The Philadelphia Flyers have lost four games straight and are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Their 24-20-10 gives them 58 standings points, tied with the New Jersey Devils for sixth in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have only two games to go before the Olympic break, and they could really use a win in at least one of them. Tonight, they welcome the Washington Capitals, who've won three straight but are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.
The Capitals have had something of a comedown after last year, when they nearly won the President's Trophy. Sporting a 28-22-7 record, and outside of a playoff spot, it's fair to say this season's been something of a disappointment. And it's difficult to pinpoint where, exactly, the fall off happened.
Logan Thompson's been solid in the net with a .912 save percentage (SV%) on the season, Tom Wilson has shown that last year's level up wasn't a fluke (22 goals, 26 assists in 48 games), and the greatest goal scorer of all time, Alex Ovechkin, has 22 goals and 47 points. Add in a plus-12 team goal differential, and they look like they should be in the playoffs.
Three Storylines
The Matvei Michkov drama
Have you heard the drama yet? If now, now you have.
Rick Tocchet comments on Matvei Michkov's season low 10:21 TOI 👇 pic.twitter.com/u58CSTNNaw
— PHLY Flyers (@PHLY_Flyers) February 1, 2026
And now it's been picked up by the national media, with Elliotte Friedman commenting on it in his most recent 32 Thoughts episode. Friedman suggested the Flyers should hold a press conference, with Danny Briere stepping up to clear the air. It doesn't seem to have affected Michkov in the short term, though, as he was the first player on the ice at morning skate. Watch for him to prove the haters wrong and have a monster game. He even has a solid split against the Capitals, with three goals and five points in four career games.
Travis Konecny, the team's best player
Guess who was named Third Star of the Week by the NHL? That's right, Travis Konecny! He's been on a tear in recent weeks, essentially carrying the team on his back and being the primary reason they're in a four-game losing streak and not a 13-game losing streak. The Flyers are going to need him to step up again against the Capitals if they hope to not make it five losses in a row.
A January to forget
This is the Flyers' first February game. In January, they went an abysmal 4-8-3. This team has shown the ability to shake off bad games and rebound with wins. Now, they have to show they can shake off a bad month. The playoffs are becoming a more and more distant hope by the day, but tonight is the night to burn all the tapes from January and try to turn the ship around.