A lot of pressure should be off the shoulders of the Philadelphia Flyers. They were the first team to lose to the San Jose Sharks, who were 0-10-1 to begin the season. No loss this season will sting more than that because every other NHL team will have had at least one victory before the puck drops from here on out.
Instead of eyeing retribution against the Anaheim Ducks, John Tortorella is focused on his lineup doing what it takes to get back into the win column. In an earlier 7-4 loss at the Wells Fargo Center, defensive miscues made it impossible to keep the game competitive. Taking calculated risks is encouraged. Tortorella praised the presence of Travis Sanheim and Sean Walker in the offensive zone during his pregame press conference:
“He [Walker] has surprised me. He has gone through the first little section of the season, in the first ten-twelve games, [and] I think he’s improved. He’s done some things that I didn’t expect, especially [on] the offensive side of the puck. The biggest thing I like about him; he’s not afraid to make a mistake. I think he’s got some jam to take a chance. He’s one of our best guys checking forward, pinching, surfing up in the offensive zone. He’s willing to take a chance to play aggressively that way, and I think it’s rubbed off on people. Him and Sanny [Sanheim] have done a terrific job that way, and more I see our other [defensemen] get involved in that part of the game.”
John Tortorella; 11/10/2023
Each of those defensemen had a stable performance when these two clubs met for the first time this season. Tonight, can they defend a young, crafty, and speedy forward group that was already a nightmare for Sam Ersson?
Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Zegras (undisclosed) is out of the lineup. Following a shutout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Greg Cronin acknowledged how his lineup didn’t generate possession time on offense and lost puck battles.
“I told them afterward [that] I thought we just played hockey. We weren’t dictating a lot. When we’re on our game, we’re hunting pucks and we’re getting some offensive zone time.”
Greg Cronin; 11/7/2023
Pavel Mintyukov and Ilya Lyubushkin manage the blue line on the defensive second pair. Mintyukov lends himself to puck battles along the boards. With the puck, Mintyukov and Ryan Strome developed a chemistry. Strome is linked to 50% of the point production by Mintyukov this season.
Here’s the tentative lineup for the Anaheim Ducks, per Derek Lee:
Killorn-Carlsson-Terry
Vatrano-McTavish-Strome
Jones-Henrique-Silfverberg
Johnston-Carrick-Leason
Fowler-LaCombe
Mintyukov-Lyubushkin
Vaakanainen-Gudas
Dostal
(Gibson)
Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Hart (illness) was scheduled to start. Ryan Poehling is a healthy scratch, making room in the lineup for Morgan Frost. If Frost is going to make a case for more ice time, his thesis can begin with the powerplay.
“Frosty’s [Frost] in a spot where if he’s not playing in the top-six, I don’t have a spot for him. He’s not killing penalties, I’m not going to put him between D-Lo [Deslauriers] and Garny [Hathaway]; I just don’t think he fits there. It limits situations as far as where I find him. He’s going to play on the powerplay, he’s going to be put into an offensive situation, and I just need to be able to hang my hat on something as we go through there because I think Poehls [Poehling], in his role, has done a good job; a penalty killer, plays center, big, big, good skater. I have to worry about the mechanics of a lineup, too, when I’m playing people and sitting people out. I don’t enjoy sitting anybody out, but I have to make those decisions.”
John Tortorella; 11/9/2023
Cam Atkinson fanned on a good look at the net against the Sharks. A lot of tough luck for the Flyers on the powerplay, which is begging for a spark after an abysmal 8.9% success rate to begin the season. Atkinson continues to play with a high motor. He will be on the first powerplay unit alongside Sean Couturier, Sanheim, Travis Konecny, and Tyson Foerster.
“I think we score a goal the other night if Cam [Atkinson] doesn’t fan on that cross-ice pass. Couts [Couturier] is wide open, [and] Cam whiffs on the pass. Their penalty kill is chasing down to a guy down off the post. That’s a goal, or at least it’s going to be a really good chance. A little bit of tough luck, but the onus is on us to get that thing working. It’s hurt us, so we’re going to keep on trying.”
John Tortorella; 11/9/2023
Here’s the tentative lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers:
Atkinson-Couturier-Foerster
Tippett-Frost-Konecny
Farabee-Cates-Brink
Deslauriers-Laughton-Hathaway
York-Sanheim
Zamula-Walker
Belpedio-Seeler
Ersson
(Petersen)
Place Your Bets (via DraftKings)
Philadelphia Flyers (-115)
Anaheim Ducks (-105)
Cam Atkinson anytime goal (+195)
Game Information
Watch the Philadelphia Flyers visit the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The radio broadcast is available on 93.3 WMMR and Flyers Radio 24/7. The puck drops at 10pm.
(Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)
