Owen Tippett did not score in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, but his impact showed up where playoff pushes often turn: transition speed, forecheck pressure, and two assists that helped tilt the game out of reach.
How Owen Tippett shaped a 5-1 win without scoring
The Flyers had five different goal scorers in the victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and Owen Tippett was not among them. Still, Tippett recorded two assists and was involved in sequences that widened a lead that was already building early.
In the second period, with Philadelphia holding a 2-0 advantage, Tippett controlled a pass from Jamie Drysdale, pushed through the neutral zone, and threaded a pass to Trevor Zegras through Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser. Zegras put a shot on net and Denver Barkey finished the rebound at 5: 14.
Later, in the final minute of the second period, Tippett accelerated past Alex Vlasic and pressured Artyom Levshunov into a turnover as the puck moved toward Chicago’s end. Noah Cates won the ensuing puck battle and moved it to Tippett, who then delivered it to Christian Dvorak in front for a goal with 25 seconds left in the frame.
What the coach highlighted: pace, consistency, and a response
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet framed Tippett’s recent run as steady, repeatable work rather than a single flash moment. “Tipp’s been playing like this for a while, ” Tocchet said. “He’s punching the clock every game, and you’re noticing him. ” Tocchet also credited Tippett and Jamie Drysdale for leading the way as the Flyers controlled the game against the last-place Blackhawks.
The win followed a 3-2 home defeat Tuesday to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tocchet indicated that Owen Tippett was displeased with his own performance in that loss, which included a failed first-period breakaway that could have put Philadelphia on the board early. Tocchet described Tippett’s approach against Chicago as notably sharper, saying, “I could just tell today he was a little more serious. ”
Tippett’s night also featured chances beyond the two assists: a breakaway opportunity about five minutes into the first period after he sped by Ethan del Mastro in the neutral zone; a power move to the net with 3: 20 left in the second period that could have become a highlight-reel goal if he had been able to force it through Spencer Knight; and a third-period sequence in which he chased down a dump-in from Barkey, curled behind the net, and set up Zegras for a one-timer from the circle.
Where the game leaves the Flyers in their push
The Flyers’ recent results have positioned this stretch as their most productive of the season coming out of the Olympic break: 6-1-1 in their last eight games and 10-4-1 since league play resumed. The Blackhawks contributed early mistakes—two Flyers goals came in the first two-and-a-half minutes—yet the contest still required Philadelphia to convert momentum into separation. Tippett’s two assisted goals arrived at points that helped make the lead harder to chase down.
Philadelphia did not get “help in the standings” on Thursday night, with both the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins earning two points, but the Flyers were able to move on quickly from the prior defeat and carry momentum into a Saturday game in Detroit described as another critical matchup against the Red Wings.
One shift sequence also underlined the pressure theme that drove the night’s final goal of the second period: Tippett’s pursuit on the forecheck forced a turnover, and the Flyers immediately turned it into a prime look in front. That pattern—speed into pressure, pressure into possession, possession into a chance—was the through line of Owen Tippett’s scoreless but decisive performance.
