Tyson Foerster nets first career hat trick as Flyers win goal-fest vs. Rangers, 8-5

Gustav Elvin, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Apr 9, 2025

Published in Hockey

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After going an entire month without a regulation win, losing 11 of 12 games to fall out of playoff contention, and seeing John Tortorella fired on March 27, the Philadelphia Flyers could have easily mailed it in for the final nine games of the season.

To this team’s credit, it has done the complete opposite, as the Flyers continued their recent uptick under interim boss Brad Shaw, rallying from a sluggish first period to defeat the New York Rangers, 8-5, in a goal-fest at Madison Square Garden. Tyson Foerster notched his first career hat trick in a game that saw the two teams combine for nine goals in a wild third period.

Eat your heart out tankathoners, the rejuvenated Flyers are now 4-1-0 under Shaw.

With Aleksei Kolosov, who was making his first start since Jan. 2, the main story ahead of puck drop, the Flyers did the young netminder no favors early on. Mika Zibanejad was awarded a penalty shot just 1 minute, 15 seconds into the first period after he was slashed on a breakaway by Cam York.

Thankfully for Kolosov, who had not faced a live NHL shot in 97 days, Zibanejad missed the net wide. After sloppy play at both ends, the Rangers got another breakaway 10 minutes later, and this time they converted.

With the Flyers on the power play, a mishandle on the boards by newcomer Karsen Dorwart led to Zibanejad springing Vincent Trocheck for a shorthanded breakaway. Trocheck got Kolosov to bite on a deliberate head-fake and roofed a backhand to make it 1-0 New York.

The Flyers drew even midway through the second period via Foerster’s first of the night and 20th of the season. After a nice keep-in at the right point, Noah Cates picked out a wide-open Foerster, who beat New York goaltender Jonathan Quick clean with a well-placed wrist shot. Garnet Hathaway soon made it 2-1 Flyers with a shorthanded goal that squeezed through the legs of Quick.

The Rangers tied things up on an Artemi Panarin goal at the 18:32 mark of the second and set up a seesaw third period between two teams cheating for offense with a few meaningless games left in the season.

Travis Sanheim gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead 3:05 into the final period after pouncing on a rebound. It didn’t last, as Kolosov would surrender the lead less than three minutes later after he was beaten on a bad-angle shot by Rangers’ Jonny Brodzinski.

A minute and 23 seconds later, Kolosov allowed another questionable goal, as J.T. Miller fired a one-timer past the Belarussian netminder from distance. Kolosov allowed five goals on 29 shots to earn his first win since Dec. 12.

But the Flyers would not go quietly. Jakob Pelletier scored a minute later to make it 4-4 before captain Sean Couturier put the Flyers ahead for good after a juicy rebound by Quick from a Matvei Michkov point shot.

Foerster would give the Flyers some breathing room, 6-4, with his career-high 21st goal at 15:33 of the third and after Chris Kreider got the Rangers back within one, Foerster capped his hat trick with an empty-netter from center ice.

Not satisfied after kicking the extra point, the Flyers would add an eighth for good measure with Owen Tippett amazingly going bar-down on the empty net from inside his own blue line.

The Flyers, who currently own the league’s fifth-worst record with four games remaining, will return home Saturday to host the New York Islanders (12:30 p.m. ET NBCSP).