If you are a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan, like me, you will probably be watching the Eagles take on the Giants tonight. But if you have nothing to watch in the hour before the game starts, you can turn on the Flyers at 7 and see them take on the Detroit Red Wings.
Both the Flyers and the Red Wings are classically strong teams that have been struggling to find themselves during the last 10 years. Both teams are trying to climb their way out of the holes they have dug themselves, in very tough and competitive divisions. Both teams are very close to making the playoffs. As a result, both teams should be going all out in tonight’s game.
Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 19-20-7 (45 points, 7th in Metro)
The Flyers have had an interesting week. First, they were blown out by Boston. Then they responded with a strong win against the Ducks only to get embarrassed at home by the Blackhawks. C’est le vie!…or perhaps C’est le hockey!
Morgan Frost has scored goals in the last two games and hopes to stay hot. Travis Konecny has been a little cold lately since his hat trick against Washington, notching just two assists in the last four games.
With the competition getting tough next week (Winnipeg and LA at home and then a road trip to Minnesota and Winnipeg), the Flyers really, really need this win. This will close out the first half of the season as the team coasts into the All-Star break. Heading into the time off on a winning record will be crucial for any decision going forward.
Flyers Projected Lineup
James van Riemsdyk — Morgan Frost — Owen Tippett
Joel Farabee — Noah Cates — Travis Konecny
Kevin Hayes — Scott Laughton — Wade Allison
Nicolas Deslauriers — Patrick Brown — Zack MacEwen
Ivan Provorov — Cam York
Travis Sanheim — Tony DeAngelo
Nick Seeler — Rasmus Ristolainen
Carter Hart
Detroit Red Wings
Record: 19-27-8 (46 points, 6th in Atlantic)
The Red Wings, after spending the last few years as a basement dweller, are clawing their way back to respectability again. Since moving to the Eastern Conference nine years ago, they’ve lost their swagger. They’ve never gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since the move and haven’t been back to the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
These two teams are pretty evenly matched. Detroit is 23rd in goals scored; Philly is 26th. They are tied for 19th in goals against. Detroit is better on the power play (19th) compared to Philly (29th), but the Flyers are better on the penalty kill (21st compared to 22nd). Detroit is also 3-6 since January first and lost three in a row before defeating Vegas on Thursday night.
The Red Wings are led by Dylan Larkin, who will be making his third All-Star appearance this year. He leads his team with 15 goals and 26 assists. Right behind him, with 14 goals each, are Dominik Kubalik, David Perron, and Lucas Raymond. Tyler Bertuzzi will sit as he has suffered a lower-body injury, is listed as day-to-day, and will not be available against the Flyers
The Flyers can’t afford to come out in this game lifeless as they did against Chicago. Instead, they need to come out quick and hard, as they did against Buffalo; a team just one point above Detroit in the standings. If the Flyers come out swinging, they can take this game and return home with a win before tomorrow’s game against the Jets. And if the Flyers come out and play poorly, you can always cut your losses and flip over to the Eagles game.
Red Wings Projected Lineup
Dominik Kubalik — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond
Michael Rasmussen — Andrew Copp — David Perron
Adam Erne — Pius Suter — Robbie Fabbri
Jonatan Berggren — Joe Veleno — Oskar Sundqvist
Jake Walman — Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot — Filip Hronek
Olli Maatta — Jordan Oesterle
Ville Husso
Where, When, and How to Watch/Listen
Time: 7 PM
Where: Little Caesar’s Center
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN+
Radio: 97.5 FM
Live Stream: FuboTV
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