The Philadelphia Flyers (9-10-2) host the Vegas Golden Knights at the Wells Fargo Center for a 7:00pm/ET opening faceoff.
Two days ago, the Flyers began the second quarter of the 2024-2025 season. A third-period comeback was complete in overtime versus the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2. Sean Couturier and Noah Cates potted goals past Petr Mrázek, and then Matvei Michkov notched the game-winner on the powerplay in overtime.
On the season, Philadelphia is 3-6-2 against teams in the top half of the NHL; the Golden Knights rank among the elite.
Vegas (-142) are favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Golden Knights rank 3rd on offense (81GF), 18th on defense (64GA), 4th on the powerplay (29.6%), and 26th on the penalty kill (75%). Comparably, the Flyers rank 21st on offense (57GF), 25th on defense (72GA), 21st on the powerplay (17.7%), and 3rd on the penalty kill (86.8%). Philadelphia must be stubborn while at a disadvantage, hoping to gain a critical shorthanded goal.
When: 7:00pm/ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center; Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast Info: NBC Sports Philadelphia; Flyers Radio 24/7
Last Game PHI: 11/23; 3-2 OTW; vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Last Game VGK: 11/23; 6-2 W; at Montréal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
Ivan Fedotov will occupy the crease. In his recent start, Fedotov took the loss versus the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-1. Fedotov is 3-4-0 in seven starts with an 87.5%SV and a 3.69GAA.
Rasmus Ristolainen handled himself well versus the Blackhawks. In 22:25 of ice time, Ristolainen added an assist with four shots on the attack. He blocked a shot and made a hit in the neutral zone, too. However, his partnership with Emil Andrae could benefit from more awareness of puck management. The tandem turned the puck over four times and never forced a takeaway.
“That’s in him [Andrae]. What we teach with him; I thought he held onto the puck, he was looking for a play two, three, four down on his checklist, like a quarterback. He could have moved the puck quicker the other night. There was some rust in his game. That’s what we coach. As far as the ability to have the wherewithal to make plays, he’s always had that.” – John Tortorella; 11/24/2024
Travis Konecny notched an assist on the game-winning goal in overtime. His saucer pass was a work of art to set up Michkov. In 21:45 of ice time, Konecny stacked a pair of assists with two shots. However, he succeeded in the finer details. Konecny drew the penalty to put the Flyers on the powerplay for the game-winning sequence, which remains a vital element tonight versus Vegas.
“He [Konecny] makes plays that, I’m breaking down the tape. He’s all over the scoring sheet. [For] a team that struggles for offense, he is constantly all over it. He’s such a good player. As I always say, my coaching with him is to remind him [that] he’s going to do some of the other things, too, and not be too reckless; understanding situational play.” – John Tortorella; 11/24/2024
Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers
#86 Joel Farabee – #14 Sean Couturier – #11 Travis Konecny
#74 Owen Tippett – #48 Morgan Frost – #39 Matvei Michkov
#71 Tyson Foerster – #27 Noah Cates – #10 Bobby Brink
#21 Scott Laughton – #25 Ryan Poehling – #19 Garnet Hathaway
#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#36 Emil Andrae – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#24 Nick Seeler – #3 Helge Grans
#82 Ivan Fedotov
(#35 Alexei Kolosov)
Projected Lineup: Vegas Golden Knights
#49 Ivan Barbashev – #9 Jack Eichel – #68 Cal Burke
#48 Tomáš Hertl – #10 Nicolas Roy – #55 Keegan Kolesar
#21 Brett Howden – #71 William Karlsson – #16 Pavel Dorofeyev
#70 Tanner Pearson – #22 Cole Schwindt – #26 Alexander Holtz
#3 Brayden McNabb – #27 Shea Theodore
#15 Noah Hanifin – #2 Zach Whitecloud
#14 Nicolas Hague – #6 Kaedan Korczak
#33 Adin Hill
(#35 Ilya Samsonov)
