The Game: 7:00 p.m. EST on NBCSports Philadelphia, ESPN+/Hulu, and 93.3 WMMR
Y’all feel that earthquake today? Wild stuff on the east coast, man. Maybe it’ll shake the Flyers out of their stupor, as they’ve dropped five straight games and are now battling for a playoff spot instead of defending one.
Welp.
In other, more exciting news: Ivan Fedotov will get his first NHL start tonight.
For the Buffalo Sabres, they are once again the embodiment of “too little, too late.” Their season started poorly, and injuries to key players (namely Tage Thompson) hampered their ability to establish themselves in the standings. Once again, Buffalo fans will miss out on playoff hockey for the 13th year in a row. There’s reason for optimism, though: the Sabres have one of the best prospect pools in the league, and their blue line core of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and the newly-acquired Bowen Byram has the potential to run the NHL for years to come. Up front, Tage Thompson is a force, Dylan Cozens has potential (despite a down season), and wingers Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, and the young Zach Benson could make up a pretty intimidating top-six.
Hopefully, none of that potential is realized tonight, as the Flyers desperately need two points to maintain their hold on third in the Metro Division. The New York Islanders are tied with the Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins are two points back–both have the same number of games remaining–and the Washington Capitals are one point back with a game in hand. Over in the Atlantic Division, the Detroit Red Wings are a point behind the Flyers and have a game in hand. For Philadelphia, a regulation loss tonight could spell the end of the team’s postseason hopes.
And if that happens? Let’s all remember we thought this team would be finishing in the bottom five, not jockeying for a playoff spot (that no other team seems to want, either). Young players like Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, and Cam York have surprised us with their growth, and vets like the Travises Konecny and Sanheim have stepped up–not to mention a rookie goaltender taking over the starting job and handling it as best as he could, and now a goalie we never thought would see the NHL is getting his first start tonight.
It’s been a fun season, and a success in almost every way; if this is the beginning of the end 2023-24 season, let’s enjoy these last few games for what they are: an underdog team doing its best to prove the doubters wrong.
Players to Watch
Morgan Frost
With Bill Masterton-nominee Sean Couturier injured and out day-to-day, Frost is the de facto 1C of the Flyers. He knows he punted the Islanders game on Monday, so he should be coming into tonight’s matchup with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. While it’s easy to remember that Frost’s giveaway in overtime cost the team a crucial second point, let’s not forget he also scored the game-tying goal to get that even more crucial extra point. Watch for him to come out flying and dominate the offensive zone.
Joel Farabee
According to Daily Faceoff, Farabee’s on a line with Noah Cates and Cam Atkinson–effectively the fourth line. Farabee was a dominant 5-on-5 player for most of the season, but has fallen off in 2024 and has seen his offense dry up almost entirely. Watch for him to show he deserves more than fourth line minutes tonight, even if he has to fight Morgan Frost to do it.
JJ Peterka
Peterka’s been on a heater, with eight goals and 11 points in 11 games. The 22-year old has struggled at times, but seems to be finding his footing in the NHL and could be a goal-scoring menace for years to come. The Flyers will need to keep an eye on him, as he’s slated to play on the top line with Thompson and Alex Tuch.
Projected Lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Tyson Foerster – Morgan Frost – Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett – Scott Laughton – Bobby Brink
Olle Lycksell – Ryan Poehling -Garnet Hathaway
Joel Farabee – Noah Cates – Cam Atkinson
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Marc Staal – Erik Johnson
Ivan Fedotov (!!)
(Sam Ersson)
Buffalo Sabres
JJ Peterka – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Dylan Cozens – Jack Quinn
Jeff Skinner – Peyton Krebs – Lukas Rousek
Eric Robinson – Zemgus Girgensons – Victor Olofsson
Owen Power – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Henri Jokiharju
Jacob Bryson – Connor Clifton
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
(Devon Levi)
Gameday Tunes
We’re milking today’s events for all we can.
Stats via Hockey Reference
