Red Wings Stumble at Home Against Playoff Hopeful Flyers

Detroit's late rally not enough to overcome slow start in 5-3 loss to Philadelphia

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:07am

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The Detroit Red Wings were unable to overcome a slow start against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers, falling 5-3 at Little Caesars Arena. The Flyers built a 4-0 lead before the Red Wings mounted a late comeback, but an empty-net goal sealed the win for Philadelphia.

Why it matters

The loss was a missed opportunity for the Red Wings to gain ground in the tight NHL playoff race, as they remain two points behind the Flyers for a wild card spot with just nine games left in the regular season.

The details

The Flyers dominated the first two-plus periods, getting goals from Owen Tippett, Trevor Zegras, and Noah Cates to build a 4-0 lead. The Red Wings finally got on the board with three goals in a three-minute span in the third period from Mason Appleton, Alex DeBrincat, and Lucas Raymond, but Sean Couturier's empty-netter with two minutes left sealed the win for Philadelphia.

  • The Flyers opened the scoring at 4:07 of the first period.
  • Philadelphia extended their lead to 2-0 at 12:22 of the second period.
  • The Flyers made it 3-0 at 16:08 of the second period on a power-play goal.
  • Tippett completed his hat trick with a power-play goal 7:19 into the third period.
  • The Red Wings scored three goals in a three-minute span late in the third period.

The players

Owen Tippett

Flyers forward who scored a hat trick in the game.

Trevor Zegras

Flyers forward who assisted on Tippett's opening goal.

Noah Cates

Flyers forward who scored a power-play goal in the second period.

Mason Appleton

Red Wings forward who scored his first goal in 32 games during the late third-period rally.

Alex DeBrincat

Red Wings forward who scored during the late comeback attempt.

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What they’re saying

“We made it interesting - but not enough to overcome how long it took us to get going.”

— Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Reporter

What’s next

The Red Wings will look to bounce back on Tuesday when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins, the start of a three-game road trip that also includes games against the Flyers and Rangers.

The takeaway

This loss was a missed opportunity for the Red Wings to gain ground in the tight NHL playoff race, as they remain two points behind the Flyers for a wild card spot with just nine games left. The team's inability to start games with energy and intensity has been an ongoing issue that they will need to address if they hope to secure a postseason berth.