The Philadelphia Flyers are still searching for that first breakthrough, and Saturday afternoon in Boston gives them another chance to finally cash in on better stretches of play.
They head into the matchup on the back end of a three-game road trip after a 2-1 loss to the Senators on Thursday night in Ottawa. That defeat pushed the Flyers’ season-opening winless streak to five games, even though their level of play has started to show some signs of life.
Boston enters with a much different feeling around it after rolling to a 6-1 win over the Utah Mammoth on Thursday. The Bruins have also been getting the job done early in games, scoring first in three of their five contests this season. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has spent too much time chasing, having allowed the opening goal in four of five.
The Flyers have only scored six goals through five games, which works out to 1.2 per game. On the road, they are still looking for their first win, sitting at 0-2-1 away from home. This will be their fourth road game of the season.
One of the biggest problems in Ottawa was discipline. Philadelphia took four penalties in the first period alone, and the constant trips to the box wrecked any chance of building rhythm.
The one penalty they took the rest of the way ended up leading directly to Ottawa’s game-winning goal. That has to tighten up fast.
The other priority is simple: get the first goal. The Flyers have been carrying the pressure of that winless start, and getting in front early would go a long way toward letting their work ethic and structure do the rest.
Sean Couturier put it plainly after the loss: "We didn't get the result that we needed, but at least we got a good effort. We can build on some good things that we did tonight. But we've got to keep grinding, finding ways to get wins here."
There are at least a few reasons for hope. Matvei Michkov was one of Philadelphia’s best forwards in Ottawa and added another goal, giving him the team lead with two on the season. The Flyers also had stretches of sustained time in the offensive zone, something they’ll need to keep replicating if they want to create more chances.
Boston’s attack has its own top-end threat in David Pastrnak, who has two goals and six points in five games. Morgan Geekie and Mark Kastelic each have one goal and three assists, while JJ Peterka and James Hagens have two goals apiece. The Bruins’ power play is clicking at 21.4 percent, which ranks 16th, and their penalty kill is at 83.3 percent, good for 13th.
Jeremy Swayman is expected to start in goal for Boston. He stopped 36 of 37 shots in his last outing, a win over Utah on Thursday, and is 3-1-0 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage this season. Michael DiPietro is also listed for the Bruins.
Philadelphia’s projected blue line features Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale, Cam York and David Jiricek, and Nick Seeler with Simon Benoit. In net, Joseph Woll is listed for the Flyers.
Boston’s lineup notes include no injuries, though Charlie McAvoy remains out while serving a six-game suspension.
In Other News...
Flyers Already Face A Franchise-Level Problem After Another Lopsided Loss
The early-season alarm bells keep getting louder for the Flyers, who were beaten 5-1 by the Bruins and are now off to a six-game losing streak to open the year. It is only the second time in franchise history they have started this poorly, and the latest loss looked familiar in all the wrong ways, with Boston controlling play for long stretches and Philadelphia chasing the game again.
The Flyers were without Travis Konecny, Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen, a blow to a lineup already trying to find traction. The absences have only added to the pressure on a group that has been outshot badly through six games and is struggling to generate much offense at all, leaving an increasingly uncomfortable question hanging over a start that has already gone from disappointing to historic. [Read more 🡒]
David Jiricek Just Gave The Flyers A Real Reason To Believe
David Jieks latest turn against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 8 offered the kind of all-around shift the Flyers have been waiting to see more often. He played about 18 minutes, showed up in the shot-creation department and looked comfortable enough to stay involved in key situations at both ends, a noticeable step forward from some of his earlier outings.
Jiek also found his way onto the top power-play unit, where he was part of a sequence that helped set up one of Matvei Michkovs goals. He still finished without a point, but for a Flyers team trying to sort out how much trust to place in him, the performance mattered because it suggested he can do more than just survive on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Still Searching For First Win As Tocchet Tests New Look In Boston
The Flyers head into TD Garden trying to end the road trip on a positive note and, more important, to get their first win of the season. Philadelphia has spent the week sorting through lineup decisions and special teams looks ahead of a matchup with a Boston club that arrives with a recent victory, and the game offers another chance for Rick Tocchet to keep evaluating how the group fits together in a new setting.
There is still a sense that certain combinations are starting to take hold, even as the results have not followed yet. The projected lineup shows the coaching staff leaning on some familiar pairings and trying to stabilize both ends of the ice, with the next question being whether those choices can finally translate into something tangible in a difficult building against an opponent that already has its footing. [Read more 🡒]