Michkov and Knuble Score as Woll's 28 Saves Lift Flyers Past Bruins
The short version
- The Flyers earned their first 2026-27 preseason win, 2-0 over the Bruins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
- Matvei Michkov and Cole Knuble scored; Joseph Woll made 28 saves in his first full game with Philadelphia.
- Boston iced a mostly AHL-aligned lineup, while the Flyers dressed largely NHL players.
- Knuble's goal, his second of the preseason, was set up by a net drive from Jett Luchanko.
Philadelphia earned its first preseason win of 2026-27 with a 2-0 shutout of Boston, powered by goals from Matvei Michkov and Cole Knuble and a 28-save night from Joseph Woll.
The Philadelphia Flyers picked up their first victory of the 2026-27 preseason on Thursday night, defeating the Boston Bruins 2-0 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Matvei Michkov and Cole Knuble provided the scoring, while goaltender Joseph Woll turned aside all 28 shots he faced in his first full 60-minute appearance with the club.
The Flyers iced a lineup made up largely of NHL players, while Boston dressed a roster weighted toward AHL-level talent. Philadelphia controlled much of the play, and the scoreline stayed close largely because of Bruins goalie Michael DiPietro, who kept the damage to two goals despite the one-sided territory.
Michkov opened the scoring in the first period moments after leaving the penalty box. Helge Grans fired a shot from the point that appeared to deflect off Porter Martone on its way to DiPietro, who could not control the rebound, and Michkov knocked it home for the early lead.
Philadelphia's new-look power play got an extended look in the contest. One unit featured Drysdale, Zegras, Foerster, Martone, and Michkov, and while it did not convert, it showed strong puck movement on multiple attempts, including after Travis Konecny drew a high-sticking penalty from DiPietro in the second period.
Cole Knuble doubled the lead early in the third period with his second goal of the preseason. The sequence began with Jett Luchanko driving hard to the net, and after a second-chance effort from Gaucher, Knuble finished the play to make it 2-0. Moments earlier, Martone had rattled a shot off the left post.
Woll handled the rest from there, closing out the shutout as Boston pushed harder in the second and third periods after a quiet opening frame. Michkov nearly added a second goal late in the third on a backdoor setup from Sean Couturier but hit the post.
Beyond the result, the game offered several storylines for Philadelphia. Michkov looked sharper and more comfortable with the puck and showed strong stamina even on long shifts in his first game of the season, while Knuble has stacked strong preseason performances together and, according to his postgame comments, is taking his roster push day by day. Luchanko has also turned in the best camp of his three preseasons with the club.
The Bruins' next appearance on the schedule comes quickly. Boston visits the Washington Capitals on Friday, September 25 at 7:00 PM EDT at Capital One Arena, with coverage on ESPN+, NESN+, and MNMT.
