Entering 2025, the Flyers will play their first game of the new year. With their fourth game in six nights, Philadelphia will have a tough test ahead of them. They'll take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
With such a condensed schedule ahead of them, energy will be the biggest factor. And facing a team that is one of the biggest and most physical in the NHL, it will be even more important. This is the second and final time the Flyers and Knights will play.
Philadelphia should've won the first matchup back in November. They held a 3-0 lead early in the second period and were up 4-2 as well. But comebacks by the Knights, fueled by Jack Eichel, ended with a 5-4 loss in the shootout.
Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia has taken two of the three games on the road trip thus far. They are coming off a solid all-around win against the Sharks. Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov combined for the shutout, with the latter having to leave the game after the second. It's a concerning trend for the Flyers as this would be the third time Ersson has been out with injury. For now, the goaltender is day-to-day and will not play against the Knights.
That means Kolosov will be in the net for the Flyers. Facing the Knights will be a big test for the young goaltender. He has shown signs of growth, while also needing work in other areas of the game. His athleticism and quick movement have continued to be strengths. But his rebound control and puck handling have been parts of his game that show his inexperience. Kolosov will need help from the team in front of him, but this will serve as potential learning moment for the rookie goaltender.
For the rest of the team, they'll be looking for their depth to continue coming on strong. One of the biggest changes to the lineup that John Tortorella made recently was swapping Ryan Poehling and Sean Couturier to balance all four lines. Poehling had a strong showing against the Sharks, scoring his third goal of the season. Couturier's movement was more about breaking him and Travis Konecny apart, a line that hadn't been working in recent weeks.
Flyers Projected Roster
Owen Tippett - Ryan Poehling - Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink
Scott Laughton - Morgan Frost - Matvei Michkov
Joel Farabee - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Egor Zamula - Rasmus Ristolainen
Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale
Aleksei Kolosov
Vegas Golden Knights
The Knights comes in as one of the top teams in the league. Almost two years removed from their first Stanley Cup, Vegas continues to show off the success they've had since entering the league. At 25-9-3, they are second in the league, only behind the Jets. Winnipeg has played two more games, though. Vegas does have the best points percentage in the league.
They are led by Jack Eichel's 48 points, which also put him ninth in the league. He has almost a 20-point lead over his next teammate, Ivan Barbashev (30). Despite being held off the scoresheet in the last game, Eichel has 12 points in his last 11 games. Barbashev, who leads the team with 15 goals, was recently placed on injured reserve. The Knights boast five players who have scored double-digit goals this season. The Fllyers are close behind with four players.
Ilya Samsonov, in his first season with Vegas, has played extremely well recently. He has won his last four starts, giving up a combined five goals. He made 31 saves against the Flames in his last outing, posting his first shutout of the season. Samsonov made 30 saves against the Flyers when the teams faced in November. Overall, he has a 2.74 GAA and a .906 SV%.
Knights Projected Roster
Victor Olofsson - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Tomas Hertl - William Karlsson - Keegan Kolesar
Tanner Pearson - Brett Howden - Pavel Dorofeyev
Jonas Rondbjerg - Cole Schwindt - Alexander Holtz
Noah Hanifin - Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague - Zach Whitecloud
Ilya Samsonov
When, Where, and How to Watch
Time: 10:00 PM
Where: T-Mobile Arena
Watch: NBCSP+
Radio: 93.3 WMMR
Live Stream: FuboTv
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