The Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-2) visit the Ottawa Senators (4-6-0) tonight at the Canadian Tire Centre. The puck drops at 7pm.
Rounding out the first ten games of the 2022-2023 season, the Flyers did not deliver a capable performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs. John Tortorella sent a message to Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes following a lackluster performance versus the San Jose Sharks earlier this season. The effort in Toronto might’ve been the worst since losing to the Sharks at the Wells Fargo Center.
“When you’re building a team, you’re not only looking to build and grow your players; you’re also looking at players that you simply don’t think are going to be a part of it.”
John Tortorella; 11/2/2022
Morgan Frost wasn’t in the lineup, and the next day, Tortorella challenged Travis Sanheim to make a difference on ‘The Best Show Ever.’
“Not good enough. Not nearly good enough. I don’t know him; I haven’t seen him make a difference for us. I know him as far as people have talked to me about him, but I certainly haven’t seen it. Forget about using the word ‘consistency;’ I have not seen it.”
John Tortorella; 11/3/2022
Each time Tortorella challenges players, publicly or privately, they respond with a passing grade. Hayes had two assists versus the Florida Panthers in a 4-3 win. Wade Allison responded to a reduction in ice time, earning some trust after a goal and an assist versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Tortorella praised Konecny heavily:
“TK has been probably our best player; not probably, he has been. Other than our goalie, Carter, TK’s been our most consistent player. I just love the way he plays.”
John Tortorella; 11/3/2022
The Senators sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Their last tilt resulted in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, 5-4. Scheduling might’ve played a factor; Ottawa hasn’t faced a back-to-back in 2022-2023. Philadelphia dropped the second game of a back-to-back three times but is 2-0-0 in tilts following a back-to-back. Tonight the Flyers are in a prime position to answer with a road victory.
Ottawa Senators
Here’s the tentative lineup for the Senators, per Claire Hanna:
Tkachuk-Stutzle-Giroux
DeBrincat-Pinto-Batherson
Motte-Gambrell-Joseph
Kelly-Kastelic-Watson
Chabot-Brannstrom
Sanderson-Hamonic
Holden-Zaitsev
Talbot
(Forsberg)
Claude Giroux, to no surprise, gets the spotlight. It’ll be the first time he faces Philadelphia since his trade last season to the Panthers. Giroux scored two even-strength goals versus the Golden Knights, bumping his total to nine points (5G, 4A) this season.
“I never thought I would play for another team, to be honest, until my last year with Philly when everything happened. Everything happened fast, too. It’s something you never think of because you’ve been there for a long time. I really loved playing in front of those fans and wearing that jersey; I did with a lot of pride. I never really thought about playing for another team, but here I am now.”
Claude Giroux; 11/5/2022
Thomas Chabot (-4, 53.9%CF, 16BLK, 8GV) had a quality night versus Vegas. He is a powerplay blue liner. After the Flyers lost to the Maple Leafs, they were the most penalized team in the NHL. The only way for Philadelphia to mitigate Chabot is to be the more disciplined team. Currently, the Flyers have a fourteenth-ranked penalty kill, despite their time spent inside the box.
Philadelphia Flyers
Here’s the tentative lineup for Philadelphia:
Farabee-Hayes-Konecny
N.Cates-Laughton-Tippett
Bellows-Laczynski-MacEwen
Deslauriers-Sedlak-Allison
Provorov-DeAngelo
Sanheim-Ristolainen
Zamula-Seeler
Hart
(Sandstrom)
Scott Laughton (3G, 1A) has to get onto the scoreboard tonight against Ottawa. He was very active against Toronto (3SOG, 5HIT, 1BLK) in all the ways Tortorella wants. Early in the first period, Laughton rang a puck off the post, which could’ve flipped the momentum completely for the Flyers. A veteran on the team and the only player with a letter stitched on his sweater, a clash between Laughton and Giroux only seems right.
Nick Seeler (-1, 37.3%CF, 20HIT, 4GV) is playing better than his stat line reflects. He’s another player who compliments Tortorella, proving as much against the Maple Leafs (4BLK, 2HIT, 2SOG) alongside Egor Zamula. In 2022-2023, Seeler is a constant on the bottom pair.
Place Your Bets
Flyers moneyline (+155)
Claude Giroux anytime score (+240)
Scott Laughton o.5 points (+110)
Thomas Chabot o.5 points (-125)
Game Information
Tonight’s contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Ottawa Senators is available on NBC Sports Philadelphia. You can tune into 97.5 the Fanatic for the radio broadcast.
(Photo Credit/Alex McIntyre)
