Well, how ’bout that? The Flyers are back at hockey .500 with a 20-20-6 record! They’re a couple points back of the second wild card, though by points percentage they are further away. They enter today’s match in New Jersey on the back of an explosive win over the New York Islanders, which saw them score three goals in the second period, which has–for most of the season–been their worst frame. The only negative of that game (and it’s a glaring one) is the injury to Ryan Poehling that saw Islander forward Maxim Tsyplakov get hit with a three-game suspension. Also of concern? Travis Konecny sailing into the boards at high speed and looking injured–but his three-point night may assuage some lingering worries.
The Devils, meanwhile, have been cooking. They once again “won the off season” by shoring up their depth (Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon) and adding some grit (Paul Cotter, Stefan Noesen), but their biggest on-ice add was the position that’s plagued their contention window for years: goaltender. New Jersey traded for Jacob Markstrom and, while he had a rough start to the season, has settled in and been outstanding for the Devils, posting a 21-8-5 record, .913 save percentage, and 2.20 goals-against average. The Flyers, known for their scoring struggles, are going to have a difficult time getting goals today because, beyond the netminding upgrade, New Jersey got a new bench boss over the summer, too.
If you ask general manager Tom Fitzgerald why the team’s been so good this season, he’s quick to point out their new head coach: Sheldon Keefe. The Leafs let Keefe go after another first-round playoff exit to the Boston Bruins, and Fitzgerald was all-in trying to get Keefe to New Jersey. The returns so far are excellent: a stouter defense that bleeds fewer chances than Devils’ teams past, and buy-in across the board from the roster. Part of the defensive boost is the return of Dougie Hamilton to the lineup after he missed most of last season, but the surprise shutdown pair of Jonas Siegenthaler and Jonathan Kovacevic has carried a lot of tough matchups, too.
Storylines to Follow
Joel!
This will be Joel Farabee’s second game back in the lineup after being healthy scratched for three straight games, and boy did he announce his return against the Islanders. Farabee had two points that night, one of them a gorgeous set up for a Sean Couturier goal–exactly the kinds of plays we need to see from the winger. That’s just one game, though, and Farabee’s problem has been a lack of consistency: one bad game turns into two turns into three turns into six months of underwhelming hockey. Being on a line with Couturier and Matvei Michkov in a reduced role (they are, operatively, the third line) should give him easier matchups to stay on track, but it’s worth watching in case Farabee and Michkov become longterm linemates.
You’re up, Olle
We don’t know how long Ryan Poehling will be out, but the good news is he’s still with the team on the road trip. That means Olle Lycksell draws in and Scott Laughton likely moves to center in Poehling’s absence. At 25-years old and with only 30 NHL games to his name, this is Lycksell’s chance to prove he can be an actual NHLer and not just a guy who excels in the AHL but disappears up a level. It’s a contract year for Lycksell, too, so he should come out firing to prove his value to the Flyers.
The Devils’ offense
Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt need no introduction when it comes to offensive production; they’re sitting at 55 and 52 points, respectively. The surprises have been Nico Hischier, who leads the team in goals with 22, and Stefan Noesen, who has been a power play wizard this season. The Devils are without Noesen due to injury, which weakens their power play a smidge, but this is still not a team to let get a man advantage given the talent at their disposal. Coach Keefe has dialed back some of their run-and-gun rush offense in favor of defense, but make no mistake: that defensive play is what’s allowed the team to convert to offense so quickly and dangerously.
Projected Lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Travis Konecny
Joel Farabee – Sean Couturier – Matvei Michkov
Olle Lycksell – Scott Laughton – Garnet Hathaway
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Egor Zamula – Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Sam Ersson
(Ivan Fedotov)
New Jersey Devils
Ondrej Palat – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer
Paul Cotter – Justin Dowling – Tomas Tatar
Kurtis MacDermid – Curtis Lazar – Nate Bastian
Brenden Dillon – Dougie Hamilton
Jonas Siegenthaler – Jonathan Kovacevic
Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce
Jacob Markstrom
(Jake Allen)
Gameday Tunes
We lost a real one this week. Since it’s an afternoon game and the weather’s gonna be lousy this weekend, you can spend the rest of your Saturday watching your favorite David Lynch production.
Stats via Hockey Reference