Flyers Collect Second-Straight Win Since Firing HC

The Philadelphia Flyers look like a completely different team in their two victories since firing their head coach.

Mar 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) reaches for the puck against the Buffalo Sabres in the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Flyers' dismissal of John Tortorella has dominated the NHL headlines. The veteran coach wore out his welcome in the City of Brotherly Love, and the Flyers decided to fire him with just 11 games in the season remaining.

In the two games since the Flyers parted ways with Tortorella, they've looked like a completely different team. They beat up on the Montreal Canadiens, a team battling for a playoff berth, defeating them 6-4 in the team's first contest under interim head coach Brad Shaw.

They followed that up with a solid effort against the Buffalo Sabres and put together another offensive outpouring. The Sabres couldn't contain the Flyers, and Philadelphia won the game by a final score of 7-4.

No one looks better than rookie forward Matvei Michkov. The scoring phenom has back-to-back two-goal performances while playing around 20 minutes of ice time. The increase in ice time is a new development from Shaw, as Michkov averaged around 16:30 of ice time under Torts.

As a result, Michkov is red hot and scoring. With his latest two-goal outing, he increased his season totals to 24 goals, 32 assists, and 56 points. He leads all rookies in goals this season, and his hot stretch has him neck and neck with Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson for the lead in rookie scoring. After going through different slumps under his former coach, Michkov may be doing enough to re-establish his case for the Calder Trophy as the top rookie.

The Flyers look revitalized in the brief time since Tortorella's dismissal. With the organization given a clean slate, they appear refocused and determined to be better. With their rookie phenom scoring at an improved rate and the rest of the lineup buying in under their interim head coach, the Flyers are showing life in the post-Tortorella era.

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