The Flyers Way: The Orange & The Black Recap and Highlights

In episode four of the season-long 'The Flyers Way presented by Xfinity' docuseries, we go behind the scenes of the Orange & Black, on and off the ice, as the club posts points in 10 of 15 games in December. A 2021 draftee makes his NHL debut. There's also a look at the in-game video review work by the staff.

Here's a synopsis and highlights from the latest edition of The Flyers Way.

The Flyers vs. Penguins rivalry

Way back in 1967, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins both entered the National Hockey League as the league doubled in size from six to 12 franchises. Until the late 1980s, there wasn't much of a heated rivalry between the cross-state teams. The Flyers dominated. In a 15-year span between 1974 to 1989, the Penguins did not win a single game in Philadelphia. Over the last 35+ years, however, the Penguins have become arch-rivals with the Flyers during the Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby eras.

As episode four opens, the Flyers start December with a home game against Pittsburgh. There's a featurette on Travis Konecny getting under the Penguins' skin over the years and exhorting his Flyers teammates on the bench. Konecny said that chirping opponents is still part of his game but not to nearly the same extent as when he first entered the NHL.

Games against the Penguins are a bit different, however. Those matches get the competitive juices flowing. Play often turns feisty.

The video coaching staff

Dylan Crawford and Vinny Yula handle video coaching duties for Rick Tocchet's staff. Crawford is the son of longtime NHL head coach Marc Crawford. He joined the Flyers after working side-by-side with Tocchet in Vancouver. Yula has been with the organization as an assistant video coach since the 2019-20 season and with the organization for 13-plus years. A Rowan University product with a degree in computer and information science, Yula is a lifelong Flyers fan.

"Just being able to utilize the skill set you have to also help the team that you love. Technology has just implemented itself into the game tremendously, especially over the last 10 years," Yula said in describing the challenge he most enjoys about his job.

Adds Crawford, "The job as I look at it is you're the playbook for the team. It's your responsibility to know everything that's happening not only with your own team but also the League,"

The video staff's duties incorporate a wide array of tasks including pre-scouts for upcoming opponents, video compilations and editing both for Tocchet's staff use and for players, and in-game video replay reviews (such as for potential coach's challenges) of on-ice rulings by officials. In Episode Four, Yula is surprised when the Buffalo Sabres (Dec. 3 game) elect to challenge for a very marginal goaltender interference after a Flyers tally. The challenge is unsuccessful and the Sabres receive a delay of game penalty. The Flyers win, 5-2.

Crawford and Yula try to approach opposition challenges the same way they would a challenge by the Flyers. They view replays from various angles and communicate remotely with the Flyers bench on whether a challenge is likely to stand or be disallowed. There is, however, one major difference.

"It's not the same stress as when you challenge," Crawford admits.

In the same game, Philly challenges a would-be Buffalo goal. In this instance, it is an offside entry that spurs the challenge rather than goalie interference. The challenge is successful and the goal is disallowed by the NHL's Situation Room in Toronto.

After the game, Tocchet is quick to praise the video staff for tagging the offside and recommending a timely challenge.

"They do a lot of work. I don't do anything on that. Those guys do all that stuff," Tocchet said.

Murchison's makes his NHL debut

Drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round (158th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Ty Murchison played four seasons of collegiate hockey at Arizona State and parts of the 2024-25 and current seasons in the American Hockey League with the Lehigh Valley.

In episode four of The Flyers Way, Murchison makes his NHL debut in a 4-1 home win against the San Jose Sharks. It's a night the player will never forget.

Murchison's family has traveled cross-country to witness the game.Murchison's Phantoms teammate Carson Bjarnason made the drive to Philadelphia to root on his buddy. To top it all off, he receives the replica Bernie Parent mask that teammates bestow on their player of the game after a win. The most recent recipient (Konecny in this case) chooses the next one.

Murchison was understandably elated in recounting the phone call he received from Flyers general manager Daniel Briere to inform him of the recall to the NHL parent team.

"My heart was pounding out of my chest...When they let me know I was being called up, it was incredible. As soon as I got outside the locker room and called my parents, it was just an outpouring of emotion," Murchison said.

Varady profile

Now in his first season working for the Flyers, assistant coach Jay Varady played hockey at Union College. Later, he paid his dues coaching in the collegiate, major junior, USA Hockey, European (France's Ligue Magnus),and American Hockey League levels. Finally, he reached the NHL as an assistant coach with the Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. He worked under Tocchet in the Arizona (now Utah Mammoth) organization.

The Flyers Way joins Varady both on the ice during practice as well as in a one-on-one interview. He recounts how he got to know Tocchet and fellow assistant coach Todd Reirden by working together and Yaroslav "Yogi" Svejkovsky by coaching against one another years ago.

"It's fun to connect all those dots," Varady said. "And the ability to work with this team. It's a really exciting group of players that are growing."

"A big thing for me is how we can help players get better. So whether that's an individual basis, a team basis, a line basis, I think for us, we're teachers. We're looking to develop skills. We spend a lot of time together on the ice. My favorite, really, is time I get to spend with the guys on the ice."

Battling the Blueshirts

As with the Penguins, the Flyers have a longstanding rivalry with the New York York Rangers. The two Metro Division teams play each other four times this season: twice apiece at Madison Square Garden and Xfinity Mobile Arena. The first meeting of the season series took place at MSG on December 20. New York rallied for a late power play goal in the third period to force overtime before skating off with a 5-4 (2-0) shootout win.

Flyers winger Bobby Brink, now in his third full professional season, enjoys the rivalry.

"We've always had a high-intensity game with these guys," Brink said. "[MSG] is an older rink. You kind of feel like you're playing a couple decades ago....It's a cool game to play in, one you're looking forward to when you're coming into the League."