The Philadelphia Flyers (14-8-3) continue their six-game homestand after dropping a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. Tonight, they will face off against the Buffalo Sabres (11-11-4). The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30pm/ET.
There was no doubt the Flyers were tired on Monday after playing four games in six nights (3-0-1 in that span). Those effects revealed themselves on the penalty kill, where the Flyers gave up three goals on four power play chances for the Penguins. However, playing tired is a required skill in the NHL. With an 82-game season, plus the possibility of more in playoffs, players have to learn how to lock in when they are not at 100%. This is especially true in the current season, where teams’ schedules are more condensed and intense as a result of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Rick Tocchet acknowledged as much, and still believes there has to be a way to hold the Flyers accountable after Monday night’s loss.
“Well, you learn from your team. You could tell as a coach from the morning skate. You [have] got to win tired though. A lot of teams play five and eight. So, I can’t use that as an excuse but I understand guys are tired, but that’s where you got to really dig in.” – Rick Tocchet; 12/1/2025
Time For Everyone to Step Up
It was announced on Tuesday that Tyson Foerster will miss 2-3 months with an upper-body injury. Foerster, who had the lone goal in Monday night’s contest, fell to the ice, holding his shoulder after shooting a one-timer. It’s worth noting that this was the same arm he had elbow surgery on this past summer and was the same area that caused him to be a question mark to start the year.
Now, with him being out over the next several months, the coaching staff will be looking to others to step up their game. The first names that come to mind for most are Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov. There is however, one more player that has an opportunity, and that is Nikita Grebenkin.
Of course, Grebenkin is not Foerster. If he hits his ceiling, it is likely a player who fits well on your 3rd line, or a luxury forward on your 4th line that brings some offensive upside. Grebenkin has essentially operated as the Flyers’ 10th winger, swapping the 4LW position with Nic Deslauriers for the season. Now, he will have a big opportunity. In the team’s morning skate, Grebenkin was skating with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink. He will finally have a real chance at proving he is worth playing up in the lineup. For what it’s worth, if this experiment fails miserably, there is a non-zero chance we see Alex Bump, who many fans are already penciling in the top-nine for next season.
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena; Philadelphia, PA
When: 12/3/2025; 7:00pm/ET
TV Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Last Game PHI: 12/1/2025; 5-1 L; vs Pittsburg Penguins
Last Game BUF: 12/1/2025; 5-1 L; vs. Winnipeg Jets
Philadelphia Injury Report:
- Rasmus Ristolainen (triceps)
- Tyson Foerster (upper-body)
Buffalo Injury Report:
- Michael Kesselring (lower-body)
- Jiří Kulich (blood clot)
- Justin Danforth (lower-body)
Philadelphia Flyers
There’s no way around it, Monday night’s loss was brutal. Dan Vladař, who has been nothing short of amazing for the Flyers this year, let up a rare weak goal, letting up a rebound to, you guessed it, Sidney Crosby. Crosby, who has already done enough damage to the souls of Philadelphia, continued his dominance with a two-goal outing. The Flyers scored just one goal, and lost their leading goal scorer and pillar of the future, Foerster, all in the same game. It was a lot to take in.
Even with that loss, the Flyers are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games played, which is good! Tocchet canceled their practice on Tuesday, acknowledging that the players needed rest. Now, after a game like that, and getting to sleep in, the Flyers have to capitalize. The Sabres are not a good team. While they are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games, they rank 27th across the league. Tonight will be a great opportunity for the Flyers to recapture their stride.
Samuel Ersson is confirmed to start tonight. Ersson’s last game came against the New York Islanders, where the Flyers defeated them in a shootout, 4-3. With that win, his record against the Islanders has now increased to 5-0-0. Against them, we might as well call him Mr. Impermeable. In that game he stopped 28 of 31 stops, which was good for a .903 SV%.
Team Stats
On offense, the Sabres have the edge. The Flyers currently rank 26th in goals for per game (2.76). The Sabres have the edge in this category, ranking 14th in the league (3.04). On the power play, the Sabres have the slightest edge and rank 19th (17.3%), compared to the Flyers who rank 20th (17.1%).
On defense, the Flyers edge out the Islanders. They rank 12th (2.88) in goals against per game. The Sabres rank 125th, allowing 3.34 goals against per game. Additionally, their penalty kill currently sits at 2nd (88.9%) league-wide. The Flyers, who also have a strong penalty kill, rank 11th (82.1%).
Philadelphia Flyers Projected Lines:
#46 Trevor Zegras – #22 Christian Dvorak – #11 Travis Konecny
#39 Matvei Michkov – #14 Sean Couturier – #74 Owen Tippett
#29 Nikita Grebenkin – #27 Noah Cates – #10 Bobby Brink
#44 Nicolas Deslauriers – #18 Rodrigo Ābols – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#36 Emil Andrae – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#24 Nick Seeler – #5 Egor Zamula
#33 Sam Ersson
(#80 Dan Vladař)
Buffalo Sabres Projected Lines:
#6 Zach Benson – #9 Josh Norris – #72 Tage Thompson
#17 Jason Zucker – #71 Ryan McLeod – #22 Jack Quinn
#91 Josh Doan – #86 Noah Östlund – #89 Alex Tuch
#12 Jordan Greenway – #19 Peyton Krebs – #29 Beck Malenstyn
#23 Mattias Samuelsson – #26 Rasmus Dahlin
#4 Bowen Byram – #21 Conor Timmins
#78 Jacob Bryson – #25 Owen Power
#92 Colten Ellis
(#1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen)
