For the third and final time in 2023-24, the Philadelphia Flyers will take on the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins have won the first two meetings of the season, with their most recent encounter coming just seven days ago at TD Garden. The Flyers fell behind 5-2 early in the third period before rebounding to make it a one-goal contest, ultimately losing 6-5 in the end.
Since that game, the Flyers have taken three of four possible points in a win over Toronto and an overtime loss to Carolina over their last two contests. Philadelphia remains in third place in the Metropolitan Division by just two points over Washington, and earning two points today would be paramount in distancing themselves.
“No one gave us a chance at all to start the year,” said Morgan Frost after Tuesday’s win over Toronto. “It’s about excitement and trying to prove people wrong and get in the playoffs.”
One player who wants to prove people wrong and is expected back in the lineup today after being scratched the last two games is captain Sean Couturier. Couturier wasn’t happy about being forced to watch from the press box earlier this week, but he will look to be reenergized and ready to help lead his team to their first postseason berth in four years.
The 31-year-old center hasn’t scored a goal since February 10th and only has four assists since then. It’s more than likely that Couturier was feeling the grind of a full schedule again after missing almost two full years of hockey coming into the season, so hopefully this breather did him some good.
PHI Record: 35-26-9, 79 pts, 3rd in Metropolitan
BOS Record: 41-15-15, 97 pts, 1st in Atlantic
When: 1:00pm ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast Info: NHL Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 97.5 The Fanatic
Last Game PHI: 3/21/24, 3-2 OTL at Carolina
Last Game BOS: 3/21/24, 5-2 L vs. NY Rangers
PHI Goalie: Samuel Ersson (20-14-6, .898 SV%, 2.68 GAA, 3 SO)
BOS Goalie: Linus Ullmark (19-7-7, .914 SV%, 2.64 GAA, 1 SO)
PHI Projected Lineup
#74 Owen Tippett – #48 Morgan Frost – #11 Travis Konecny
#86 Joel Farabee – #21 Scott Laughton – #10 Bobby Brink
#71 Tyson Foerster – #25 Ryan Poehling – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#27 Noah Cates – #14 Sean Couturier – #62 Olle Lycksell
#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#50 Adam Ginning – #23 Ronnie Attard
#5 Egor Zamula – #77 Erik Johnson
#33 Samuel Ersson
#32 Felix Sandström
Scratches: #15 Denis Gurianov, #18 Marc Staal, #44 Nicolas Deslauriers, #89 Cam Atkinson
Injuries: #9 Jamie Drysdale, #24 Nick Seeler, #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
BOS Projected Lineup
#63 Brad Marchand – #13 Charlie Coyle – #74 Jake DeBrusk
#43 Danton Heinen – #18 Pavel Zacha – #88 David Pastrňák
#21 James van Riemsdyk – #39 Morgan Geekie – #11 Trent Frederic
#19 Johnny Beecher – #70 Jesper Boqvist – #55 Justin Brazeau
#48 Matt Grzelcyk – #73 Charlie McAvoy
#27 Hampus Lindholm – #25 Brandon Carlo
#6 Mason Lohrei – #52 Andrew Peeke
#35 Linus Ullmark
#1 Jeremy Swayman
Scratches: #12 Kevin Shattenkirk, #29 Parker Wotherspoon, #94 Jakub Lauko
Injuries: None
News and Notes
– The Flyers have lost their last seven outings against the Bruins, not having won against them since October 20th, 2021.
– The Flyers are 76-108-21-12 all-time against the Bruins. They are also 44-49-10-5 at home against the Bruins and 19-23-4-5 against them at Wells Fargo Center since it opened in 1996.
– Linus Ullmark is expected to start for Boston in goal. He has not lost to the Flyers since March 29th, 2021 when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Ullmark is 6-1-1 with a .926 SV% and 2.50 GAA lifetime against the Flyers.
– Morgan Frost (3g, 4a) and Owen Tippett (3g, 5a) are both riding five-game point streaks for Philadelphia entering today’s contest.
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 and platforms.
