Flyers vs Blues, Game 63: Notes, Lineups, and How to Watch

Before they head out on a tough road trip, the Flyers will play one final game at home. It will be the return of Kevin Hayes as the St. Louis Blues come to town for their only visit this season.

It is the second and final matchup between the two teams. They met in St. Louis on Jan. 15 in a back and forth game. The game was scoreless until the second period as Scott Laughton opened the scoring a minute in. Oskar Sundqvist and Ryan Poehling scored 1:34 apart to give Philadelphia the lead heading into the third. Brandon Saad tied the game early into the third. Owen Tippett would give the Flyers the lead for good with about 5:30 remaining. Joel Farabee hit the empty net to give Philadelphia the 4-2 victory.

Philadelphia Flyers

Playing meaningful games this late into the season is an important step in the development for this team. With plenty of young players on the roster, playing these games will help them learn how to handle the pressures that they bring. They have a five-point lead on third place in the division heading into this game.

They’ve had to do it without Travis Konecny, who is missing his sixth straight game. He did skate in a no-contact jersey on Monday morning, signaling his imminent return. That could come as soon as Thursday, a date the team is targeting. In his absence, the team has Tyson Foerster to thank for stepping up. He has seven points in his last five games, including a two-goal outing against the Senators.

Sam Ersson has traded wins and losses in his last five games. He’s given up five goals in two of those losses, though the Flyers fell apart against the Capitals. He would still like to bounce back from that game, something he has done for a majority of the season. Ersson has faced the Blues once in his career, allowing three goals on 34 shots last April. 

Flyers Projected Lineup

Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Tyson Foerster

Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Cam Atkinson

Noah Cates - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway

Nic Deslauriers - Sean Couturier - Bobby Brink

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Sean Walker

Egor Zamula - Marc Staal

Sam Ersson

St. Louis Blues

The Blues are a rather desperate team right now. They are not completely out of the playoff picture. But with the deadline approaching, they need to determine what the plan is for the rest of the season. They are chasing Predators, who have won eight straight games and are seven points ahead of them. A win tonight would go a long way for them.

Pavel Buchnevich has been one of their hottest players and is also lighting up in trade rumors. He leads the Blues with 24 goals and has seven goals in his last eight games. Five of them have come in the last five games. Robert Thomas has 69 points to lead the team and is always someone to look out for. On a line with Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou, the three can be dangerous to play against. You have to keep an eye on them at all times.

Monday night’s game marks the return of Kevin Hayes for the first time since his offseason trade. He has struggled in his first season with the Blues, scoring 10 goals and posting 22 points in 60 games. He is likely to get a mixed reception on his return. 

Blues Projected Lineup

Pavel Buchnevich - Robert Thomas - Jordan Kyrou

Zack Bolduc - Brayden Schenn - Jake Neighbours

Brandon Saad - Kevin Hayes - Alexey Toropchenko

Nathan Walker - Oskar Sundqvist - Kasperi Kapanen

Nick Leddy - Colton Parayko

Torey Krug - Justin Faulk

Marco Scandella - Scott Perunovich

Jordan Binnington