Five Storylines to Follow as Flyers Visit Stars

Just 24 hours ago, the Philadelphia Flyers overcame a pair of two-goal deficits to defeat the St. Louis Blues, 6-5, in a shootout. Trevor Zegras' lone goal in the skills competition put the Flyers over the edge. He and his linemates, Christian Dvorak and Owen Tippett, combined for 10 points in the affair.

With this one in the books, the focus moves to Dallas, where the orange and black will face a red-hot Stars team in their second back-to-back of the year. Here are five storylines to get you set for puck drop.

1. Comeback Teams Collide

One of the defining themes heading into this matchup is the shared resilience between Dallas and Philadelphia. The Stars and Flyers enter tied for second in the NHL with seven comeback wins each, trailing only the Islanders’ league-leading eight.

Both teams have made a habit of turning early deficits into late-game momentum. Dallas has rallied from one goal down three times and erased four separate two-goal holes while the Flyers have five one-goal comeback wins of their own and have twice overturned two-goal deficits.

With both clubs most dangerous when chasing the game, this tilt sets up as one where no lead is safe and every momentum swing could matter.

2. Players to Watch

Philadelphia Flyers: Emil Andrae

Sep 29, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae (36) warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Emil Andrae enters the matchup coming off the strongest showing of his young NHL career. The 23-year-old posted his first career multi-point game in St. Louis, registering two assists — his first two points of the season — in just his seventh appearance of the year.

His poise with the puck and clean transition play stood out during a chaotic, back-and-forth win. If he carries that confidence into Dallas, Andrae could quietly become a stabilizing factor on the Flyers’ blue line.

Dallas Stars: Mikko Rantanen

Nov 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) plays the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images | David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Dallas’ offense runs through Mikko Rantanen, and he’s been every bit the superstar the Stars hoped for when they acquired him in a trade-and-sign eight-year, $96 million deal in March 2025. The 6-foot-4 winger has been a force, driving possession, creating high-danger looks, and anchoring one of the league’s most dangerous top lines.

Coming off another dominant showing in Dallas’ 7–0 win in Montreal, Rantanen enters this matchup as the most dangerous player on the ice — and the Flyers’ biggest challenge to contain.

3. Special Teams Battle

The contest down in Texas will showcase two of the NHL's top special teams units: Philadelphia's penalty kill and Dallas' power play.

The Flyers penalty-killing unit has been one of the team's most successful assets over the past few years. Currently sitting at 88.9% and second in the league, Philadelphia has successfully killed 49 of 54 man-advantages from the opposition.

However, they'll face another tough man-advantage as the Stars power play ranks second at 32.8%, scoring 21 goals on 64 attempts.

On the other side, the Flyers power play has improved as of late, jumping to 16th at 20% while Dallas' penalty kill has struggled, putting it at 24th with a 75%.

4. Goaltending Matchup

This evening's game will feature two of the NHL's top goaltenders this season in Dan Vladar and Jake Oettinger.

Vladar enters the contest with a record of 6-3-1 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average.

Nov 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Oettinger, on the other side, sits with a 7-3-2 record, a .896 save percentage and 2.89 goals-against average.

Nov 11, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) hits the post on a shot against Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger (29) in overtime at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images | Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

5. All-Time Results and Last Meeting

In 162 contests, the Flyers hold the edge with a record of 77-50-35 while the Stars sit at 53-74-35.

Last season, Dallas took both results, winning 4-1 in Philadelphia on Jan. 9 before eking out a 3-2 overtime victory on March 22.

Mar 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; The Dallas Stars celebrate after defenseman Thomas Harley (55) scores the game winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the overtime period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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