For the first time since the 1993-94 season, the NHL will have 84 regular-season games. It will also be the first time in franchise history that the Flyers will start a season in September. And because the season starts earlier, they will have a much shorter offseason, especially after making it to the second round of the playoffs.
Training camp will begin on Sept. 17, with the regular season starting on Sept. 30. That's 143 days since the last game of the playoffs, a month shorter than the year before, when the Flyers had 174 days between games.
But you won't hear anyone complaining about that. Being a contender means consistently playing into June and dealing with a shorter offseason. Anyone would trade that for a Stanley Cup. Speaking of, the Flyers will face the two teams they faced in the playoffs within their first three games. Their season-opener will be against the Penguins, while they welcome the Hurricanes three days later. Eight days later, the Canes will be back in town again.
Eight of their first 13 opponents made the playoffs last year, with four of them making it to the second round. So it won't be an easy first month of the season for Philadelphia. But it will be a good test to see what this team is made of. Another key highlight will be their Oct. 24 matchup with the Ducks.
Looking toward the end of the season, the Flyers will play eight of their final 10 games against division opponents, which could make or break their postseason hopes. Their final game of the regular season could take on a different significance, though.
Alex Ovechkin's final regular season game could come in Philadelphia
Just like this past offseason, there is no guarantee that Alex Ovechkin will hang up his skates. While he has appeared in well over 1,500 games and broken the NHL's goal-scoring record, the next milestone on his list might be reaching 1,000 career goals. Sitting at 929, it could take him at least two and a half to three more seasons to do so. His pace has slowed down slightly, but he's still averaging over 30 goals a season. If that is a goal he has in mind, he won't be stopping any time soon.
The Capitals made some significant improvements this offseason, which certainly played a role in Ovechkin deciding to sign on for another season. Washington traded for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch. They also brought in Vincent Desharnais and Boone Jenner. With these moves, they will enter the season with only 75K in cap space, but it will be worth it if they can go on another postseason run for Ovechkin.
But if this is his final season, the Flyers will get the chance to give him one final farewell. The two teams will finish the regular season with one last matchup, after facing one another nine days prior. Both games will take place in Philadelphia.
Ovechkin is a no-doubt Hall of Fame player and has feasted against Philadelphia during his career. Sidney Crosby holds the most goals against the Flyers in a career with 60, with Ovechkin behind him with 54. His 86 career points are ninth all-time. It's rare for him to not register at least a point when facing the Flyers. He's only been held pointless in a season-series once, coming during the 2019-20 season. It felt like it more likely he'd have a multi-point game than a pointless one.
Ovechkin has continued to keep his future plans to himself, so we may not know if this game will be the end until it happens. But if it is, having it against the Flyers would be a nice way for his career to come to an end.
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