SHOOT!: New-Look Flyers Attacking The Net With Conviction
When Tyson Foerster stormed into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 opportunity, he remembered a pregame conversation with Owen Tippett. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton cheated to play the pass, and Foerster…
When Tyson Foerster stormed into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 opportunity, he remembered a pregame conversation with Owen Tippett. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton cheated to play the pass, and Foerster fired the puck past Jacob Markstrom.
“Before the game, I said if we get a 2-on-1 – me and Tip – I said ‘Don’t pass. Shoot.’ That’s what we did.”
-Tyson Foerster
The Philadelphia Flyers cruised to a 5-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils to boost their chances in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Foerster's decision to shoot granted the request of so many fans pleading in the Philadelphia crowd for years, sure, but it’s also characteristic of the new-look lineup that’s helped the Flyers suddenly turn a corner.
Flyers Decide to Shoot
The addition of Porter Martone, the debut of Alex Bump, and return of Foerster have rejuvenated a Flyers lineup that’s limped through recent seasons with underwhelming offensive firepower.
Tippett has also heightened his game during the second half of 2025-26 with the most aggressive hockey of his seven-year NHL career.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesFoerster has built a reputation as an effective sniper with a career shooting percentage of 16.2 well above the league’s 10% benchmark. The two Flyers rookies have added a level of confidence to push plays toward the net.
Rick Tocchet’s “Piston Offense” centers on propelling shooters to attack high-danger scoring areas with a fast-pace style. He spoke after the victory in Newark about the recent additions of Bump, Martone, and Foerster.
“We want these guys to come off the wall, get to the middle (of the) ice and bomb it… For me, when you’ve got shots like that, attack the interior. All the great players that score goals, they all attack the interior. These guys (have) got the traits to become really good goal scorers.”
-Rick Tocchet
The Piston Offense
The Flyers rank 28th among 32 NHL teams in shots on goal per game and 30th in 5-on-5 shot attempts. The weakness has slowed down their overall offense at times this season. Tocchet’s previous teams have also finished toward the bottom of the league.
However, the Piston Offense emphasizes high-danger scoring chances over shot volume as part of a trend in the modern game. The Flyers rank 13th in team shooting percentage at 10.04.
Photo by Philadelphia Flyers PRThe NHL’s average save percentage will decrease for the seventh consecutive season in 2025-26. It’s set to drop below .900 for the first time in three decades. Modern organizations emphasize shot quality rather than allowing opposing goalies to stop low-danger shots from the outside part of the offensive zone.
The new offensive style, conversely, allows talented shooters like Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, Porter Martone, and Alex Bump to flourish.
Will the new-age style boost the Flyers into the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Stats courtesy of Hockey Reference and Natural Stat Trick
