The Philadelphia Flyers are back on a winning streak, winning three in a row against the Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, and the Seattle Kraken.
For now, the Flyers hold onto third in the Metropolitan Division in the playoff race. The Arizona Coyotes have dropped their last two games of the month, and have been in bad shape most of the season. Ranked seventh in the Central, they’ll be playing for another high draft pick. However, just because you’re going against the 25th-worst team in the league does not mean you let your foot off the gas. Another full 60-minute effort is critical for what should be an easier two points than their last three opponents.
Keeping Up the Good Work
The Flyers were able to rely on Cal Petersen to seal a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night. It was an exciting win for everyone, especially for Petersen. His last start with the Flyers came on November 11th in a 4-2 away victory over his former Los Angeles Kings.
Over their three-game winning streak, the Flyers converted on just one power play out of nine attempts. You would like to see them score a little more, so let’s hope they can take advantage of playing against a club like Arizona tonight. The penalty kill has been unsurprisingly incredible, stopping 7 of 8 penalties taken. They even scored shorthanded again, which is another brilliant feature for a team that struggles to score on the power play.
The real story here are the goaltenders. Sam Ersson has averaged a .959 SV% and 1.00 GAA during this winning streak. These are elite numbers, and he did this against the Panthers and the Jets. The Jets have struggled, but the Panthers are favored to make it to the Stanley Cup Final by much of the media. Cal Petersen’s numbers were a lot less flashy, but he got the job done. Petersen held a .889 SV%, and allowed 2 goals against on Saturday. Even though the save percentage does not pop, he does deserve credit for shutting down all three power plays against the Kraken.
Beating Arizona
The Coyotes have kept their last two games close, but have fallen short each time. Their first loss of February came against the Vegas Golden Knights in a 3-2 final. After going down two goals within the first 2 minutes of the game, it seemed like that was too much to make up against the 2023 Stanley Cup champions. To their credit, they didn’t quit, and Clayton Keller made it 3-2 in the third period, but they were unable to tie the game. In Nashville, it was a game of back and forth until the Coyotes had taken a 4-2 lead over the Predators just four minutes into the 3rd period. Nashville was able to cut the lead in half on the power play, and then score again just four minutes later to tie the game.
Overall, the Coyotes are keeping themselves in games but are still shooting themselves in the foot. Going down two goals in the first two minutes of a game, and blowing a two-goal lead in four minutes are things bad hockey teams do. Their power play went 3/5, and their penalty kill went 5/7. This is a leaky team, but the Flyers cannot stoop to their level tonight. Get an early lead in the first and do not stop until you hear the buzzer.
Frost Warning
Morgan Frost holds a career 9 points (1g, 8a) over 5 games against Arizona. Frost has looked like a legit top nine center in the league after visiting John Tortorella. His best games have always come against the Coyotes, including two four-point outings. Even if he doesn’t rack up the points, I am excited to see him make some offensive plays he may not be able to afford to make against playoff bound teams.
Also, this meme by our Managing Editor, Jake Modugno, is incredible.
PHI Record: 28-19-6, 62 pts, 3rd in Metropolitan
ARI Record: 23-23-4, 50 pts, 7th in Central
When: 7:00pm ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast Info: NBC Sports Philadelphia, 93.3 WMMR
Last Game PHI: 2/10/24, 3-2 W vs. Seattle
Last Game ARI: 2/10/24, 5-4 OTL at Nashville
PHI Goalie: Samuel Ersson (14-9-3, .900 SV%, 2.47 GAA, 3 SO)
ARI Goalie: Connor Ingram (17-12-2, .912 SV%, 2.76 GAA, 5 SO)
PHI Projected Lineup
#74 Owen Tippett – #14 Sean Couturier – #11 Travis Konecny
#86 Joel Farabee – #48 Morgan Frost – #89 Cam Atkinson
#27 Noah Cates – #25 Ryan Poehling – #44 Nicolas Deslauriers
#62 Olle Lycksell – #21 Scott Laughton – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#6 Travis Sanheim – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#8 Cam York – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#24 Nick Seeler – #26 Sean Walker
#33 Samuel Ersson
#40 Cal Petersen
Scratches: #5 Egor Zamula, #18 Marc Staal
Injuries: #71 Tyson Foerster
ARI Projected Lineup
#9 Clayton Keller – #22 Jack McBain – #8 Nick Schmaltz
#63 Matias Maccelli – #17 Nick Bjugstad – #67 Lawson Crouse
#83 Adam Ružička – #15 Alex Kerfoot – #16 Jason Zucker
#92 Logan Cooley – #29 Barrett Hayton – #11 Dylan Guenther
#90 J.J. Moser – #50 Sean Durzi
#33 Travis Dermott – #24 Matt Dumba
#4 Juuso Välimäki – #5 Michael Kesselring
#39 Connor Ingram
#70 Karel Vejmelka
Scratches: #3 Josh Brown, #38 Liam O’Brien, #53 Michael Carcone
Injuries: #51 Troy Stecher, #72 Travis Boyd
News and Notes
– The Flyers are 52-30-2 all-time against the Arizona Coyotes.
– Philadelphia beat the Coyotes 4-1 on December 7th, 2023. This will be the last time they play each other this season.
– Tyson Foerster left Saturday’s win against Seattle after blocking a Jamie Oleksiak shot. He reportedly left Wells Fargo Center in a walking boot, and he was not on the ice at morning skate. Head coach John Tortorella said he wasn’t sure of Foerster’s status for tonight’s game.
– Samuel Ersson has averaged a .959 SV% over his last two games. This average is higher than any goaltender in the NHL who’s played at least 19 games this season.
– Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, and Cam York scored in the last meeting between these clubs. This was the game where York scored a real pretty goal.
Philadelphia goal!
Scored by Cam York with 18:13 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Travis Sanheim and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Arizona: 1
Philadelphia: 4#PHIvsARI #Yotes #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/EQjCampYIA— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 8, 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.
