Flyers at Bruins, Game 68: Notes, Lineups, and How to Watch
After a blowout loss to the Leafs on Thursday, the Flyers schedule gets even tougher with a matchup against the Bruins on Saturday night.
This is the second of three matchups between the two teams. It was all Boston back on Jan. 27 when the Bruins cruised to a 6-2 victory. They scored the first five goals of the game, four coming in a four+ minute stretch in the opening period. David Pastrnak scored twice, continuing his dominance against Philadelphia.
The only bright spot in that game was that Tyson Foerster had two goals. It was the fifth straight loss for the Flyers heading into the All-Star break.
Philadelphia Flyers
The gauntlet continues to Philadelphia in a stretch of games that will define their season. Getting wins is vital. The Islanders aren't going away, while the Capitals are still hanging around. The Flyers cannot afford to fall into an early hole against Boston again. This is a team that will bury you if you let them get hot. They've shown the ability to stabilize themselves and attempt a comeback. But needing to do that in the first place is not easy against a team like Boston.
The Flyers got help from the Senators as they defeated the Islanders, though New York did earn a point. The Flyers can bring their lead in third place up to five points with a victory. They will have another game against the Leafs and Bruins, while also facing Carolina, Florida, and the Rangers. Philadelphia will have to win against a team they haven't defeated since 2021. There is no better time than now to break that streak.
Playing well defensively in front of Felix Sandstrom is a must. Sandstrom was pulled in his last start, giving up three goals on 11 shots against Tampa. It wasn't all his fault as the 7-0 rout at the hands of the Lightning saw none of the Flyers look sharp. John Tortorella was ejected midway through the opening period and is coming off a two-game suspension. Garnet Hathaway had two separate 10-minute misconducts, while Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson had fighting majors. Sandstrom also came in after Sam Ersson was pulled in the loss to the Leafs. They could use a strong outing from him either way.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Tyson Foerster
Nic Deslauriers - Sean Couturier - Cam Atkinson
Noah Cates - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Marc Staal - Ronnie Attard
Egor Zamula - Erik Johnson
Felix Sandstrom
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have won four of their last six games, going 4-1-1 during that stretch. They allowed one goal in each of those wins. The one loss came in a 2-1 overtime loss, while they gave up five goals to the Blues earlier this week. Boston needed overtime to defeat the Canadiens 2-1 in their last game.
The Flyers have had no answer for Pastrnak during his career. He has 26 goals and 42 points in 29 career games against Philadelphia. He has a seven-game point streak against them, posting 11 goals and 17 points. He has two hat tricks against the Flyers in that span, four during his career. The Bruins are 19-3-0 against Philadelphia during Pastrnak's career. He's not the only weapon the Bruins have, but holding him off the scoresheet is a must, something the Flyers haven't done since 2021.
No one has had much of an answer for Pastrnak this season. His 95 points are 36 points higher than teammate Brad Marchand (59). That total is good for fourth among all players. His 41 goals are fifth in the NHL.
It will be Jeremy Swayman in the net for the Bruins this time around. He was in net during the loss to the Blues, but has helped Boston earn a point in the six games prior to that. Swayman has posted a 2.49 GAA and .920 SV% in 37 games this season.
Bruins Projected Lines
Brad Marchand - Charlie Coyle - Jake DeBrusk
James Van Riemsdyk - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
Danton Heinen - Morgan Geekie - Trent Frederic
John Beecher - Jesper Boqvist - Justin Brazeau
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Brandon Carlo
Parker Wotherspoon - Andrew Peeke
Jeremy Swayman
When, Where, and How to Watch/Listen
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: TD Garden
Watch: NBCSP
Radio: 93.3 WMMR
Live Stream: FuboTV
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