Preview
Flyers Game 59, Extend the Momentum; Lines, Notes, & How to Watch vs. Penguins
The Philadelphia Flyers (25-26-7) will host the Pittsburgh Penguins (23-27-9) in the first game of a home-and-home series to round out their season series. The two sides will face off at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday for the last time this season.
The Penguins came out of the break with two straight losses and have won just one game in their last five contests. The Flyers have played just one game since the break, their 6-3 win against the Oilers. In their last five games, the Flyers have won their previous two but lost their three games prior.
The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Wells Fargo Center.
Projected Lines
Forwards
Andrei Kuzmenko – Scott Laughton – Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett – Sean Couturier – Matvei Michkov
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Jakob Pelletier – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Egor Zamula – Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Goaltender
Power Play Units
PP1: Scott Laughton – Matvei Michkov – Travis Konecny – Andrei Kuzmenko – Rasmus Ristolainen
PP2: Noah Cates – Tyson Foerster – Bobby Brink – Travis Sanheim – Jamie Drysdale
Penalty Kill Units
PK1: Scott Laughton – Travis Konecny – Nick Seeler – Rasmus Ristolainen
PK2: Noah Cates – Garnet Hathaway – Travis Sanheim – Cam York
Read: Flyers Mailbag: Prospects, Offseason Plan, Torts’ Future
Building off the Edmonton Game
The Flyers played an all-around great game against the Oilers in their first game out of the break.
Based on the lines rolled out at yesterday’s practice, it seems like Tortorella and company are comfortable rolling out the same lineup as Saturday’s win.
With a critical stretch of games coming up for the Flyers before the deadline, building momentum for this game and the four after it is essential. Especially when still trying to determine what to do at the deadline.
Best New Flyers Line?
In their last win, the Flyers’ best line, BY FAR, was the line centered by captain Sean Couturier. With Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov on each wing, it was a line primed for offensive success.
Regardless of the end result, you have to give them a chance to find consistency when you get a line going like that.
All three players had multi-point games, with at least one contributing to five of the Flyers’ six goals. They will certainly be a line to pay attention to Tuesday night as they try to prove their consistency.
The Kid’s Back
The Flyers and Penguins’ last meeting was everything you’d expect from a cross-state rivalry match.
It was a great game, and the Penguins were always within striking distance. There was just one presence missing: Sidney Crosby. He did not play in the Penguins’ last game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He has since returned to the lineup for Pittsburgh and is set to play in Tuesday’s matchup against Philadelphia.
Crosby has played against the Flyers 88 times in his hall-of-fame career. In those games, he has 56 goals and 77 assists. That is 133 points–over 1.5 points per game against the Flyers.
The Penguins will be happy to have their Flyers killer back in their lineup against the Flyers; I don’t think the Flyers can say the same.
Previous Matchups
The season series is tied 1-1, with the final two games coming up. The Penguins won the first game in Pittsburgh 7-3, and the Flyers won the second in Philadelphia 3-2.
With the season series closing this week and both teams chasing that final wild card spot, it will surely be a battle.
How to Watch
TV: NBS Sports Philadelphia, ESPN+
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Well, for draft position it would be good for the Flyers to lose both(even better in regulation) and in turn it would make the Penguins draft position worse, for now.