Latest / Hattrick's Unofficial Flyers Podcast / Episode 14: Porter Martone;s Debut vs Capitals - March 31,2026
Transcript
- Rick Mullen: Hi everybody. Welcome to Hat-Trix Unofficial Flyers podcast. I'm Rick Mullen, and we are going to talk about the Flyers versus the Washington Capitals game that took place last night. Also the first game for Porter Martone joining the Flyers. And, let's just jump right into it. you know, last night we were super excited. We thought, hey, we got a chance at this Washington Capitals team and we need this win. And lo and behold, when this game started, the Capitals came out like they knew they needed this game more than the Flyers needed this game and they played accordingly. They came out hitting hard. They came out crazy, crazy tough. mean, they were smoking guys with hits and it really got under the Flyers skin. You could tell the Flyers weren't ready for the intensity of what the Capitals bought. Tom Wilson was running around, you know, for lack of a better term, unchecked. for that first period, know, he was laying some huge hits and he was pissing off a lot of these Flyers fan. I mean, these Flyers players, were definitely called off guard, weren't sure how to respond. And you could see that the first period they couldn't wait to get out of. So it was a tough game. It was a really tough game, but you know, the Flyers did adapt and you know, they did get a little better, but you know, let's. talk through some stats here right now and shots. Flyers had 24 shots to the Washington Capitals 18 shots hits were 34 flyers 25 capitals. Penalty minutes were 12 to the capitals and 10 to the flyers faceoffs the flyers won again they dominated in the faceoff dot they were 56.1 % to the capitals 43.9%. So tail of the tape, didn't look too bad. It really didn't. It was pretty close. Capitals had way more hits right away and the flyers adjusted and again, they started getting pissed off and they start throwing their own hits. And it was good to see them fight back. It was tough to watch when Wilson was running around taking off heads and... ⁓ Not not fun to see, know, in the first period I was wishing Dela was still on this team. He could get out there. You know, I was really hoping maybe sealer stepped up and you know he tried to throw his weight around against Wilson a little bit. But Wilson, you know, earned his money last night. He's a true power forward and you know he scored a goal and you know he made a lot of stuff happen for his team. You Flyers fall 6 to 4 in regular time. that looks like a pretty. Brutal loss when the other teams were chasing all lost last night as well. there's two ways to look at it. You can say, Hey, we didn't lose any ground because the teams were chasing didn't, didn't win either. But to me, that's what, that's what we've been waiting for. We've been waiting for these other teams to choke, lose a game while the Flyers win and start catching up. So last night wasn't a terrible outcome because we just stayed the same. You know, we just stayed the same. Everyone were chasing lost and we did too. So we're still, still chasing. It was just a missed opportunity for, you know, the fly guys to get some points earned on Columbus and, know, sad to see, but that's just what happened. crazy game, crazy game last night. You know, you look at these, these stats and you see Washington only had 18 shots on that 18 and Sadly, Vlador was not good last night. He left in five goals in an empty netter. But he left in a couple that, probably the first two were far out, long shots. And he just couldn't track the puck. He was just late to it. He missed one with his glove. One went right over his pad and under his glove. It was good ways to get the puck on net by the Capitals. Again, if you put the puck on net, What happens, right? You got a chance, but you you shoot high and wide or you don't shoot. You can't score. You know, the Capitals shot. They got pucks on net. Not many, not many at all, but the ones they did, know, Dan Volador just didn't save them. So poor performance by Volador last night and I am not knocking Volador at all. You know, he's the only reason the Flyers are in the running here. I know he wishes he had that game back and I'm not, I'm not going to fault him. Some of the goals that were tippin not these long ones, but some of these ones that were like little rebounds out front They were defensive errors You know, I think Ovi came in flying through the slot and got a rebound, that he lifted over of Lida and I think that was my top Marton's guy, know Marton missed he just I guess didn't know how to play against the great eight. So it was a it was All kinds of things happening last night that I wish didn't But hey, the Flyers are still the same percentage to either get into the playoffs or not. All the teams are chasing lost. So it's a good reset. Thankfully, the other teams didn't win. You know, this would be a different conversation today, but we're still in it. Nothing's changed. We're still chasing and everyone's got the same stats that we're chasing. So sad game last night. Got to move past it. We're playing Detroit on Thursday. ⁓ Let's talk a little bit about Tokets decision to sit bump. ⁓ I was a little upset. When I saw Bump coming out, I thought, what's he doing? Bump should be in there. Bump's got a lot of potential. He's a bigger body. I really thought Grunstrom was going to get set. And then I was scratching my head a little bit at it. I even thought, hey, maybe they're going to scratch Barkey, leave Bump in, and then put Marton in. And we have some bigger bodies going against Washington. But Taki decided to sit Bump. And, you know, I'm glad he did. That was a mean game. It was much better to have a veteran in there, you know, a bigger veteran in there. Carl Grunstrom did score a goal. Taka looked a little brilliant on that move last night. I think we all questioned that move. ⁓ you know, but it worked ⁓ Carl was able to ⁓ play those big banging bodies. know, ⁓ Barky did OK, too. ⁓ I at it, like I I ⁓ I think maybe I would have moved Barky out and put bump in and just went at this with a little bigger body people, players, but that's not what happened. So anyhow, kudos for Tocket. He knew Grunström had a decent game the other game. He said, let me reward this guy and keep him in line up here. And Grunström earned it. He went out, got a goal. So nice to see Grunström step up and contribute. ⁓ Porter Martone, let's talk about him. I was really pumped to see Porter play. I'm sure everybody else out there was pumped to see Porter play. I had goosebumps watching him take his rookie lap. I wish his first rookie lap was here at the ⁓ Xfinity Mobile Center, but it wasn't. It was in Washington. But seeing him out there and watching him do that rookie lap, was nice to see. been waiting a long time for him. And I think the addition of Porter Martone in Tokets what in talk it's Porter Marton is the one kind of player that talk it doesn't have, know, Porter Marton's a, you know, get to the net fire shots kind of guy. he had five shots last night Porter. He didn't start off too well. The first period he looked really, really shaky. You know, he got a penalty for flipping the puck out and delay delay game. And I think there was a puck in a corner and he was kind of watching for a little bit. Not sure if should he have gone in? Should he have back check? Should you for check? kind of got lost there little bit, which is understandable. You know, it's okay. It's his first game. had a lot of nerves, I'm sure. And he's playing against the great eight out there. So I'm sure he was a little starstruck a little bit too. And, ⁓ I can't imagine he's lined up against ⁓ Ovi, first game he's, he's lined up against Ovi. Fantastic for him. You know, it's a great memory. So, he's got, had that one game to play against Ovi and that's it. He'll never play against them again, more than likely because it sounds like Ovi's, even though not ⁓ mentioning it. It sounds like he's probably going to retire out at the end of this year. ⁓ Marton, as the game went by, he had, I think had a couple of shifts pulled. He like, like talk. did protect them. He didn't put them out there for a little bit. ⁓ but as we started getting into the third period, Marton started looking more like Marton. ⁓ he was driving in that he went to the slot, got a pass and fired one, ripped one at the, goal. ⁓ it was saved, you know, but that That was what we lack. We lack that one timer that wind up that guy that actually loves to shoot. Marton had five shots last night. Five. He was the most on the team out of any flyer and, they were five shots on net on net, not high and wide, not on the crossbar or a post. They were on net. Excited to see this kid get better. I'm excited to see him get some more games. I think when he gets some time under his belt, he's going to find this net fast. I think he's going to score probably with I'm calling it now. He's scoring his next game by the end of that third period. He looked like he knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to be. And he got one game under his belt. I think going into the next game, he's going to be a lot looser. And I think we're going to see a putter, more tone, more tone first goal for the flyers tomorrow night at home against Detroit. Book it. ⁓ Hey the the last game I went to at the spectrum at the spectrum. ⁓ my goodness the last game I went to at the Xfinity Mobile Center I ⁓ Went and visited Joe Watson ⁓ Joe actually has a book out and He was signing autographed copies and ⁓ I thought you know what I'm gonna go down. I'm gonna meet Joe I had the luxury of meeting Joe before I played in two alumni games against the Flyers alumni throughout my younger years. always good people, Joe. Joe is a funny guy. He loves to talk. Really liked Joe a lot. Shook his hand, thanked him for all the memories. We talked a little bit about hockey and I wish I had some time to talk to him a little more, but there was other people in the line and I couldn't. But it was a really, really... good experience and you know, let me grab this book here real quick. All right, so this is Joe Watson's book. It's Thundermath by Joe Watson. And I believe I haven't read it yet. Just got it, like I said, the other day. it was, ⁓ I think that's what they nicknamed him, Thundermath, because he talked too much. It was too loud. So back in the 70s, he had his ⁓ nickname. He wrote a book. I'm anxious to read it, get some stories under my belt. You know, I've been reading two or three books on the flyers now from the 70s and... Lot of history there a lot of really cool stories, you know a lot of things that I remember as a kid watching and but then You seeing stories from behind the scenes, you know on top of what I know is pretty cool You know, it's really cool to see so if you have a chance get down there and Stop by and see Joe Watson by his book Thunder Mouth and say hello to him. Thank him for his service to the Flyers through all these years You know these guys from the 70s are they're old now, you know, they're aging out, you know, they're passing away. Sadly, we lost Bernie Perrant this year and I met Bernie with my son, Sean, and got a picture with Sean and Bernie and didn't get anything autographed, didn't have anything really to get autographed, but it was a great experience. You Bernie was a fantastic guy. really, really took to my son. He showed him his two Stanley Cup winning rings and Bernie was a very, very nice outgoing gentleman. I really miss him. Sad to see him pass. But it kind of woke me up where all my idols growing up are aged at this point and they're not going to be here forever. So I'm trying to get out there and meet them as much as I can, get some autographs, shake their hands, say hello, thank them for everything before it's too late. So if you have an opportunity, go see Joe Watson. Go see him. He's at all. think he's at almost every home game right now selling his book. I think he's like behind section 112. I think that's where they put them. But if you have an opportunity, stop these guys. They're not going to be around forever. Stop them. Thank them. Let them know that they were appreciated. They're still remembered. you know, we're we're lucky to have had them in the seventies. And, you know, we have such a cool story and a cool history here with Philly. And hopefully we're on the right path. we can start creating some more history for all the people who weren't alive during the seventies and maybe don't realize what we had back then, and ⁓ really only noticed what they've done in the last 10, 15, 20 years, which hasn't been much, which is sad. this, this organization is desperately in need ⁓ of a very team because it's been a very long time since we've had a very good team. ⁓ So let's hope on the right path ⁓ and Start making some good memories for some of you younger, younger listeners out there. All right. With that said, we are going to call this one a wraps. ⁓ Porter Martone, great first appearance. Looking forward to seeing him tomorrow night against Detroit. Book it. I say he gets his first goal tomorrow and until tomorrow night, we'll come with another, another episode. Go Flyers.