The Philadelphia Flyers haven't scored many goals this year, finishing as the sixth-worst offensive team in the league with 231. That's still 53 more than last-place Chicago, but it's still not a lot. But the team has definitely scored more beauty goals this season than the past few seasons, including an NHL-record five penalty shot goals.
So, here are five of the most beautiful and amazing goals scored by the Philadelphia Flyers last season that got us going.
5. Sean Couturier's penalty shot goal against Vancouver (Oct. 17, 2023)
On December 21, 2021, Sean Couturier scored a goal. For the next 676 days, he would not score a goal due to rehabilitation after two back surgeries. On October 17, when the Flyers were leading the Canucks 1-0, Couturier had a great chance to score but was blocked. A penalty shot was awarded. Looking back at Couturier's goals, many of them did not involve fancy defense or stick handling, and many expected the penalty shot attempt to be a simple sprint in hopes of at least hitting the net.
Couturier came down the right wing, confusing Thatcher Demko, the fans and possibly some of his teammates. He skated backwards as he hit the faceoff dot to the left of Demko and appeared to be going for a backhanded shot, but Couturier turned forward again and fired a powerful low wrist shot that hit the inside of the post, went in and cracked the side of Demko's stick. For Couturier, scoring a goal and taking a weight off his shoulders was a huge win, putting a nearly two-year goal drought behind him. It also marked the first time Demko had lost a penalty shot after stopping the previous four.
4. Tyson Foerster's deadly wrist shot against Colorado (Jan. 20, 2024)
Tyson Foerster was a bright spot for the Flyers. Some of his goals came off deflections, others from being in front of the net, and a few thanks to a nice wrist shot. In a home afternoon game against Colorado, the Avalanche were leading 5-2 early in the third quarter when Cam Atkinson started charging down the ice and made a great pass to Morgan Frost, who was entering the offensive zone. Frost's backhand fell to Foerster, who followed up with a precise shot that sailed over Alexander Georgiev's right shoulder, hit the inside of the right post and went in for the goal, making it a 5-on-3 game.
Though the Flyers lost the game, the goal showcased the raw talent of Forester's shot, and while some fans might argue that Forester's careless backhand shot against Tampa Bay was better, the sheer power and precision set this goal apart from the others.
3. TravKonecny's laser against Minnesota (Oct. 26, 2023)
Two phrases you often hear after watching Travis Konecny score 30-plus goals this season are “nasty but good” and “shorthanded goal.” In a game against the Wild on Oct. 26, defenseman Nick Seeler seemed momentarily possessed by Morgan Frost as he advanced up the ice and carried the puck deep. Seeler sent a deft backhanded pass to Konecny, who had just come off the bench. Konecny, like the aforementioned Forster goal, unleashed a criminally awesome rocket-like shot that seemed to aim behind Wild goaltender Filip Gustafsson until he reacted. Konecny opened the scoring with a shot just to the left of Wild defenseman Brock Faber about 14 minutes into the game.
“Oh my goodness!” Wild TV commentator Joe O'Donnell said as Seeler and Forster congratulated Konecny. It was Konecny's sixth goal of the season in the Flyers' 6-2 win over Minnesota. Most of Konecny's goals have been low, glove-side wrist shots that are as good as any goalie he's faced this season, but this one in particular seemed to showcase his talent. His unaided run nearly the length of the rink against Chicago may have been second best, but hey, it was Chicago.
2. Morgan Frost's penalty shot against Arizona (February 12, 2024)
In a crucial late game with the Flyers still in the running for a playoff spot and dealing with the absence of their starting goaltender, Morgan Frost had a chance to tie it in the second period with a penalty shot. Frost decided patience would be a virtue in this attempt. Whirling the puck with speed that rivaled former Leafs player Jason Allison and made him look like Speedy Gonzales compared to Evgeny Kuznetsov, Frost skated left as he got the puck across the blue line. Then he skated the rest of the way across the ice, seemingly waiting to catch Arizona goaltender Karel Veymerka. The Flyers center finally shot the puck and beat Veymerka low on his stick side. Taking a few steps up nearly 100 feet of ice is cruise control, but Frost still managed to tie it just over four minutes into the second period.
The Flyers beat Arizona, 5-3, that night, showcasing how Frost has grown in confidence in his game since facing Tortorella nearly five weeks ago.
1. Owen Tippett's Spinal Magic vs. Dallas (January 18, 2024)
Owen Tippett's near-game-ending sprint against Montreal was one of the craziest sprints of the year, but even his speed outpacing Oilers star McDavid that night couldn't match a laughably absurd play late in the game against the Dallas Stars.
After another Dallas chance in front of the Flyers goal, Tippett got the puck in one of the defensive faceoff circles after another Dallas shot deflected off the side of the net and ricocheted around the boards. Speeding up and looking like a bull in a china shop, Tippett raced down the blue line and appeared to be about to beat Stars defenseman Joel Hanley on the inside. But Tippett spun around and beat goalie Jake Oettinger with a thunderous backhand that flew just under the crossbar. The goal made both Hanley and Oettinger look foolish, and most of the crowd was left in amazement at what had just happened. “Wow! What a goal!” Flyers TV commentator Brian Boucher said, adding that it might be the goal of the year, though he lacked a suitable adjective. Amazing is the word that comes to mind.
I'm hoping to see a few more like this from Tippett, Couturier, Frost, Foerster, Konecny and Mad Russian.
