Preview: Flyers Look for Consecutive Wins vs. Blues

The Philadelphia Flyers (3-6-1) host the St. Louis Blues at the Wells Fargo Center.

Lately, the Flyers won a couple of games over their last five. The schedule featured two back-to-back series in a weeklong span. Despite the schedule, Philadelphia is seemingly beginning to turn a corner. Slowly, they are working out of their funk while remaining critical of what needs improvement.

Travis Sanheim, Sean Couturier, Noah Cates, and Sam Ersson are doing their part in steadying the structure. Returning to basics and finding five-on-five cohesion went a long way in the recent victory, a 2-0 shutout of the Boston Bruins.

Currently, the Blues are 5-5-0 this season. They routinely alternate consecutive wins and losses but only experienced one back-to-back series dating to October 10th and 11th (at San Jose and Vegas). In their last five games, St. Louis is 2-3-0.

When: 7:00pm ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center; Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast Info: NBC Sports Philadelphia; 97.5 The Fanatic
Last Game PHI: 10/29; 2-0 W at Boston Bruins
Last Game STL: 10/29; 8-1 L at Ottawa Senators

Philadelphia Flyers

On the season, the statement victory for the Flyers was against the Bruins. The forwards and defensemen were mightily engaged, blocking 21 shots. Couturier and Sanheim were at the forefront of those efforts. Cates helped support the defense and goaltending, protecting the puck and stripping away opposing scoring chances. The team structure began to stabilize, but it was an unfinished project.

Emil Andrae will remain in the lineup. There will be no changes to the lineup iced by John Tortorella in Boston. Andrae earned his first NHL career point, a primary assist on a game-winning goal by Tyson Foerster.

“He [Andrae] makes a great play to Tyson [Foerster] on the goal, but the first play on Tyson’s shot wide prior to that goal; that was a great transition play up the middle of the ice, and hits him. If you watch him on the assist he gets on Tyson’s goal, it’s just such a neat play where he’s going to get stick checked, but he stick checks the opposing players stick first to protect the puck, grabs it, [and] makes a play. That’s skill. It’s something we need on our back end, and then we’ll work on his coverages and away from the puck.” – John Tortorella; 10/31/2024

Andrae is putting pressure on Egor Zamula, especially after the performance against the Bruins. However, Tortorella reinforced that Zamula will get back into the lineup. The lineup remains the same because Tortorella believes who he put on the ice supported the chemistry Philadelphia needs. In addition to the forwards and defensemen, Ersson will start tonight versus the Blues.

Alexei Kolosov will take on the backup goaltender role. Ivan Fedotov had a few starts and Tortorella noted how his game did not hold, citing why Kolosov is getting the opportunity.

Projected Lineup: Flyers

#11 Travis Konecny – #14 Sean Couturier – #39 Matvei Michkov
#74 Owen Tippett – #48 Morgan Frost – #71 Tyson Foerster
#86 Joel Farabee – #21 Scott Laughton – #10 Bobby Brink
#27 Noah Cates – #25 Ryan Poehling – #19 Garnet Hathaway

#6 Travis Sanheim – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#24 Nick Seeler – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#36 Emil Andrae – #77 Erik Johnson

#33 Sam Ersson
(#35 Alexei Kolosov)

Projected Lineup: Blues (per Lou Korac)

#9 Alexandre Texier – #89 Pavel Buchnevich – #63 Jake Neighbours
#20 Brandon Saad – #81 Dylan Holloway – #25 Jordan Kyrou
#10 Brayden Schenn – #12 Radek Faksa – #76 Zack Bolduc
#13 Alexey Toropchenko – #70 Oskar Sundqvist – #26 Nathan Walker

#22 Ryan Suter – #55 Colton Parayko
#6 Philip Broberg – #72 Justin Faulk
#48 Scott Perunovich – #51 Matthew Kessel

#50 Jordan Binnington
(#30 Joel Hofer)