The Philadelphia Flyers fell to the Vegas Golden Knights, 3–2 in overtime last night, but this was a game that drew a lot more eyes than a typical East vs. Pacific matchup.
The reason was simple: former Flyers goalie Carter Hart returned to Philadelphia for the first time since his involvement in the Hockey Canada investigation. Hart was found not guilty over the summer, but the details of the case still make some uncomfortable.
Despite that attention, Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy announced before the game that Akira Schmid would get the start as they continue to “balance” Hart’s workload. Realistically, it felt more like an attempt to shield Hart from the Philadelphia crowd. Even in warmups, when Hart stepped onto the ice, he was loudly booed. He lingered near the end of warmups, firing pucks from the blue line, but with him not playing, that was the only real moment tied to his return.
For the Flyers, there were plenty of positives. Travis Sanheim made the pass of the night, threading a perfect feed to Trevor Zegras for the opening goal. It was the kind of play that shows why Sanheim has been one of the Flyers’ most reliable performers this season and why he’s building a legitimate Olympic case. Another highlight came from Noah Juulsen, who unleashed a heavy slapshot for his first goal of the year—and his first as a Flyer.
Dan Vladar got the start for the orange and black and delivered a strong performance. Vegas is one of the NHL’s top teams, and the Flyers still managed to push the game into overtime and steal a point.
The NHL standings remain tight, with Philadelphia holding the first Wild Card spot. The East is much tougher than the West this season, so grabbing points against elite teams is a huge sign of growth for a Flyers group eyeing a return to the playoffs. It’s been since the bubble season that Philadelphia last made the postseason, and the city is more than ready to see the team back in the chase.
The Flyers will look to build on this momentum Saturday night against the Hurricanes.
