The much-needed NHL All-Star Break has proved to be beneficial for the Philadelphia Flyers (27-19-6). Taking down two of the NHL’s top teams earlier this week, the Orange and Black have their sights set on a third consecutive victory tonight as they host the Seattle Kraken (21-19-10).
This is the second and final time both teams will face each other this season. In late December, the Kraken defeated the Flyers 2-1 in overtime.
Seattle Kraken
Seattle is 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. They can still make a push for the playoffs as they sit sixth in the Pacific Division and fifth in the wildcard race, but it’ll be a grind.
One of the main weaknesses of the Kraken is the lack of goal-scoring. They sit 27th overall in goals scored with 139. Jared McCann leads the team with 20 tucks but there’s a major fall off after him.
Oliver Bjorkstrand was the Kraken’s all-star this year. The right-winger leads the team in points with 40 (13G, 27A) and shots with 130. He’s projected to be on the third line tonight alongside Eeli Tolvanen and Yanni Gourde but usually resides on the first powerplay unit.
Projected lineup for the Seattle Kraken, per Mike Benton:
Tatar-Beniers-Eberle
Schwartz-Wennberg-McCann
Tolvanen-Gourde-Bjorkstrand
Tanev-Kartye-Burakovsky
Dunn-Larsson
Oleksiak-Borgen
Evans-Dumoulin
Daccord
(Grubauer)
Philadelphia Flyers
Travis Konecny was the man of the hour in Philadelphia on Thursday night. The all-star recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick in just 4:08 of ice time during the first period. Konecny has scored in both games since the break. In his career against the Kraken, Konecny has six points (4G, 2A).
Cal Petersen will get the start between the pipes. It’ll be his first start since November 11th, 2023, against the Los Angeles Kings where he made 35 saves en route to a Flyers win. Sam Ersson has been carrying a heavy load as of late and a night off is deserved.
Striking on the powerplay tonight will be crucial. The Flyers went 0/4 against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday but can rebound tonight against a Kraken penalty kill ranking 20th in the NHL. The Flyers’ powerplay continues to linger at the bottom of the league (31st), but a new top unit could add rejuvenation tonight.
Projected lineup for the Flyers, per Jordan Hall:
Tippett-Couturier-Atkinson
Farabee-Frost-Konecny
Foerster-Poehling-Cates
Deslauriers-Laughton-Hathaway
Sanheim-Drysdale
Seeler-Walker
York-Risolainen
Petersen
(Ersson)
Betting Guide (via BetRivers Sportsbook)
Philadelphia Flyers moneyline (-110)
Seattle Kraken moneyline (-110)
Travis Konecny first goalscorer (+750)
Oliver Bjorkstrand to record 1 point (-114)
How to Watch
You can watch the Philadelphia Flyers host the Seattle Kraken on ESPN+ and Hulu. Radio coverage will be available on 93.3 WMMR and Flyers Radio 24/7. The puck drops at 7pm from the Wells Fargo Center.
(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
