The Philadelphia Flyers (35-24-12) are in Detroit to take on the Detroit Red Wings (39-25-8) on Saturday night in the first game of a weekend back-to-back. Puck drop is set for 8pm/ET. This matchup marks the first of three meetings between the two teams over the Flyers’ final 11 games.
Detroit enters the game on the second half of a back-to-back after a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. While the Red Wings had to travel back home, the Flyers will look to take advantage and build off their own momentum following a strong 5-1 win on Thursday.
The Flyers are in a must-win stretch. With 82 points, they sit four points behind both Detroit and the Ottawa Senators (86 points), while the Columbus Blue Jackets currently hold the second Wild Card spot with 87 points. The Flyers do have a game in hand, but closing the gap starts with games like this.
Detroit’s penalty kill sits tied for 22nd in the league at 78.2%, while the Flyers are just ahead tied for 20th at 78.4%. On the power play, however, the difference is more noticeable. Philadelphia ranks last at 14.5%, while Detroit sits in the middle of the pack in 14th at 22.1%.
At five-on-five, both teams are fairly even. The Red Wings average 2.92 goals per game and allow 2.92, while the Flyers average 2.82 goals for and 2.97 against. Shot volume leans slightly toward Detroit with 28.3 per game, while Philadelphia typically averages 25.4, though they broke that trend with 42 shots in the game on Thursday night.
Injury Report: Philadelphia Flyers
- Nikita Grebenkin (Upper-body)
- Tyson Forester (Arm)
- Rodrigo Ābols (Ankle)
Injury Report: Detroit Red Wings
- Michael Rasmussen (Undisclosed)
- Cam Talbot (Undisclosed)
Where: Little Caesars Arena; Detroit, MI
When: 03/28/2026; 8pm/ET
TV Broadcast: ABC
Last Game PHI: 03/26/2026; 5-1 W; vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Last Game DET: 03/27/2026; 5-2 W; @ Buffalo Sabres
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ offense came alive Thursday night, with all five goals coming from forwards, no defenseman recorded a point in the win.
Several players are heating up at the right time. Trevor Zegras is on a three-game point streak with three assists, while Christian Dvorak has two goals and three assists over his last three games. Noah Cates continues to produce with four goals and two assists in his last five games. Matvei Michkov has not found the back of the net in eight games but has still contributed with five assists over his last five. Meanwhile, Sean Couturier has goals in back-to-back games.
Jamie Drysdale is continuing to excel, too. His +3 performance on Thursday earned him the third star of the game, and he’s now +4 in March while averaging over 22 minutes per night.
Dan Vladař will be in net tonight. While he is 0-3-1 in his career against Detroit, he has been a key piece for the Flyers this season, posting a 23-12-7 record with a 2.43 GAA and .907 SV%. He has also been strong recently, going 3-1-1 in his last five with a 1.80 GAA.
Detroit Red Wings
Alex DeBrincat continues to lead the way for Detroit, pacing the team with 36 goals and 77 points. He is currently riding an eight-game point streak, totaling 14 points (3A, 11A) during that stretch, and had a goal and two assists in Friday’s win.
Lucas Raymond is not far behind, leading the team with 47 assists and sitting second in points with 70. He also scored in the Red Wings’ last game and was named first star, extending his own point streak to three games.
A familiar face returns in James van Riemsdyk, who spent more than 500 games with Philadelphia across two stints. He has 15 goals and 14 assists in 63 games this season and has recorded 11 points (6G, 5A) in 21 career games against the Flyers.
Detroit also recalled Carter Mazur earlier today. While he has not played in an NHL game this season, he has been productive in the AHL with 11 goals and 4 assists in 14 games, including a two-goal performance on March 26.
Cam Talbot, who appeared in a handful of games for the Flyers during the 2018-19 season, may get the start tonight, though he has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and his status is unknown. Talbot has historically played well against Philadelphia, holding a 7-6-1 record with three shutouts, a 2.28 GAA, and a .922 SV%. This season he is 12-8-5 with a 3.03 GAA and .891 SV%.
Should Talbot not be ready to go, it could mean an NHL debut for Michal Postava. He was recalled on an emergency basis from the Grand Rapids Griffins just a few days ago and has impressed in the AHL this season, posting a 13-6-0 record with a 1.86 GAA and a .932 SV%. He even recorded back-to-back shutouts in January. A standout in Czechia over the past two seasons, Postava earned himself an entry-level deal as an undrafted free agent last summer.
Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers
#52 Denver Barkey – #46 Trevor Zegras – #74 Owen Tippett
#20 Alex Bump – #22 Christian Dvorak – #11 Travis Konecny
#91 Carl Grundström – #27 Noah Cates – #39 Matvei Michkov
#14 Sean Couturier – #41 Luke Glendening – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#6 Travis Sanheim – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#8 Cam York – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#24 Nick Seeler – #36 Emil Andrae
#80 Dan Vladař
(#33 Sam Ersson)
Projected Lineup: Detroit Red Wings
#58 Emmitt Finnie – #71 Dylan Larkin – #23 Lucas Raymond
#93 Alex DeBrincat – #18 Andrew Copp – #88 Patrick Kane
#57 David Perron – #37 J.T. Compher – #22 Mason Appleton
#21 James van Riemsdyk – #92 Marco Kasper – #34 Carter Mazur
#77 Simon Edvinsson – #53 Moritz Seider
#8 Ben Chiarot – #72 Justin Faulk
#20 Albert Johansson – #25 Jacob Bernard-Docker
#36 John Gibson
(#35 Michal Postava)
