Flyers vs. Red Wings Preview: Feels like a trap

The Flyers look to win their fourth consecutive game and maintain their current playoff spot tonight, in Detroit vs. the Red Wings. While the lineup most likely will not change, the Flyers did make a roster move in sending down Travis Sanheim and recalling Mark Alt yesterday morning.

The Red Wings come into tonight’s game with the third fewest points in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators. After an okay start, Detroit has completely fallen off the rails and look to be on their way to their second straight year of missing the postseason. The Flyers played them earlier this season at the Wells Fargo Center, coming away with the 4-3 win in a game which featured Robert Hagg’s first NHL goal.

This is definitely one of those games where one hopes the Flyers don’t “play down to their competition”. Despite the struggles of Detroit so far this year, there is no reason to take a team lightly, especially one like Detroit with some young stars.

Red Wings player to watch - Andreas Anthanasiou

I was about to lead this with “for whatever reason this guy always seems to burn the Flyers” and then I realized it’s because for the most part, our defense can’t keep up with him to save their lives. Man, if only we had a really good skating defenseman who we just sent down to the Phantoms...I’m sorry what was I talking about?

Oh right, Anthanasiou. The 23 year old speedster has more points vs. the Flyers than any other team in the league with five points in six games, four of those points coming in the form of goals. While he’s not exactly a can’t miss talent, keeping him out of open space and breakaways will be key.

PHI Point Leaders

1. Claude Giroux - 55 points
2. Jakub Voracek - 53 points
3. Sean Couturier - 47 points.

DET Point Leaders

1. Dylan Larkin - 36 points
2. Henrik Zetterberg - 31 points
3. Anthony Mantha - 29 points

Team Metrics

Flyers raw CF%: 49.35

Red Wings raw CF%: 48.52

Flyers xGF%: 50.65

Red Wings xGF%: 47.34

And the predictions say...

This should come as no surprise given the recent success of the Flyers and the free fall the Red Wings seem to be in, but the Flyers are the favorites in this one according to Corsica.hockey. Two out of the three up so far do have the Red Wings winning.

Projected Flyers Lines

Forwards

Giroux - Couturier - Konecny

Raffl - Filppula - Voracek

Weal - Patrick - Simmonds

Goulbourne - Laughton - Lehtera

Defense

Provorov - Gostisbehere

Hagg - MacDonald

Manning - Gudas

Goalie

Elliott