Preview
Flyers Game 73, 10 to Go; Lines, Notes, & How to Watch vs. Maple Leafs
The Philadelphia Flyers (28-35-9) round out their five-game road trip when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (42-25-3) at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Tuesday’s game opens the beginning of the Flyers’ final 10-game stretch. It is also the first time a familiar face will square off against his former club.
The Flyers are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games, while the Maple Leafs are 4-5-1, with three of those wins coming in their last five games.
The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST. in Toronto.
Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers Prospects Postseason, Pick Watch, & More Around the NHL
Projected Lines
Forwards
Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett – Ryan Poehling – Jakob Pelletier
Nicolas Deslauriers – Rodrigo Abols – Olle Lycksell
Defensemen
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae – Egor Zamula
Goaltender
Sam Ersson
Power Play Units
PP1: Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov – Travis Konecny – Bobby Brink – Jamie Drysdale
PP2: Sean Couturier – Olle Lycksell – Tyson Foerster – Owen Tippett – Emil Andrae
Penalty Kill Units
PK1: Noah Cates – Travis Konecny – Cam York – Travis Sanheim
PK2: Ryan Poehling – Nicolas Deslauriers – Nick Seeler – Egor Zamula
72 Down, 10 To Go
The Flyers begin their final 10 games of the season on Tuesday. Remaining on the Flyers schedule:
@ Toronto, vs. Canadiens, vs. Sabres, vs. Predators, @ Canadiens, @ Rangers, vs. Islanders, @ Senators, vs. Blue Jackets, @ Sabres.
The Flyers have just three remaining games against teams below them in the standings. The rest are against teams either in or fighting for a playoff spot.
Going further, with the Flyers sitting just three points ahead of the Sabres, those two games against them will prove pivotal in terms of that fourth-worst record in the NHL. With the Predators, the Flyers are currently five points ahead of them and have just one game against Nashville remaining. No. 3 seems possible but unlikely at this point.
The Flyers have a tough road ahead of them, and wins may come few and far between–which, for draft purposes, may not be such a bad thing.
Read More: Flyers Pick Watch: Where Will the Flyers be Drafting?
Scott Laughton vs. Flyers: Episode 1
For the first time in his career, Scott Laughton will be lining up against his former Flyers teammates in a different sweater.
Laughton gave his all to the organization and the city of Philadelphia. He discussed that with Toronto Sun reporter Lance Hornby.
“It’s going to be pretty weird, emotional, feel different for sure so quickly after (the trade),” Laughton said on Monday.
He also told reporters that he met with several Philadelphia Flyers after they arrived in Toronto Sunday night.
Laughton has yet to tally a point with Toronto. Maybe he will finally earn a point against his former team.
Read More: BREAKING: Flyers Trade Laughton for Draft Pick and Prospect
Building Off the Good
At this point in the year, it’s not even a blunt statement to say there was not much good from Sunday’s loss to the Blackhawks. Especially with having to follow a bad loss to a terrible team with taking on one of the most talented teams in the league, you have to just try and find some of the good to build off of.
That said, here are some things that have gone right for the Flyers that they can try and build off of:
For starters, it’s a safe assumption that Sam Ersson will be in net. The last time we saw Ersson, he entered the game in relief of Ivan Fedotov, who allowed two goals on three shots against the Stars. Ersson played the final 40 minutes of regulation and showed flashes of the goalie he was just before the break and the first few games after. Thomas Harley’s overtime winner should not have gotten past him, but there was plenty of good for Ersson to carry over into Tuesday’s game against the Maple Leafs.
The only other good may be the connection between Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny. John Tortorella leaned against playing one of his stars on their off-wing, keeping them separated. Michkov had played his weak side the last two games and has looked pretty good. Konecny has scored in two straight games, and Michkov is racking up points via assists. I’d like to see a Michkov goal, but it looks like the Flyers might have finally found a way to get Michkov and Konecny together. Keep an eye on them Tuesday vs. the Maple Leafs.
Read More: Three Flyers Thoughts: The Tank is On
Previous Matchups
It has not been easy for the Flyers vs. the Maple Leafs in their last 10 games. In that stretch, the Flyers have gone 1-7-2 against Toronto.
Konecny leads the way for the Flyers with 12 points, more than double the amount of points the Flyers’ next leading scorer has against the Maple Leafs in the last 10 games. Konecny has played all 10, scoring four goals and eight assists vs. Toronto. Owen Tippett is the next on the list with five points (3G, 2A) in 10 games.
How to Watch Flyers vs. Maple Leafs
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN+
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST. at Scotiabank Arena
Read More: What to do with Jett Luchanko
Keep racking up the losses guys! At least want them to draft in the Top 5!
Need to tank the games versus Buffalo. They are three points behind us with three games in hand. If we lose both games in regulation to them, they will leapfrog us and still have those games in hand. But Torts will probably play Ersson 8/10 games and we’ll end up with the 6th pick.