The Flyers are back on the road Monday night with one thing still hanging over the start of their season: the search for that first win. Philadelphia takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa Bay, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET as the club opens a three-game road trip.
It’s been a frustrating opening stretch for the Flyers, who come in at 0-1-2 after back-to-back overtime losses. They dropped a 3-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes in their last outing, and before that lost by the same score in overtime to the New Jersey Devils. The silver lining, if there is one, is that the group has at least been more competitive than it was in the season opener.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is coming off its first win of the year. The Lightning were thumped 5-1 by the New York Rangers to open the season, then answered with a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Here’s how the Flyers are expected to line up against the Lightning:
Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov
Carl Grundstrom - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett
Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Porter Martone
Alex Bump - Noel Acciari - Sean Couturier
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - David Jiricek
Dan Vladar
Joseph Woll
On the power play, the first unit is projected to feature Drysdale, Zegras, Foerster, Martone, and Michkov, while the second group includes York, Cates, Tippett, Konecny, and Bump. The penalty-killing pairs are listed as Couturier, Dvorak, York, and Sanheim on the first unit, with Cates, Foerster, Seeler, and Ristolainen on the second.
The Flyers’ early-season trend has been gradual improvement, especially after what was described as an incredibly poor night in the opener against the Penguins. They’ve still needed overtime to get points in Games 2 and 3, and the point total has come with some luck, but the play has been trending in the right direction.
One of the more encouraging signs has been the chemistry on the Konecny-Dvorak-Michkov line, which looked to have something working in Saturday’s game. That trio will be worth watching Monday as the Flyers try to build some continuity.
The bigger issue remains the power play, which hasn’t shown much life yet. Tampa Bay’s penalty kill has been running at 75% so far this season, giving Philadelphia a chance to finally break through with the man advantage.
In net, Dan Vladar is expected to get the start. Joseph Woll has started the last two games, and Vladar should be back between the pipes after taking the loss in the opener, when he was charged with all seven Penguins goals. Monday offers a chance for a reset.
In Other News...
Flyers Make A Tough Lineup Call As Barkey Returns
Denver Barkey is on track to give the Flyers another look against Tampa Bay, with the young forward expected to make his season debut after working back from a lower-body injury. Rick Tocchet confirmed Barkey is likely to play and pointed to the qualities that make him intriguing for this roster, especially his hockey sense and ability to create offense. It is the kind of return that can quietly shift the feel of a lineup, particularly for a team still sorting out which young pieces are ready for bigger minutes.
The move also comes with a tough decision elsewhere, as Alex Bump is expected to come out of the lineup to make room. For a club trying to balance development with immediate performance, those calls can say plenty about where the staff sees its depth chart right now. Dan Vladar will also be back in goal for his second start of the season, adding another layer to a game that will offer a clearer picture of how the Flyers want to line up as Barkey re-enters the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Linked To A Young Defenseman Worth A Bold Push
Contract talks in Detroit have turned into one of the more closely watched subplot lines of the offseason, and a young defenseman with size and upside is now at the center of it. Philadelphia is among the teams reportedly monitoring the situation, with the kind of blue-line profile that tends to draw attention if it becomes available.
Simon Edvinssons frustration with his contract negotiations has opened the door to the possibility of a move, even as the Red Wings still want to work something out. Seattle and Pittsburgh are also said to be in the mix, which means any team serious about making a push may have to come in aggressively before Detroit is forced to decide whether to keep negotiating or listen more seriously to outside interest. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Get Timely Boost Before Tampa Bay But Two Statuses Loom
The Flyers got a little healthier at the right time as they prepared for Tampa Bay, with the latest injury report bringing some encouragement to a lineup that has had to absorb its share of bumps. Denver Barkey appears close to returning from a lower-body injury, and his progress gives Philadelphia another option as it looks to sharpen its depth for a tough matchup.
There is still some uncertainty, though, because Rasmus Ristolainen remains in the mix after leaving a recent game with a hand issue. Barkeys possible return also comes with a procedural wrinkle, since he would have to come off injured reserve first, which could mean a corresponding roster move before he is available. [Read more 🡒]