Cole Knuble sparks Flyers' third straight win in Buffalo
The Flyers beat the Sabres 3-1 last night and finally have a three-game win streak to show for it. Cole Knuble scored twice, Dan Vladar stopped 27 of 28 shots, and Philadelphia’s younger group kept carrying the load.
Knuble keeps the surge going
Cole Knuble was the story again, scoring his first two NHL goals in the win over Buffalo. Per The Athletic and ESPN, he led the Flyers with two goals, while Oliver Bonk picked up two assists and Jamie Drysdale added one. The team has nine goals over this three-game run, a big change from the start of the season when the offense was stuck in low gear.
That matters because this is the first time the Flyers have strung together three wins in a row after opening with a nine-game skid. It is also the kind of stretch that can change who gets a longer look in the lineup, and Knuble is at the center of it.
Sources: The Athletic, Fieldlevelmedia, Allphly, Broad Street Hockey, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Mcall, ESPN, NHL.com
Vladar steadies things
Dan Vladar was just as important as the scorer. He made 27 saves on 28 shots, including 6 on the penalty kill, and gave the Flyers a much-needed stable night in goal. Buffalo got 28 shots but only one puck behind him, which let Philadelphia survive some uneven stretches and keep control once it had the lead.
The Flyers were also effective enough on special teams to tilt the game. ESPN lists one power-play goal for each side, but Philadelphia outshot Buffalo 26-28 and got enough from its top young defenders to close it out. That combination is why the result feels bigger than a single road win.
Sources: Fieldlevelmedia, Allphly, NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN
What to watch next
The next checkpoint comes Saturday at home against the Ducks. ESPN has that one set for 1:00 PM ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and it should tell us whether this run is a true turnaround or just a hot week.
Earlier this week, trade talk started picking up around the Flyers, and that chatter is likely to stick around as long as the team keeps winning. For now, though, the main takeaway is simpler: Philadelphia found a way to win again, and now it has to prove this can travel home with it.
Sources: Broad Street Hockey, Yahoo Sports, Thehockeynews
Further reading
- Is now the time for Flyers to make a trade? 6 thoughts after 12 games (The Athletic)
- Newcomer Cole Knuble anchors Flyers’ third straight win over Sabres (Fieldlevelmedia)
- 5 observations: Knuble and Vladar the stars as Flyers' bounceback continues with 3-1 victory over Sabres (Allphly)
- Cole Knuble needed only two games to prove he belongs on the Flyers (Broad Street Hockey)
- Cole Knuble, Dan Vladar propel Flyers to third straight win – NBC Sports Philadelphia (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
- Cole Knuble's first two NHL goals lead Flyers to 3-1 win at Buffalo (Mcall)
- Rookie Cole Knuble scores first two goals for Flyers - ESPN (ESPN)
- Knuble nets first two NHL goals, Flyers defeat Sabres | NHL.com (NHL.com)
- Thursday Morning Fly By: It’s a streak! (Broad Street Hockey)
- Flyers News: More trade talk, winning streak, Cole Knuble (Broad Street Hockey)
- Flyers reportedly engaged in Simon Edvinsson trade talks (Broad Street Hockey)
- How to watch Flyers vs Sabres: NHL, live stream, TV channel - Yahoo Sports (Yahoo Sports)
- NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Linked to Former 2nd Overall Pick (Thehockeynews)
- Jiricek out, Benoit and McDonald in for Flyers against Sabres (Broad Street Hockey)
Philly Sport Daily writes this brief each morning with the help of AI, working only from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Let us know @sport_philly.