Flyers' Offense Goes Quiet in Loss to Lightning

The Philadelphia Flyers, with a depleted and injury-riddled squad, fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second straight game. Tampa defeated Philadelphia 5-1 after a 7-2 victory just two days prior. The win marked the Lightning’s 10th straight victory, matching the longest winning streak in the NHL this season.

Philadelphia was without forward Bobby Brink and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, both of whom exited the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 6 with head injuries.

Drysdale was placed on injured reserve, while Brink remains day-to-day. Travis Konecny returned after missing two straight games with an upper-body injury. Forward Tyson Foerster remains out for the season following shoulder surgery.

Jan 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) stick handles around Toronto Maple Leafs center Nicolas Roy (55) during the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Despite getting a key piece back in Konecny, Philadelphia struggled to generate sustained offense, finishing with just 21 shots on goal and rarely threatening Tampa’s structure for long stretches of the night.

Special Teams Struggles

The Flyers began the season with a top-five penalty-killing unit, but that number has dipped to No. 11 as of late. That regression was exposed against a Tampa squad that entered the game with the league’s 17th-ranked power play and left having scored twice with the man advantage.

The first power-play goal came early in the second period when Brayden Point buried a loose puck following a net-mouth scramble, extending Tampa’s lead to 3-0. The Lightning had already built momentum off goals from Pontus Holmberg in the first period and Jake Guentzel earlier in the second.

Point would leave the game with an injury following his goal and did not return. This comes just a month before the Winter Olympics where he was named to Team Canada's roster.

Jan 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) in action against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Tampa struck again late in the period, as Brandon Hagel snapped a shot from the faceoff dot with just 31 seconds remaining in the second, restoring a three-goal cushion and further deflating any offensive push from Philadelphia.

On the other side, the Flyers failed to capitalize on their limited chances, going 0-for-2 on the power play. Philadelphia’s man advantage now sits at 15.6%, the third-worst mark in the NHL, offering little support for an offense already struggling to find rhythm at five-on-five.

"We're not shooting those things," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said. "We gotta relax, that's my job."

Offense Stalls at Even Strength

At five-on-five, the Flyers found little room to operate against a disciplined Lightning defensive group and backup goaltender Jonas Johansson. Philadelphia managed only one goal, an unassisted tally, and rarely generated second-chance opportunities around the crease.

The Flyers also struggled in the faceoff circle, winning just 35.4% of draws, which limited their ability to establish offensive-zone possession and sustain pressure. Too often, shifts ended quickly, forcing Philadelphia to chase the puck rather than dictate play.

Monday Night Fights

With scoring chances hard to come by, Philadelphia attempted to spark momentum through physicality. After nearly every whistle, a Flyer was engaged with a Lightning skater, leaning into a more confrontational, old-school approach.

Tensions peaked during the second period as scrums became more frequent and frustration boiled over. While the energy brought brief life to the bench, it failed to translate into offensive production, as Tampa remained composed and continued to control the game’s pace.

Nikita Grebenkin and Rodrigo Abols both dropped the gloves simultaneously, leading to multiple penalties and giving the remaining fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena one more reason to get up and cheer.

Jan 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Nikita Grebenkin (29) battles for position against Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson (31) in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

No Late Push

Philadelphia finally found the back of the net in the second period, an odd-man rush tally by Christian Dvorak, but the goal did little to change the flow of the game. Tampa quickly shut the door, adding a pair of goals late to seal the 5-1 final.

Jan 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak (22) and right wing Matvei Michkov (39) try to deflect the puck against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Between the mounting injuries, special teams issues, and a lack of finish in the offensive zone, the Flyers struggled to keep pace with one of the NHL’s hottest teams. Philadelphia will look to rediscover its scoring touch as it works through injuries and prepares for the next stretch of games.

The Flyers travel to Buffalo and Pittsburgh before returning home to face the Rangers.

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