Rick Tocchet backs Tyson Foerster after scoreless playoff run

rick tocchet is not ready to move on from Tyson Foerster after the Flyers forward went scoreless through five games in the first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Philadelphia dropped Game 5, 3-2, but Tocchet said the club still believes Foerster can work through the stretch.

Foerster’s playoff slide

Foerster has no points in the series, a quiet run for a player who returned on Apr. 2 after suffering an arm injury in December. He had played eight games after coming back and recorded four points, including three goals and one assist.

That return mattered for the Flyers earlier this month. Foerster’s assist against the Carolina Hurricanes on Apr. 13 helped Philadelphia clinch a playoff spot and third place in the Metropolitan Division, before the offense dried up against Pittsburgh.

Tocchet keeps faith

“We're not giving up on Tyson, he's too good of a hockey player,” Tocchet said after Game 5. He said Foerster may have hit a wall after the long layoff, but added that he believed the forward can push through the slump.

The coaching choice in Game 5 showed the pressure point. Tocchet scratched Matvei Michkov in favor of Alex Bump, and Bump scored a goal in the 3-2 loss. Foerster, meanwhile, stayed off the scoresheet again as the Flyers’ first playoff run since 2020 moved into a more difficult stretch.

Flyers’ roster call

The message from the bench points to patience, not a benching. With the Flyers trailing the series after the Game 5 loss, Tocchet’s comments suggest Foerster’s role is still open to recovery rather than replacement, even after a series that has left him with zero points through five games.