Flyers look to make Leafs crumble on Wednesday evening
By Nick Butler
The Flyers host the Maple Leafs tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. The last time these two teams met, Philadelphia handed the Leafs a 6-1 loss in 2019. These two teams are coming in looking different than the last time they had met.
The Flyers are looking to grab another huge two points after their big win against the Washington Capitals. The Leafs are looking to get things going after losing 5-1 to the Kings at home. Both teams could use these two points as the Eastern Conference is going to be a rat race to the finish. The Atlantic and Metro divisions are absolutely the hardest to play in hockey and points early on will be key.
Philadelphia Flyers
6-2-2 (14 Points) 4th in the Metro
The Flyers come into tonight looking to keep their impressive forechecking game going after beating the Capitals in Washington on Saturday. They came out and played a statement game after a terrible performance in Pittsburgh. If they can play every game like the one they did in Washington, then they should not have any issues with a team like the Leafs.
The Flyers again were helped by their top two lines. Against the Caps, Derrick Brassard (2nd) and Sean Couturier (5th) grabbed the goals. They will look for guys like James van Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny to get on the board tonight. JVR has been playing some really good hockey this season. Something we did not see a lot of from him was going to the hard areas and trying to win puck battles and when you do that, goals will come.
The Flyers currently have two players with 12 points in 10 games. Sean Couturier has five goals and 7 assists. Claude Giroux also has 12 points, recording the same stat line as Couturier. Cam Atkinson and Konecny follow both players with eight points each.
With Ryan Ellis still not available, Nick Seeler will get the call once more to play with Yandle. Justin Braun has been playing really well and filling the void left by Ellis not being on the ice. Braun deserves a lot of credit and praise. He is playing the best of his career currently. He has been asked to play big and heavy minutes and has absolutely delivered on his end of this bargain.
Carter Hart will get the start tonight. He is 3-2-2 this season with one shutout. He has been good this season with a 2.41 GAA and a .926 SV%. Hart will have a tough test tonight going up against some of the best offensive players in the league all on one line. He will need to continue to battle for position and fight to see the pucks tonight. The defense is going to have to be spot on if they are going to win this game.
Projected Lineup
Giroux – Couturier – Konecny
Farabee – Brassard – Atkinson
Lindblom – Laughton – van Riemsdyk
Thompson – Brown – MacEwen
Provorov – Braun
Sanheim – Ristolainen
Yandle – Seeler
Hart
Toronto Maple Leafs
7-5-1 (15 points) 3rd in the Atlantic
The Maple Leafs come into this game via a quick one-game trip. They are coming off of a five game homestand where they went 4-1-0. They lost their last game to the Kings 5-1. This will be a tough matchup for both teams. The Leafs like to play a run and gun style of hockey with getting a lot of rubber on the net. Almost similar to how the Capitals play.
Currently, John Tavares has been lighting up the league coming back from that scary injury last season. Tavares has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 13 games. Mitch Marner is also a point per game player currently with three goals and 10 assists for 13 points as well. When you have two players who are a point per game player, you know you are in for what will be an absolute battle.
Jack Campbell currently has 11 games played for the Leafs this season. He has a 6-3-1 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .929 SV%. Campbell has been the Leafs go to goalie with Mrazek’s injury and he has stepped up for this team in a big way. The Flyers will need to score early and hold the lead if they want a chance to win this game.
Projected Lineups
Bunting – Matthews – Nylander
Kerfoot – Tavares – Marner
Engvall – Kampf – Kase
Ritchie – Spezza – Simmonds
Rielly – Brodie
Muzzin – Holl
Sandin – Liljgren
Campbell
When, Where, and How to Watch
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Wells Fargo Center
TV Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio Broadcast: 97.5 The Fanatic
Live Stream: Fubo TV
fuboTV has live NHL games on ESPN in which you can stream from your phone, television, and all your favorite devices. This is a service that broadcasts live TV over the internet, no cable required. Watch your favorite teams, network shows, news, and movies on 100+ channels. Plus on-demand entertainment including full TV series. fuboTV is currently available in the United States, Canada, and Spain.