Flyers Game 69, On the Road Again; Lines, Notes, & How to Watch vs. Lightning

The Philadelphia Flyers (28-32-8) travel to Tampa Bay as they take on the Lightning (38-23-5) for the second time in the last five games.

The Flyers took the Lightning to a shootout the last time the two teams faced off, with Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, and Sam Ersson coming through in the shootout. The Flyers got there thanks to Bobby Brink and the third line.

Since the last meeting between the two teams, the Flyers have been shut out by Carolina, and the Lightning have dominated the Bruins in Boston.

The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. at Amile Arena.

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Projected Lines

Forwards

Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny

Owen Tippett – Sean Couturier – Matvei Michkov

Olle Lycksell – Ryan Poehling – Bobby Brink

Nicolas Deslauriers – Rodrigo Abols – Jakob Pelletier

Defensemen

Cam York – Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale

Emil Andrae – Egor Zamula

Goaltender

Ivan Fedotov

Power Play Units

PP1: Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov – Travis Konecny – Tyson Foerster – Jamie Drysdale

PP2: Sean Couturier – Owen Tippett – Bobby Brink – Travis Sanheim – Cam York

Penalty Kill Units

PK1: Noah Cates – Travis Konecny – Cam York – Travis Sanheim

PK2:  Ryan Poehling – Nicolas Deslauriers – Nick Seeler – Egor Zamula

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Flyers are On the Road Again

Monday’s game marks the first of a five-game road trip for the Flyers. That follows a seven-game homestand in which the Flyers went 1-6-0; the Lightning were the only team the Flyers could beat.

Philly will play Monday night in Tampa, then head to D.C. to take on the Capitals on Thursday. They follow that game by taking on the Dallas Stars in Texas on Saturday and a quick turnaround to Chicago for the second game of a back-to-back on Sunday. They conclude the road trip next Tuesday when they take on the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

On the road trip, the Flyers only face one team with a winning percentage lower than .600: the Chicago Blackhawks. After a difficult homestand, their schedule does not get any easier now that they’re on the road.

Can Michkov Catch Back Up?

Like the rest of the team, Matvei Michkov is feeling the effects of the Flyers’ slump.

Philly’s prized rookie at one point catapulted himself atop the rookie scoring ladder after starting this last stretch of the year HOT. Since then, Michkov and the Flyers have cooled down dramatically, and Michkov is slipping further behind Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson in the Calder Trophy race.

Michkov once held the sole lead for rookie goals scored but has now fallen behind Celbrini, who sits at 21. At one point not too long ago, Michkov was tied with Hutson for the lead in points scored by a rookie. Now, Hutson, 52, has a five-point lead on Michkov. Celebrini has jumped Michkov in points as well and now has 50 compared to Michkov’s 47.

It’s no secret that Philadelphia’s offensive woes have affected Michkov, but will he be able to get things back on track and rejoin the top of the Calder Trophy race?

Read More: Breaking Down the Flyers’ Offensive Struggles

Previous Matchups

Bobby Brink’s two-goal game last time out against the Lightning has made him the Flyers’ active leading scorer against the Lightning in the last 10 games. Brink has three goals and an assist in three games against the Lightning in his career.

Noah Cates follows Brink with three points in eight games against Tampa. In this Flyers’ career, Ryan Poehling also has three points against the Lightning, doing that in four games for the Lightning.

For the Lightning, Nikita Kucherov leads the way with 12 points (6G, 6A) in seven games (of the last 10 meetings) against the Flyers. The Lightning did not have Kucherov, as he was out with an illness last Thursday in Philly.

How to Watch Flyers @ Lightning

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN+

Radio: 93.3 WMMR

The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST. at Amile Arena.

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