The Philadelphia Flyers are coming off a huge win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, beating them by a score of 6-2 in Philly on Tuesday. Tonight, the Flyers travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals (27-22-9).
The Flyers have a chance to lengthen their lead on the Capitals to 8 points with a victory. With injuries to Travis Konecny and Jamie Drysdale sprouting up over the weekend, this stretch of games becomes that much more difficult. However, the win over Tampa Bay in a dimly lit Wells Fargo Center further proves the resiliency of this Flyers team.
A Look at the Capitals
Coming off a trouncing at the hands of the Red Wings, (8-3 L), Washington is 6 points out of third place in the Metro, and 1 point behind the Isles and Devils who are tied at 64. The Capitals have won 4 of their last 6 games and in such a tight Metropolitan Division, they need to keep up this pace if they want to get Ovi another shot at the playoffs.
When looking at the Capitals up to this point in the season, one thing sticks out at you: offensive production. The Capitals simply lack in it. Sitting at 3rd to last in the league only in front of the lowly Sharks and Blackhawks, the Caps own a 2.59 goals per game average. It doesn’t get much better when you take a look at how their goaltending is faring. The Capitals let up an average of 3.14 goals per game. However with veteran players like Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and Tom Wilson, along with the 26-year-old Dylan Strome, this Capitals team has found a way to stay afloat in the Metro.
Alex Ovechkin
You can’t talk Capitals without mentioning Ovi. Going into this season, all eyes were on Ovechkin as he continued to chase Wayne Gretzky‘s goal record. As of February 25th, Ovechkin had recorded 838 goals, inching closer to the Great One’s record of 894. His season didn’t begin with a bang but as of recent, Ovechkin has picked up his play. In his last 5 games, Ovechkin has recorded 5 points. However, in his last 4 games, he has not tallied a goal. Surely that streak will continue tonight against the Flyers…right?
Leading Scorer
This season, is it isn’t Ovechkin leading the Capitals in goals but the former 2015 3rd overall pick, Dylan Strome. He leads the team with 21 tallies this season and has 6 points in his last 5 games. However, just like Ovechkin, he has not scored in his last 4. The Flyers’ defense will need to keep an eye on Strome and Ovi tonight as they surely will be looking to get back on the score sheet with a goal or 2.
Tom Wilson is Back
Tom Wilson will play tonight against the Flyers after he missed the last practice due to personal reasons. Wilson recorded a goal and an assist last time out against Philly and should continue to be a thorn in the side of the Flyers tonight as he always has been throughout his career.
Trade Rumors
This week and today especially, trade rumors have circled around regarding Sean Walker and Nick Seeler. There’s no telling what the Flyers will do as rumors of extensions have floated around along with talks of shipping them out to a Cup contender. Regardless of these rumors, the Flyers sit in 3rd place in the Metro and provided the fanbase with a morale boost by taking down the Lighning without Konecny and Drysdale. The team is doing a great job of blocking out the noise. Hopefully they will continue to do so in D.C. tonight.
Foerster on Fire
If there is any player to watch tonight, it’s Tyson Foerster. Ever since returning from injury (and even sustaining one mid-game and returning) he has been red-hot. Foerster has scored 4 goals in his last 3 games. There is no word on when Travis Konecny will be returning, but the Flyers are clearly missing his scoring abilities. They need a player to step up in his absence and in a short sample size, that player may be Tyson Foerster. Here’s to hoping he keeps it up tonight.
The Captain’s Struggles
It’s no secret that new Flyers captain Sean Couturier has not been himself. Now, he is healthy and there does not seem to be any injury concern. His play just has not been what John Tortorella or the fans expected it to be. Coots has not scored in 7 games and in that span has only tallied 3 assists. Even worse, he has gone now 19 games with only 1 goal to show for it.
Tortorella noticeably decreased his ice time recently and justifiably played those who he thought were performing better. The veteran Couturier hopefully should be able to figure out this slump and bounce back. However, in this Metropolitan Division and with the injuries the Flyers have sustained, they need him to figure it out rather quickly.
PHI Record: 31-22-7, 69 pts, 3rd in Metropolitan
WSH Record: 27-22-9, 69 pts, 6th in Metropolitan
When: 7:00pm ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Broadcast Info: NHL Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 93.3 WMMR
Last Game PHI: 2/27/24, 6-2 W vs. Tampa Bay
Last Game WSH: 2/27/24, 8-3 L at Detroit
PHI Goalie: Samuel Ersson (17-11-4, .901 SV%, 2.55 GAA, 3 SO)
WSH Goalie: Charlie Lindgren (12-9-5, .908 SV%, 2.85 GAA, 3 SO)
PHI Projected Lineup
#86 Joel Farabee – #48 Morgan Frost – #10 Bobby Brink
#74 Owen Tippett – #21 Scott Laughton – #71 Tyson Foerster
#27 Noah Cates – #25 Ryan Poehling – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#44 Nicolas Deslauriers – #14 Sean Couturier -#62 Olle Lycksell
#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#24 Nick Seeler – #26 Sean Walker
#5 Egor Zamula – #18 Marc Staal
#33 Samuel Ersson
#32 Felix Sandström
Scratches: #23 Ronnie Attard, #89 Cam Atkinson
Injured: #9 Jamie Drysdale, #11 Travis Konecny, #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
WSH Projected Lineup
#8 Alex Ovechkin – #29 Hendrix Lapierre – #43 Tom Wilson
#21 Aliaksei Protas – #24 Connor McMichael – #39 Anthony Mantha
#67 Max Pacioretty – #17 Dylan Strome – #15 Sonny Milano
#47 Beck Malenstyn – #23 Michael Sgarbossa – #96 Nicolas Aubé-Kubel
#38 Rasmus Sandin – #74 John Carlson
#6 Joel Edmundson – #3 Nick Jensen
#27 Alexander Alexeyev – #57 Trevor van Riemsdyk
#79 Charlie Lindgren
#35 Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: ,#25 Ethan Bear, #63 Ivan Miroshnichenko, #72 Pierrick Dubé
Injured: #26 Nic Dowd, #42 Martin Fehérváry, #77 T.J. Oshie
News and Notes
– Betting Odds: Flyers -120, Capitals +100
– Washington has won 15 of 42 games this season when listed as the underdog.
– The Capitals are 25th in the power play this season while the Flyers’ penalty kill is clicking at 86.2%, good for 1st in the league.
Union Forge Vodka proudly serves as the Official Vodka of Flyers Nation. This partnership celebrates the unyielding spirit of Flyers fans and offers a quality spirit that perfectly compliments the team’s essence. Whether celebrating victories or showing resilience, Union Forge Vodka embodies the winning spirit of both the Flyers and their dedicated fans. Stay connected with exciting giveaways by following @unionforge and @flyersnation across all social media platforms.
