The Play Before the Play: How the Flyers Blew a 2-1 Lead to the Rangers in 89 Seconds

The Flyers were up 2-1 on the Rangers going into the third period. They lost 3-2. That is exactly who this team is right now. They do not know how to find ways to win hockey games. If anything, they are finding ways to lose them. And it is not one player. It is every single player.

The Rangers scored twice in 89 seconds late in the third, a Pavel Dorofeyev power-play goal at 13:52 and Tye Kartye’s winner at 15:21. The Flyers are now 4-10-4 and have lost five of their last six. Per Natural Stat Trick (via The Inquirer), they had 40% of the shot attempts and a 36.06% expected-goals share in the third. InStat had the Rangers at 2.50 expected goals to the Flyers’ 1.78 for the night.

You have seen the goals on the highlights. But the goal is never where it starts. Every one of these five goals was decided a few seconds earlier by a read, a battle or a puck that did not get out. Here is the play before each one.

Goal 1 (NYR): It wasn’t just Michkov’s long shift

▶ Play this part of the breakdown (0:40)

Matvei Michkov extends his shift and ends up out there with Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak in Travis Konecny’s spot. InStat had that trio together for 3:21 over five shifts, with 2 shot attempts for and 6 against. They were on for this one.

Credit Gabe Perreault on the Rangers for a great heads-up play. He pulls up, scans and puts the puck in low. From there the Flyers have a couple of opportunities to get this puck out and fail to do so. Then at the net, Cam York and Dvorak need to do a better job lifting their man’s stick. Marcus Pettersson’s point shot gets redirected by J.T. Miller and goes in off Perreault. It was first credited to Miller and changed to Perreault after the period.

Sure, Michkov needs to get off the ice. But this goal is not entirely on him. You can’t tell me Konecny would have made any difference defensively on this goal in particular.

Goal 2 (PHI): Zegras and Foerster earn Benoit’s goal

▶ Play this part of the breakdown (3:05)

This one starts with Zegras on the backcheck, winning a puck battle and breaking it out. It was a longer shift for him too, so that is great effort. Then Tyson Foerster wins the puck race and the battle to gain possession in the offensive zone. Those two plays lead to the inevitable Simon Benoit goal at 10:10 of the second, a point shot through a Noah Cates screen. It was Benoit’s first goal since March 10, 2025.

Goal 3 (PHI): The set faceoff play that built the lead

▶ Play this part of the breakdown (4:09)

This is the one I want you to watch. It starts with a Flyers set faceoff play in the defensive zone, and I break down the whole thing in the video. Jamie Drysdale does a great job ending the Rangers’ play early to regain possession. Sean Couturier protects the puck and shields a Rangers defender down low.

Then Drysdale walks the line. That is what makes him such a good skater. His shot gets blocked, Denver Barkey picks up the rebound, turns and feeds Noel Acciari for the goal at 12:09. 2-1 Flyers.

Per InStat, Couturier won 7 of his 9 draws, including 3 of 4 in the defensive zone. Drysdale played 27:47 on 31 shifts, the most on the team.

Goal 4 (NYR): If you commit on the PK, you have to win the battle

▶ Play this part of the breakdown (5:54)

Barkey goes to the box for slashing at 13:13 of the third, and the Flyers are killing a penalty with a one-goal lead. Benoit has numerous chances to get this puck out. He and Foerster can’t overcommit here, and that is what leads to the goal against. If you commit like this on the PK, you must win the battle. Dorofeyev ties it at 13:52.

Goal 5 (NYR): Sanheim steps up and nobody fills

▶ Play this part of the breakdown (6:49)

This is the play before the game-winner, and it is the one that should bother you. Travis Sanheim does a great job stepping up here. Drysdale overcommits to his guy. Acciari, who technically was on the eventual goal scorer, turns and faces the puck. And Couturier, who looks like he is filling for Sanheim after Sanheim stepped and Drysdale moved over, just gets lost and never actually fills. Adam Fox finds Kartye with the stretch pass, and it is 3-2 Rangers at 15:21.

This is exactly what this team is

▶ Play this part of the breakdown (8:06)

We are not even at Thanksgiving yet and fans seem more irate than they did during the dog days of 2021 to 2023. It will be interesting to see what Rick Tocchet and the front office can do to try to turn this around. But boy, I would not want to be them right now, especially since they already postponed Tocchet’s season-ticket holder Chalk Talk last month.

What I’d like to see moving forward

• Get the puck out when you have it. Goal 1 and goal 4 both came after chances to clear that didn’t happen.
• Lift sticks at the net front. A redirect and a leg is all it took on goal 1.
• On the PK, pick your spots. Commit only when you can win the battle.
• When a defenseman steps up, a forward fills. Every time.
• More of that set faceoff play. Couturier winning draws and Drysdale walking the line is a real weapon.

Which of these five plays bothers you the most? Let me know in the comments.

Want to see how every Flyer and Ranger grades out this season? Check out the BSB Player Cards. And if you want to rep the brand, the 4 for 4 and vintage designs are up in the shop.

Stats via InStat (Flyers at Rangers, Nov. 5, 2026) and the NHL scoring summary. Third-period shot share and expected goals via Natural Stat Trick, as reported by The Inquirer.