The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to string a couple wins together as the most recent President’s Trophy winners, the Winnipeg Jets, visit the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Puck drop: 7:00 p.m.
How to watch/listen:
📺: NBCSP
📻: 97.5 The Fanatic
Pregame reading
- The trade rumors are already swirling. According to a report, some teams are expected to be interested in Flyers’ Owen Tippett. [BSH]
- Flyers have moved Emil Andrae back down to the AHL, but going back and forth between leagues doesn’t help anyone. [BSH]
- Maybe the most surprising stat of the season: Bobby Brink is one of the fastest skaters in the entire NHL. [BSH]
- And finally, check out this week’s prospect report! Lots of good things going on around the globe. [BSH]
Pregame watching
Projected lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Travis Konecny — Sean Couturier — Matvei Michkov
Tyson Foerster — Noah Cates — Bobby Brink
Trevor Zegras — Christian Dvorak — Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin — Jett Luchanko — Garnet Hathaway
Cam York — Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler — Jamie Drysdale
Adam Ginning — Noah Juulsen
Sam Ersson
(Dan Vladar)
Winnipeg Jets
Kyle Connor — Mark Scheifele — Gabe Vilardi
Alex Iafallo — Jonathan Toews — Nikita Chibrikov
Nino Niederreiter — Vladislav Namestnikov — Gustav Nyquist
Cole Koepke — Morgan Barron — Tanner Pearson
Josh Morrissey — Dylan Demelo
Logan Stanley — Neal Pionk
Haydn Fleury — Luke Schenn
Connor Hellebuyck
(Eric Comrie)
Storylines to watch
Cam York’s season debut
Defenseman Cam York is finally healthy and back in the lineup. Head coach Rick Tocchet is not going to be easing him back into action either, partnering him with his familiar stablemate Travis Sanheim on the Fleyrs’ top pair. York will not be featuring in any of the power-play units so his special team time should be limited, and that will cut down on his overall minutes, but he should still play a sizeable role Thursday night.
What should we expect? Well, maybe just for him to get his legs under him and look like the second-best defenseman on the team that he is.
Michkov needs to show sign of life
The big guys aren’t scoring. Matvei Michkov has been nowhere to be seen on the score sheet and has mustered a total three shots on goal on three shot attempts through three games. It’s not good. He has been battling some setback due to health issues in the summer, but the time is really now to show that this isn’t a lingering problem. Get something on the power play, get a cheap rebound goal, just get absolutely anything on the score sheet and truly have one of those Matvei Michkov Games we saw last season.
Jets’ defense one of worst in NHL to start the season
The Jets are not good defensively. Like, actively bad. Despite having a 2-1-0 record, the Jets are also allowing the fifth-most goals against per 60 at 5-on-5, the third-most shots per 60 at 5-on-5, and the second-most shot attempts against per 60 at 5-on-5. Basically, if you don’t want to read a lot of numbers, only the San Jose Sharks are as consistently bad on defense as the Jets have been this season.
Connor Hellebuyck likely gets the start in between the pipes but hopefully the Flyers can get some offense going and the reigning Vezina and Hart Trophy winner has an off night.