PHILADELPHIA — In an exhilarating matchup on Saturday, the Philadelphia Flyers ended their six-game losing streak with a thrilling 7-5 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Sean Couturier showcased an impressive performance, netting a hat trick and providing an assist on the decisive goal scored by Rasmus Ristolainen.

This defeat marked the first regulation loss for the Wild, halting their impressive seven-game point streak to start the season. Ristolainen, known for his defensive skills, surprised many by crashing the net and scoring with a rebound from Couturier’s shot at 17:36 in the third period, marking his first goal of the season.

Couturier, who was searching for his first goal in 32 games, wasted no time in lighting the lamp, scoring just over a minute into the match. He followed up with a second goal in the third, during a chaotic moment in front of the net, and capped off his hat trick with a goal into an empty net. Notably, his first goal of the night also celebrated a career milestone; it was his 500th point in the NHL.

Supporting Couturier’s standout performance, Travis Konecny contributed with a goal and three assists, while Nick Seeler added a goal and an assist. Rookie Matvei Michkov also made his mark, scoring his first career even-strength goal for the Flyers. On the other side, Minnesota’s Marcus Foligno shone with two goals, and teammates Brock Faber, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jake Middleton also found the back of the net, but they ultimately couldn’t fend off the offensive push from Philadelphia, allowing five or more goals for the first time this season.

In the midst of the action, a few takeaways emerged. Although Matt Boldy did not score, he made his presence felt by launching nine shots on goal and contributing effectively to Minnesota’s offense, earning a secondary assist on Eriksson Ek’s power-play goal. Meanwhile, the Flyers are navigating a transitional roster as General Manager Danny Briere announced that defenseman Cam York would be sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper body injury. Jett Luchanko, who made history as the youngest player to play for the Flyers, was reassigned to Guelph in the OHL after just four games.

The defining moment of the game was clearly displayed in the third period, where a reinvigorated Flyers squad emerged. Having only managed six shots on goal in the first two periods, they exploded with 17 shots in the final frame, scoring four goals to secure their victory.

A notable statistic from this match highlighted that the Flyers became just the second team this season to score more than two goals against the typically formidable Wild defense and goaltending unit.

Looking ahead, the Wild will have a brief respite before continuing their seven-game road trip on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia, on the other hand, will face the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, marking their third back-to-back in the first nine games of the season.