Typically, teams that hover in the top half of their division around the holiday season have a good chance of making a case for the postseason. The Philadelphia Flyers (11-10-1) continue to progress day-by-day, but thus far, John Tortorella is squeezing a lot of quality minutes out of his lineup.
Tonight is the sixth game in an eight-game, Metropolitan Division stand. It’ll be the first of four meetings versus the New Jersey Devils (10-9-1), including a future outdoor game at Metlife Stadium on February 17th. Both have similar records, but the slight difference puts the Flyers in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division standings, two spots ahead of the Devils.
In the Metropolitan Division gauntlet, Philadelphia is 2-3-0, hoping to find balance amongst rival competition.
New Jersey Devils
With less than a minute remaining in regulation, New Jersey stole a victory versus the New York Islanders, 5-4. Curtis Lazar scored the game-winner with :23 remaining. He is focused on carrying that momentum into Philadelphia:
“They [the Flyers] have a great identity. They’re a hard-working team; you get no free passes with them. Again, we keep on harping on the battles, and that’s an area that they thrive in. It’s going to drag us in the fight and hopefully, we’re able to set the tone early and catch them on their heels. It’s going to be a good test for us. We got some momentum going, but we know this is going to be a game that’s going to step up a notch.”
Curtis Lazar; 11/29/2023
Jack Hughes had a three-point night (1G, 2A) versus the Islanders. He also took the puck away from the opposition on the forecheck and in the defensive zone, contributing to his puck possession en route to nine shots on goal.
Here’s the tentative lineup for the New Jersey Devils:
Toffoli-Hughes-Mercer
Palat-Hischier-Bratt
Holtz-McLeod-Lazar
Laberge-Tierney-Bastian
Siegenthaler-Hughes
Smith-Marino
Bahl-Miller
Schmid
(Vanecek)
Philadelphia Flyers
Yegor Zamula will enter the lineup, making Marc Staal a healthy scratch. Carter Hart will start for the Flyers.
“I still think he’s [Zamula] inconsistent. I don’t expect that to change overnight, but our job is to continue to send the message. The determination part; he’s a determined athlete, but I just want to see a more determined personality on the ice. We all know he’s really good with the puck; still, I would like to see the puck snap to where it wants to go. Everything about his game, I just want it with pace. Pace isn’t always with your legs. Pace is with your mind, pace is with your hands, [and] pace brings in determination. That’s what we’re working with him on. It will not be cured overnight.”
John Tortorella; 11/30/2023
Sean Couturier gets to lace the skates for the first time versus New Jersey since December 14th, 2021 in a 6-1 win. Lately, he’s provided a more defensive role; consider him a baseline foundation while Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny drive possession and scoring. In a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, Couturier blocked two shots and had a good scoring chance on a rebound attempt in the third period, but Pyotr Kochetkov made the save.
Here’s the tentative lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers, per Jordan Hall:
Foerster-Couturier-Konecny
Farabee-Laughton-Atkinson
Tippett-Frost-Brink
Deslauriers-Poehling-Hathaway
York-Sanheim
Seeler-Walker
Zamula-Ristolainen
Hart
(Ersson)
Place Your Bets (via DraftKings)
Philadelphia Flyers (+114)
New Jersey Devils (-135)
Jack Hughes over 1.5pts (+110)
Sean Couturier over .5pt (-125)
Game Information
Watch the Philadelphia Flyers host the New Jersey Devils on NBC Sports Philadelphia and listen to the radio broadcast on 97.5 the Fanatic. The puck drops at 7pm.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
