The Philadelphia Flyers arrived in Columbus hoping to reset the tone after a flat loss to the Islanders. Instead, they left with another reminder of how narrow their margin for error has become, and how dependent they are right now on individual brilliance to keep games from slipping away entirely.
A 5–3 loss to the Blue Jackets followed an unfortunately familiar script: moments of real push driven by Travis Konecny and Dan Vladar, followed by late unraveling when execution and collective detail fell apart.
1. Travis Konecny Put the Offense on His Back.
There are nights when a single player tilts the ice, and this was one of them.
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Travis Konecny scored his third career hat trick, giving the Flyers all three of their goals and, at one point, erasing deficits entirely to pull the game level at 3–3. He now has 20 goals on the season, leads the team with 48 points, and continues to operate at a level that feels increasingly detached from the rest of the lineup. Since Jan. 17, only Montreal Canadiens star Cole Caufield has scored more goals league-wide.
But the significance of Konecny’s night wasn’t just the goals themselves. It was the contrast. Each time Columbus grabbed momentum, it was Konecny who manufactured an answer. He was attacking directly, capitalizing on defensive lapses, and forcing the Flyers back into a game that was drifting away from them. Without him, this contest never becomes competitive.
The problem, though, is what happened after he did his job. The rest of the Flyers’ offense didn’t build off his goals. They didn’t push Columbus onto its heels for sustained stretches. Konecny kept pulling them back from the edge, but no one else grabbed the rope with him. When the game turned late in the third period, there was no second wave.
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That imbalance—one elite driver, too little reinforcement—is becoming a defining issue.
2. Dan Vladar’s Return Deserved a Better Team Effort.
Dan Vladar hadn’t played in two weeks, returning from injured reserve into a difficult situation against a fast, opportunistic Blue Jackets team. He gave the Flyers exactly what they needed to stay alive. Vladar made some truly mind-blowing stops, weathered early pressure, and allowed the Flyers the chance to claw back into the game despite extended stretches where Columbus controlled play.
Like Konecny, Vladar was doing damage control. He wasn’t perfect, but he gave Philadelphia a chance to win. That’s all you can ask of a goaltender coming off injury and stepping back into the crease.
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To be fair, the Flyers were cut down to five defensemen after Rasmus Ristolainen, who had only recently returned from IR himself, left the game early with a lower-body injury. From a sheer numbers perspective, that limits how evenly defensive responsibilities can be distributed, and removes a physical, defensive-defenseman aspect from the Flyers’ backline.
And what followed late was not a goalie failure. Defensive gaps widened, puck management deteriorated, and the Flyers lost track of layers in front of their own net. When Columbus struck twice late in the third to break the tie (including an empty-net goal), it felt like in a movie gun duel, where the last two bullets are emptied into an already keeled-over opponent just to make sure they’re dead.
3. The Flyers’ Offense Beyond Konecny Leaves Something to Be Desired.
On paper, the Flyers produced enough secondary contributions to suggest balance. Christian Dvorak registered two assists, while Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, Travis Sanheim, and Noah Juulsen all chipped in helpers as well, continuing a trend of defensemen moving pucks efficiently and generating offense from the back end.
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However, much of that production came in moments tied directly to Konecny’s scoring plays. The broader issue was how little sustained pressure the Flyers generated at five-on-five when he wasn’t on the ice. Too often, offensive-zone time ended with low-percentage shots or turnovers. Too few forwards were consistently winning inside space or forcing Columbus’ defense into extended sequences.
The Flyers are not lacking ideas. They are lacking execution and pace. That gap has been especially noticeable since the midpoint of the season, as fatigue accumulates. When Konecny leaves the ice, the offense frequently loses its edge and urgency, becoming easier to defend and easier to reset against.
4. Late-Game Structure Continues to Be a Problem.
The Flyers did the hardest part of the night: they erased deficits and tied the game in the third period. What followed was the part that continues to elude them—closing games with composure.
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After Konecny’s third goal made it 3–3, the Flyers didn’t settle into a defensive posture designed to force overtime. Instead, their decision-making sped up in the wrong ways, and coverage assignments broke down. Columbus capitalized not with brilliance, but with execution.
This has become a real thorn in the Flyers’ side. Whether chasing games or protecting ties, the Flyers have struggled to manage the final minutes with consistency. Discipline, structure, and puck support erode just enough to swing outcomes. It’s not a collapse every night, but it’s enough to cost them precious points.
5. Competitive Efforts Aren’t Enough Anymore.
There was no shortage of effort from Konecny. Vladar battled. Several defensemen moved the puck well and logged responsible minutes. But effort alone doesn’t offset disconnection. Too many Flyers looked passive, reacting to momentum instead of shaping it.
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The space they’re stuck in right now is competitive, but fragile. Dangerous, but dependent. Until more players consistently assert themselves—especially late—the Flyers will continue to live on narrow edges, where even heroic performances can’t prevent familiar endings.
The Flyers are now seven points out of a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, and if they want any fighting chance of actually securing a postseason, they’re going to have to majorly and consistently step up to the plate and start connecting.
It’s not an impossible ask given what we’ve seen this team be capable of, but right now, an appropriate metaphor for the Flyers is that they’re stuck in quicksand. If they want to get out, they can’t thrash around in a frenzied panic, but instead must still themselves, shed the heavy items weighing them down, and distribute their weight evenly to create a supportive surface. From there, they have to grasp a firmer surface and make small, deliberate movements to get out of it.
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Stay calm. Make an effort to drop the bad habits that have allowed games to slip away. Distribute responsibilities more evenly. Hold on to the things they’re doing right, and prioritize the small details that make the difference in games.
The quicksand itself doesn’t kill you—it’s the succumbing to exhaustion and exposure that will do you in if you don’t pull yourself out in time.
