The Philadelphia Flyers are hosting Connor McDavid and his band of Edmonton Oilers tonight. The visitors are experiencing a miserable start to their season, like every single year, but it feels different. McDavid and Draisaitl are carrying a bag full of bodies to some wins, but their recent thrashing in a 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche has still left a mark.
Can the Flyers take advantage of a weakened Oilers team missing a couple key forwards? Or, will Edmonton keep trying to prove doubters wrong and McDavid will just run this Flyers team over?
Puck drop: 7:30 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
📺: NBCSP
📻: 97.5 The Fanatic
Pregame reading
- The Philadelphia Flyers sure are playing a lot of games into overtime. Those extra accumulated points (and maybe lasting until the shootout so that Trevor Zegras can win it all) could mean whether or not this team makes the playoffs. [BSH]
- You’ll see it later on, but Rick Tocchet unveiled a new lineup for tonight’s game and it features Matvei Michkov on a new line we’ve never seen before. [BSH]
- Tocchet was very clear for what he wants to see more of from Owen Tippett. [BSH]
- And finally, Porter Martone appeared on a podcast recently and spoke glowingly about the Flyers, how excited he is to start his NHL career with this team, and what he’s learning at Michigan State. [BSH]
Pregame watching
By the numbers
Philadelphia Flyers – 8-5-2 (4th in Metro)
Goals: Bobby Brink/Owen Tippett/Travis Konecny (5)
Assists: Trevor Zegras (12)
Points: Trevor Zegras (16)
Edmonton Oilers – 7-6-4 (6th in Pacific)
Goals: Leon Draisaitl (10)
Assists: Connor McDavid (17)
Points: Connor McDavid (24)
Projected lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Trevor Zegras — Sean Couturier — Matvei Michkov
Tyson Foerster* — Noah Cates — Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett — Christian Dvorak — Travis Konecny
Nic Deslauriers — Rodrigo Abols — Garnet Hathaway
Cam York — Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler — Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae — Noah Juulsen
Dan Vladar
(Sam Ersson)
*Foerster remains a game-time decision, per Rick Tocchet. If he can’t go, Carl Grundstrom was rotating in on that line during Flyers practice Tuesday.
Edmonton Oilers
Andrew Mangiapane — Connor McDavid — Matthew Savoie
Vasily Podkolzin — Leon Draisaitl — Jack Roslovic
Ike Howard — Adam Henrique — Trent Frederic
Mattias Janmark — Noah Philp — Curtis Lazar
Mattias Ekholm — Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse — Jake Walman
Brett Kulak — Ty Emberson
Stuart Skinner
(Calvin Pickard)
Storylines to watch
The new first line everyone’s talking about
Matvei Michkov is getting rewarded for his goals in back-to-back games and is with two teammates he has found chemistry with in previous lineups, but never all together. We’ve seen Zegras and Michkov make their magic; we’ve seen Couturier be the responsible adult on the ice to let Michkov run wild — but now we’re seeing them put together as a trio and it could really pop off.
Especially, if these playmaking wizards mixed with some defensive awareness, can take advantage of being up against some shallow lineups. Not to diss an actual NHL hockey player, but if you put this line up against Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic, they might not ever leave the offensive zone. At least until they score a goal.
Oilers might be out for blood
The Oilers have played like crap. Not even just their typical slow start, but the dramatic miserable loss to the Avalanche, needing overtime to win over the Blue Jackets, getting beaten in regulation by the Blues, needing overtime against the Blackhawks, the Rangers win, even the 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks beat this team not that long ago. It’s bad.
But, after McDavid worked his butt off against Columbus to score a Goal of the Year candidate this week, it could mean that he’s sick and tired of losing. This might be scary.
Flyers defense to look out for the speed
Yes, it’s obvious that “Watch out for Connor McDavid” is something the Flyers need to do tonight. But even when it comes to his wingers in Mangiapane and Savoie — two quick little waterbugs on the ice — they could be annoying to play against. The real key to it all, if the Flyers defense can prevent this Oilers offense from getting too many chances, is making sure the slot stays free. These players can worm their way into important ice and cause some damage.
