits. They got hemmed in their own end too often during that second period, and the Penguins were able to keep firing until a bounce eventually went their way. When the Flyers are at their best, they're aggressive in transition, using their speed to break out efficiently. They've shown that before in previous dominant performances over Pittsburgh this season, but Thursday night just wasn't their night.
3. Garnet Hathaway's Injury Casts a Shadow Over the Game
No one on the Flyers plays a more selfless, grinding game than Garnet Hathaway. He's the kind of player who does all the little things that don't always show up on the scoresheet—winning puck battles, blocking shots, finishing every check, and providing the type of physical presence that wears teams down over the course of a season. That's what made the hit he took from Bokoji Imama so concerning.
Torts is furious after Boko Imama is assessed a minor for interference on Garnet Hathaway, and Hathaway needed assistance off the ice pic.twitter.com/oXX10jvySl
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 28, 2025
To put it simply, it was an unbelievably scary moment. Hathaway went down hard and had to be helped off the ice, unable to move on his own strength. He did not return, and the Flyers have yet to provide an update on his status. Initially assessed as a five-minute major penalty, it was later reduced to a two-minute minor.
Tortorella expressed his frustrations with the decision in his postgame comments, stating, "It's probably one of the dirtiest hits I've seen in quite a while. That's why [Hathaway] hits his head on the ice. We should be thinking about what really happened on the hit, not get glued on a hit to the head originally. That's a dangerous, cheap hit.
"[Referee Frederick L'Ecuyer] gave me an explanation, and I understand the explanation, but I don't understand how you end up with two minutes on probably one of the dirtiest hits I've seen in quite a while...It's a blind hit. I'm not accusing [Imama] of trying to hurt him, but it's a dirty hit."
"It was hard to refocus again," Michkov said postgame about where the team's heads were at after such a nerve-wracking sequence of events. "Garnet means a lot to the team and it's a big loss."
Beyond just his physical presence, Hathaway is a key leader in the room. His absence would leave a significant hole in the Flyers' bottom six, especially with the team in the midst of a brutal playoff battle where depth contributions matter more than ever.
If he's forced to miss time, it could open the door for a call-up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but there isn't anyone that can quite replicate all of the qualities Hathaway brings to the table. For a team that's prided itself on its next-man-up mentality, this will be another test of their resilience.
Final Thoughts
A 5-4 overtime loss stings, especially against a rival, especially with postseason ambitions burning bright. But the Flyers still came away with a point, and more importantly, they continue to show they can't be counted just yet.
Their offensive lines are thriving. Sam Ersson delivered some huge stops—especially with his pads—to keep them in it when Pittsburgh was pressing. The effort was there, even if the execution wavered for a stretch. And while the Hathaway injury looms large, this team has shown time and time again that they won't fold under adversity.
They've proven themselves to be adept at having short memories and being able to focus their sights at the next game on the schedule, and as long as they can tighten up the little details, they'll be in a good position moving forward. The playoffs are still within reach. And if Thursday night's game proved anything, it's that the Flyers aren't going down without a fight.
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