Madison Square Garden has always demanded something extra from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Broad Street vs. Broadway rivalry is a storied one that requires players to be on their A game from puck drop.
And on a night when the Flyers needed a redemption game, they found it in Midtown Manhattan.
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Behind two goals from Matvei Michkov—including the overtime winner—and a composed, resilient effort from Sam Ersson in net, the Flyers defeated the New York Rangers 3–2 in overtime, earning a critical two points in a game that often felt like a preview of the emotional and tactical demands awaiting them down the stretch.
The win brought the Flyers to 1-1-1 in their four-game season series against New York, but more importantly, it reinforced something deeper: this team’s ability to endure difficult starts, absorb pressure, and still dictate how games end.
1. Matvei Michkov Dictated the Outcome When It Mattered Most.
Matvei Michkov had one of his most impactful performances of the season, scoring twice—once on the power play and again in overtime.
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His first goal came at a crucial point in the game. The Rangers had controlled much of the early pace, and the Flyers were still working to establish offensive rhythm. Michkov’s power-play finish cut into that at times overwhelming momentum and gave the Flyers a foothold.
His overtime winner sealed the deal on the fact that this was exactly the kind of game Michkov has been needing after a hailstorm of drama surrounding his fitness, ice time, and relationship with head coach Rick Tocchet. So much of his sophomore season has been mired in negative spectacle that it’s truly a breath of fresh air for him to have an objectively positive night.
Michkov now has three multi-goal games this season and four career overtime winners. Beyond the numbers, his performance reflected a player capable of influencing outcomes directly after it seemed as though he lost his spark a bit.
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“He had two big goals for us,” Travis Konecny said postgame. “Obviously the overtime one, but I thought the first one was a timely one. It kind of helped us calm down and get us back into it. He’s playing great. He looked fast. He looked confident with the puck.”
2. Sam Ersson Was a Big Reason the Flyers Stayed in This Game.
Sam Ersson played a central role in allowing the Flyers to recover from a slow start.
Ersson is another player that has been steeped in negative attention, with his 2025-26 season being a rollercoaster of impressive high points and disheartening low points that have left fans largely unsatisfied with his performance in net. But at MSG, when the Rangers came out firing, Ersson had answers.
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This game was a good snapshot of that. After letting in an admittedly soft opening goal from Sam Carrick, Ersson locked in and kept the Rangers from really piling on. With how much offensive zone time New York was getting, the scoreline could have easily tilted much more in their favor. Whether you love him or hate him, Ersson was a big reason why the Flyers were able to force overtime.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Sam Ersson (33). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
“I thought Erss did a great job keeping us in that game,” Konecny said. “He gave us a chance to get our feet going and our legs and making some plays.”
“He was fantastic, fantastic,” Trevor Zegras echoed. “The save he made on [Rangers defenseman Adam Fox] in the first four minutes, penalty kill, and overtime—he was amazing. [Dan Vladar] was amazing yesterday… [The goalies] give us a chance pretty much every night. When that first one goes in, he made so many ridiculous saves that it didn’t even matter.”
3. The Flyers Had Another Slower Start, but Knew How to Bounce Back.
Not unlike how they started against the Washington Capitals on Feb. 25, the Flyers did not execute cleanly in the opening period. Breakouts were inconsistent and largely unthreatening, puck management was uneven, and defensive-zone shifts extended longer than intended.
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However, unlike their 3-1 loss against Washington, their structure improved as the game continued.
Even during emotionally charged moments—including a fight between Garnet Hathaway and Sam Carrick and a high-sticking penalty involving Trevor Zegras—the Flyers maintained discipline within their system.
“The first ten [minutes] wasn’t great,” Rick Tocchet admitted postgame. “I thought we got by the first ten and then started to relax a bit… We’ve been in a lot of these types of games—close games—and it’s a big two points for us.”
4. Trevor Zegras Continues to Produce in High-Leverage Situations.
Trevor Zegras scored the Flyers’ third-period goal, tying the game and forcing overtime.
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It was his 21st goal of the season and continued a pattern of timely offensive contributions. According to NHL Stats, Zegras has now factored into a third-period game-tying goal eight times this season, tying Nathan MacKinnon, Tomas Hertl, and Evan Bouchard for the most in the league. Not bad company.
The Bedford, N.Y. native has also scored in all three games against the Rangers this season.
5. Every Game is a Playoff Game.
The Flyers understand the significance of each remaining game in this last quarter of the season.
“[The remaining games] are a bunch of must-wins,” Noah Cates said. “We’ve gotta make up some ground.”
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That urgency was on full display in their ability to recover from an uneven start and remain competitive throughout the game, especially against a Metro Division rival (although the Rangers currently sit last in the table with 51 points).
They didn’t control every phase of play, but they managed the critical moments effectively. Most importantly they were able to strike the balance that has eluded them more than once this season—their goaltender maintained stability under pressure, and their top offensive players gave the goal support and capitalized on their opportunities. Too often has it been one without the other, but they showed how good it can get when everybody is in sync.
