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Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings

Thu Oct 157:30 PM ETESPN+Detroit, MI
By JR·2 min read
Flyers(0-5-3)
Red Wings(1-3-2)
Thursday 10/157:30 PM

TLDR: As of Wednesday, the Philadelphia Flyers have 7 games and 0 wins, the worst start in franchise history, and their own fans are chanting for the coach's job. The Detroit Red Wings aren't a juggernaut either, which makes Thursday's game at Little Caesars Arena a chance for one of these clubs to stop the bleeding.

THU 10/15, 7:30 PMESPN+
Flyers
(0-5-3)
LLLLL
Red Wings
(1-3-2)
LLLWL

The Philadelphia Flyers, 0-5-2 and outscored 28-8 in a franchise-worst start, visit a 1-3-2 Detroit Red Wings team whose offense has woken up behind Alex DeBrincat and a returning Dylan Larkin but whose defense gave up 37 shots in an overtime loss to New Jersey. Philadelphia plays Seattle at home first and is missing Travis Konecny and 2 regular defensemen. The game probably turns on whether the Flyers can score at all against a leaky Detroit defense.

Philadelphia Flyers
  • Detroit just allowed 37 shots to back-to-back Devils
  • Several close losses: 2-3 to Carolina, 1-2 at Ottawa
  • 8 goals in 7 games, worst start in franchise history
  • Konecny on IR, Grebenkin out at least 4 months
  • Ristolainen and York both out on defense
Detroit Red Wings
  • DeBrincat producing: 4 points in 3 games, then 2 more goals
  • Larkin back and productive since returning from injury
  • Home ice against a team chanting for its coach's firing
  • Outshot 37-26 at home by a tired Devils team
  • Gave up 5 goals in the overtime loss to New Jersey
  • 1-3-2, just 1 win so far

Start with Philadelphia, because that's where the noise is. The Flyers sit at 0-5-2 and have been outscored 28-8, and 4 of those losses have come by 3 goals or more. After the 4-1 home loss to Carolina, the crowd booed for most of the night and chanted "Fire Tocchet" in the 3rd period. Rick Tocchet didn't have much of an explanation: "I think we go off the rails at certain points of the game. I don't know if it's experience, pressure, I don't know."

There's still a game to play before this one. Philadelphia hosts the Seattle Kraken first, and that result decides whether the Flyers walk into Detroit still looking for win No. 1 or finally carrying one. Either way they'll be shorthanded. Travis Konecny went on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, Nikita Grebenkin is out at least 4 months after back surgery, and Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York leave the blue line 2 bodies light. Detroit hasn't posted a full board yet, so there's no price to talk about until the Seattle game is done.

Detroit's problems are different. The offense is fine. The defense isn't. The Red Wings' last game was a 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey at home, and Jack Hughes ended it 1:19 into OT after Alex DeBrincat scored his 2nd goal of the night to tie it in the 3rd. The Devils were on the 2nd night of a back-to-back and still outshot Detroit 37-26, with 5 different players scoring. That dropped the Wings to 1-3-2.

DeBrincat has been the guy so far. He led the team with 4 points through Detroit's first 3 games and added 2 more goals against the Devils. Dylan Larkin missed the preseason and the first 2 regular-season games with an upper-body injury, then scored a goal and an assist in his debut, a 5-3 win over Ottawa that's still Detroit's only victory. He also dropped the gloves after Ridly Greig hit DeBrincat. With Larkin back, the Wings at least look like they have a top line.

Philadelphia Flyers
(0-5-3)
10/13LvsKraken2-3
10/11LvsHurricanes1-4
10/10L@Bruins1-5
10/08L@Senators1-2
10/05L@Lightning1-4
Detroit Red Wings
(1-3-2)
10/13LvsDevils4-5
10/10L@Canadiens0-1
10/09LvsKraken3-6
10/06WvsSenators5-3
10/04LvsJets2-3

So it comes down to this: a Flyers team that has scored 8 goals in 7 games against a Red Wings team that just let a tired Devils club put 37 shots on net. If Detroit's defensive structure holds up even halfway, Philadelphia's scoring problem gets worse. If it doesn't, the Flyers have a real shot at the kind of loose game they've been waiting all month for.

An NHL insider says Tocchet's job isn't in trouble and a coaching change isn't imminent. Another bad night on the road will test that. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, October 15.

Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings — Flyers Bring Franchise-Worst Start and Tocchet Heat to Detroit | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush