If the Philadelphia Flyers (28-33-8) expect to win, it’ll be because of a near-perfect performance. No one will look at this lineup and believe it’s an odds-on favorite.
The Flyers make a pit stop at the Capital One Arena to face the Washington Capitals (45-15-8) as ‘The Gr8 Chase’ continues.
This season, Philadelphia is 0-3-0 against the Capitals, and Alex Ovechkin scored twice. One more goal would be the 888th for Ovechkin. Except for when Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s record (894), the 888th would be the ‘Gr8st One’ throughout ‘The Gr8 Chase.’
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, Washington (-258) is the favorite. Nobody is shocked, and those heavy odds accurately reflect the story between these rivals this season. The Flyers aren’t about to get many scoring chances. It’s why they’ll need a near-perfect performance to compete. The Capitals are likely to throttle Philadelphia.
When: 3/20/2025; 7:00pm/ET
Where: Capital One Arena; Washington, DC
Broadcast Info: NBC Sports Philadelphia; Flyers Radio 24/7
Last Game PHI: 3/17/2025; 2-0 L; at Tampa Bay Lightning
Last Game WSH: 3/18/2025; 4-1 W; vs. Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
Sam Ersson (19-13-4: 3.02GAA, 88.6%SV) is the probable starter. He must shake his slump, and Washington isn’t an ideal opponent. Ersson is accountable for the last win for the Flyers, 4-3, versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. A win here and there doesn’t mean Ersson isn’t sinking. He hasn’t had a 90SV% or more in his last five starts, including that win versus the Lightning.
Emil Andrae (38BLK, 36HIT, 12TK:34GV; 54.3FF%) remained physical, adding three hits in a low-event loss to Tampa Bay, 2-0. A running theme in the lineup is ‘evaluation.’ John Tortorella is evaluating certain players as this season completes. Andrae is a priority evaluation, especially since Rasmus Ristolainen isn’t due to return.
Matvei Michkov (20G, 27A; 55.2%CF) could snap Philadelphia out of a two-game scoring drought. He cooled off after the season resumed after the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Faceoff. When up against Ovechkin, Michkov performs well (3GP; 3G, 2A).
Projected Lineup: Philadelphia Flyers
#71 Tyson Foerster – #27 Noah Cates – #10 Bobby Brink
#74 Owen Tippett – #25 Ryan Poehling – #11 Travis Konecny
#15 Olle Lycksell – #14 Sean Couturier – #39 Matvei Michkov
#44 Nicolas Deslauriers – #18 Rodrigo Ābols – #22 Jakob Pelletier
#8 Cam York – #6 Travis Sanheim
#24 Nick Seeler – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#5 Egor Zamula – #36 Emil Andrae
#33 Sam Ersson
(#82 Ivan Fedotov)
Projected Lineup: Washington Capitals
#8 Alex Ovechkin – #80 Pierre-Luc Dubois – #21 Aliaksei Protas
#24 Connor McMichael – #17 Dylan Strome – #43 Tom Wilson
#88 Andrew Mangiapane – #20 Lars Eller – #16 Taylor Raddysh
#22 Brandon Duhaime – #26 Nic Dowd – #72 Anthony Beauvillier
#38 Rasmus Sandin – #74 John Carlson
#6 Jakob Chychrun – #57 Trevor van Riemsdyk
#42 Martin Fehérváry – #3 Matt Roy
#79 Charlie Lindgren
(#48 Logan Thompson)
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