Nov 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) makes a save against St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn (10) during the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA -- Raise your hand if you thought that as the Flyers approached the quarter pole of the season that they would have a top 10 goalie in the NHL.
If you raised it, I don't believer you.
That's because not even the Flyers believed that when they signed Dan Vladar to a two-rear, $6.7 million contract on the first day of free agency in July. They thought they were getting a steady, reliable tandem goalie who would be middle of the pack and would at least stabilize a position that has caused so much consternation in the organization for may years.
Vladar has been everything asked for - and more - and Thursday night's 3-2 overtime win over St. Louis was just the latest example.
Vladar gave up two goals to St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk in the first 12 minutes of the game - the first glanced off the knob of his stick and into the net and the second was on a rare penalty kill breakdown in which Vladar had no chance.
And then, from there, Vladar stoned the Blues.
He had to. It was the only way for the Flyers to win a game they should have had a far easier time winning, but didn't.
They were getting opportunities, but struggling to cash in, meaning they needed Vladar to hold the line until they could. And he did. Repeatedly.
Only one time, with about three minutes to go in regulation, did Vladar need help from a teammate Emil Andrae.
“A great player and you can really tell that he wants to be here. I think that he showed that he's a regular guy and can play a lot of minutes in this league…I probably owe him some steak for sure.” - Dan Vladar on Emil Andrae’s game-saving block. pic.twitter.com/jb3pmfrrff
"I probably owe him a steak," Vladar joked after the game.
Maybe. But if that's the case, the rest of the Flyers owe Vladar a lifetime subscription to the steak-of-the-month club for what he's done so far this season.
There are 36 goalies in the NHL who have played at least 10 games so far this season. Vladar's 2.37 goals against average ranks fifth and his .911 save percentage ranks seventh.
If you are into goaltending analytics, according to MoneyPuck, Vladar's 6.7 goals saved above expected ranks 13th of 75 goalies this season - ahead of stalwarts like Tampa Bay Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Oettinger of Dallas.
He keeps the Flyers in games. They improved to 10-6-3, which has them just one point out of a playoff spot, with two games in hand on the Washington Capitals, who currently sit in that last spot.
It's way too early to be talking about playoffs - especially with there being just a seven-point gap between first and fifth place in the jumbled Eastern Conference, but as long as Vladar keeps doing what he's doing, there's no reason the Flyers can't be in that conversation in a few months.
Rodrigo Abols scored his first goal of the season by getting to the net and being the recipient of good board play by Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett.
It was the first time any of the guys playing on the Flyers fourth line last night (Abols, Garnet Hathaway, and Nic Deslauriers) had even been on the ice for a goal scored this season.
🍎 Rodrigo Ābols gūst savus pirmos vārtus šajā sezonā! 🔥 "Flyers" spēles papildlaikā pārspēja "Blues" ar rezultātu 3:2. 🏒 pic.twitter.com/UzlxhjZyeF
Abols had some jump - as did the entire line - throughout the game. He had two grade A chances from the high slot earlier in the game, only to be stoned both times by Blues goalie Joel Hofer.
His game likely bought him some time as the Flyers have been mulling some changes to the fourth line.
"It's still early, but I like the response they [gave]," coach Rick Tocchet said. "When things don't go well, I got to make changes. But I felt after talking to them (Wednesday) that they deserved a chance to go out there and play together."
Tocchet talked about how they need to play a more "predictable game."
"Everybody knows where the puck is going. When they were in on the forecheck, they were connected," Tocchet said. "In the past they were a little too wide. One guy was going in and the other guy would be going the other way. Tonight they were connected. More predictable. They had some big shifts for us when, you know, the game could have went the other way and they regained the momentum for us."
Whether that line, and healthy scratch Nikita Grebenkin, who has been rotating in there, are long for the lineup in their current roles remains to be seen, but for one night, they bought themselves another opportunity.
Not only did Andrae have a big blocked shot, but he also had the primary assist on a goal by Tyson Foerster.
TYSON FOERSTER TIES THE GAME WITH A BOMB!!! WHAT A PERFECT FEED FROM EMIL ANDRAE. 2-2!!!#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/CgBRrjbPKt
But more impressively, he earned a switch from the third pair to the second, playing with Jamie Drysdale while Nick Seeler was dropped to the third pair with Noah Juulsen.
The change happened in-game, too.
"I was talking to [assistant coach] Todd [Reirden] after the first (period) and I said, 'You know, let's make the switch here,'" Tocchet said. "I just felt Emil was playing pretty good for us and he's one of our better guys that goes back and wheels the puck and makes an outlet pass."
Tocchet also praised Andrae's ability to juke and fake opposing players when he has the puck, saying that helps create offensive chances.
For his part, Andrae has been pushing hard for this opportunity. He told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic after practice on Wednesday that when he didn't make the team to start the season and was sent down, that he wasn't happy.
"I was honest and said I was pissed," Andrae told him. "I didn't think I played good enough to make the team, so I said I was pissed and that I'm going to prove you guys wrong. The mentality I had when I went down (to the AHL was to) play so good they don't have any choice (but) to bring me up and give me another chance."
The Flyers were happy that he was "pissed" and felt that it was the wake up call he needed to find the consistency in his game needed to become a fixture in the lineup.
Now, he's getting a chance to play top four defensive minutes. It's the next step in his progression. The Flyers hope to see it continue to bear fruit.
