Tonight at 9pm ET. the Philadelphia Flyers will begin a 3-game road stretch starting in Arizona as they take on Clayton Keller and the Arizona Coyotes.
The Flyers are coming off of a big 2-game sweep of their biggest rival in the Pittsburgh Penguins, which saw the team play with resiliency and well…balls. Now as they get ready to play away from Wells Fargo Center against the Coyotes, Avalanche and Predators, let’s see how big those balls are.
The Arizona Coyotes are the new hot team in the NHL right now after winning their last 5 games. These victories come over the not only the Avalanche and Golden Knights but also the Capitals, Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning. This impressive win streak is on the line tonight and players like Clayton Keller, Michael Carcone and Connor Ingram will surely make their presence known against the Flyers. Let’s take a look at these impact players for the Coyotes.
It all starts with goaltending if you want to win in this league, and Connor Ingram is showing why. The Coyotes goalie posted a 3.37 GAA last season in 27 games for Arizona but in 15 games this year, Ingram has recorded a stellar 2.23 GAA. Last Monday, Ingram shut out the Washington Capitals in a 6-0 victory, saving all 26 shots. He only let up 1 goal versus the Blues, 1 goal versus Tampa Bay and posted another shutout against the reigning Cup champs in the Vegas Golden Knights. Ingram has been on an absolute tear in this 5-game win streak for the Coyotes and there’s no reason to think he will stop tonight against the Flyers. The Flyers’ scorers will certainly have their work cut out for them.
When talking about the Coyotes scoring, you need to address their young star in Clayton Keller. The 25-year-old 7th overall pick in 2016 is having a fantastic season in Arizona. Keller leads the team in points with 24. 16 of them are assists while scoring 8 goals. Keller is an integral part to what the Coyotes are trying to build in Arizona. Against the Capitals in that 6-0 victory, Keller recorded a 3-point night, assisting on 3 of the Coyotes goals. With 6 points in the 5-game win streak for the ‘Yotes, Keller can almost always be found on the score sheet. He will prove to be a tough task for this Flyers defense to contain but they will have to keep him check if they want to limit the Coyotes’ offensive chances.
You may not have heard of 27-year-old Michael Carcone, but you may want to keep an eye on him. Carcone first played for the Coyotes in the 21-22 season but only recorded 4 goals in 21 games. With only 9 games played in the 22-23 season, it was easy for the general hockey world to forget about him. However, so far in this season Carcone has returned and returned big. He leads Arizona in goals with 12 on the year. In the 5-game winning streak, Carcone has potted a goal in 4 of the 5 games, with 2 goals against Tampa Bay. The left winger is on fire and may get lost among the shuffle with guys like Keller and Logan Cooley. But the Flyers surely cannot overlook him tonight.
Flyers Playing with Confidence
The two-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins was both exciting and a breath of fresh air. The Flyers showed they could not only finally win a game after letting up the first goal but also execute again and again in the shootout and OT. This has long been trouble area for the Flyers team the past few years. The Flyers no doubt will be entering Mullett Arena tonight with plenty of confidence.
Carter Hart Back in Net
Carter Hart will get the start tonight against a hot Arizona Coyotes team. As mentioned above, Connor Ingram has been nothing short of amazing for this Coyotes team during their streak, so the Flyers will need Hart to match him if not beat him tonight. Carter Hart boasts a 2.55 GAA so far with a .913 SV% and has kept the Flyers in games all season. We all love goals but if this turns into a goalie show tonight it will be very fun to watch.
Which Flyer Needs to Get Back on Track?
You could point to a few players for Philadelphia tonight that need to get back in their groove. I have to go with Cam Atkinson. The Flyers winger hasn’t scored a goal since November 11th and only has 2 assists during that span. He could be gripping his stick a little tighter as of late and you can’t blame him. But Atkinson needs to get back on track and find his scoring touch again. Will it be tonight in Arizona? With 8 goals and 6 assists thus far for the winger, it would be a welcomed sight and hopefully be the beginning of a hot stretch for him.
PHI Record: 13-10-2, 28 pts, 3rd in Metropolitan
ARI Record: 13-9-2, 28 pts, 4th in Central
When: 9:00pm ET
Where: Mullett Arena, Tempe, AZ
Broadcast Info: NBC Sports Philadelphia, 97.5 The Fanatic
Last Game PHI: 12/4/23, 2-1 OTW vs. Pittsburgh
Last Game ARI: 12/4/23, 6-0 W vs. Washington
PHI Goalie: Carter Hart (7-6-1, .913 SV%, 2.55 GAA, 1 SO)
ARI Goalie: Connor Ingram (11-3-0, .930 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 2 SO)
PHI Projected Lineup
#71 Tyson Foerster – #14 Sean Couturier – #11 Travis Konecny
#86 Joel Farabee – #21 Scott Laughton – #89 Cam Atkinson
#74 Owen Tippett – #48 Morgan Frost – #10 Bobby Brink
#44 Nicolas Deslauriers – #25 Ryan Poehling – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#24 Nick Seeler – #26 Sean Walker
#5 Egor Zamula – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#79 Carter Hart
#33 Samuel Ersson
Scratches: #18 Marc Staal, #37 Louie Belpedio, #62 Olle Lycksell
Injuries: #27 Noah Cates
ARI Projected Lineup
#9 Clayton Keller – #92 Logan Cooley – #8 Nick Schmaltz
#63 Matias Maccelli – #17 Nick Bjugstad – #67 Lawson Crouse
#53 Michael Carcone – #15 Alex Kerfoot – #16 Jason Zucker
#21 Miloš Kelemen – #38 Liam O’Brien
#90 J.J. Moser – #51 Troy Stecher
#24 Matt Dumba – #3 Josh Brown
#4 Juuso Välimäki – #5 Michael Kesselring
#33 Travis Dermott
#39 Connor Ingram
#70 Karel Vejmelka
Scratches: #37 Ryan McGregor
Injuries: #22 Jack McBain, #29 Barrett Hayton, #50 Sean Durzi, #52 Vladislav Kolyachonok, #72 Travis Boyd
News and Notes
– Money Line: Flyers -110, Coyotes -110
– The Coyotes are 6-2 when favored this season.
– The Flyers’ all-time record against the Coyotes is 51-30-2-4
– The Flyers defeated the Coyotes in their last matchup by a score of 6-2 on January 5th, 2023.
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.
