The Philadelphia Flyers, led by John Tortorella, are set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs, led by Sheldon Keefe, on Tuesday for a crucial win in their Stanley Cup playoff pursuit.
The Philadelphia Flyers are set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game is the third and final of the season series between the two teams, and the second in Philadelphia. The Maple Leafs defeated the Flyers in overtime, 4-3, in Toronto on February 15 and dealt a 6-2 setback on March 14. The game will be televised on NBCSP and 97.5 The Fanatic.
The Flyers have a 17-14-3 record at home and a 6-5 road loss to the Boston Bruins. They are 6-3-1 over the last 10 games and have a 20-7-6 road record. The Maple Leafs have a 6-3-1 record and a 5-4 (1-0) home shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers’ two previous games against the Maple Leafs had a concerning similarity, with the Flyers playing well for a significant stretch of time but facing a tough situation due to defensive breakdowns and poor goaltending.
In the first game, Auston Matthews scored a hat trick in the second period. Toronto scored three goals in the first period, but the Flyers stabilized the game in the second and shaved the deficit to 3-1. In the third period, back-to-back breakdowns led to Toronto scoring twice within an eight-second span, making it a 5-1 game. In Boston, the Flyers played strong first and second periods, taking 1-0 and 2-1 leads. In the third period, the Bruins scored quickly, opening a 5-2 lead. However, structural breakdowns led to the Flyers cutting the deficit to 5-4, only for goaltender Felix Sandström’s goal to restore a two-goal lead. Philly made one final comeback bid, but couldn’t generate an equalizer.
The Flyers have allowed 21 goals in their last four games, which is too many against any opponents, especially against top opposition. The team must follow the path that led to a pair of post-All Star break 2-1 wins over the Florida Panthers. Starting goaltender Samuel Ersson has suffered due to several abbreviated starts, but he has shown himself capable of matching top opposing netminders on a save-to-save basis. The Flyers may need Ersson to steal at least a period against Toronto, as he did in the first periods of both wins over Florida. Backup goalie Sandström has unsightly stats but hasn’t been given much chance by the play in front of him. The Heinen goal last game is the only goaltending letdown in his 205:52 of play.
Travis Konecny, an All-Star winger and Flyers leading scorer, has posted four assists in the last three games, including a set-up of Owen Tippett during a delayed penalty for the game-winning goal in last Tuesday’s 3-2 home win over the San Jose Sharks. However, Konecny has not hit his stride in the five games he’s played since returning from a six-game injury absence. He has had a couple of Grade A scoring chances but hasn’t been able to create the separation he often generated before the injury. If the Flyers are to find more success in the remaining seven-game stretch against top contenders in the Eastern Conference, Konecny must be the Flyers’ single-biggest difference maker. This includes goals, assists, getting under opponents’ skin, helping the penalty kill, backing off defenders, and infusing energy whenever there’s a chance.
