Game Day Preview #76: Flyers vs. Islanders

Siobhan Nolan

Apr 1, 2024, 16:52

Siobhan Nolan

Apr 1, 2024, 16:52

The Philadelphia Flyers play the New York Islanders in what many are calling the most important game of the season for them as they try to work their way back into a playoff spot.

This Metro Division matchup is as big of a must-win as it gets for the Flyers, who are by no means far out of getting out of the wild card position, but have been pushing through what head coach John Tortorella described as "mental fatigue" during the month of March.

Jamie Drysdale Is So Back

"He's playing [against the Islanders]," Tortorella stated after being asked about the timeline for Jamie Drysdale's return. "He's going. He wouldn't be playing if he didn't have his medical clearance."

Drysdale return comes shortly after that of Nick Seeler, who was also out injured for an extended period of time. Having two defensemen back in playing contention is a huge boost for the back line (particularly the top pairing of Cam York and Travis Sanheim), who Tortorella admitted were "running on fumes."

"It helps," Tortorella said. "We're gonna take Yorkie off the powerplay to try and cut down some of his minutes, let Jamie run it. I think it's more of an experienced four...I think [assistant coach Brad Shaw] can balance it a little more too. In the situation we're in, with [York and Sanheim], we made the decision that they're gonna run it."

Drysdale said, "I just kind of came in and they said, 'Today's the day.'...It sucks being out, especially when your team is going to war night in and night out, so that's never fun. It's real good to be back."

Working Through It

Tortorella acknowledged that his team is tired—particularly the defensemen who had to adjust to playing more minutes and goaltender Sam Ersson who "has been playing a ton in a situation that wasn't scheduled for him"—but he's choosing to view this experience as a test to see what his players (especially the ones who haven't been part of a playoff push before) are made of.

"All teams are tired," he said. "But sometimes, you've just gotta get through it. It's a really good time to see and evaluate how guys do this. This is why I'm glad we're here. We're getting a chance to see this stuff happen and see how we get through it."

With the younger players taking stepping up in big ways, it will certainly be interesting to see how they respond to the pressure that is bearing down on the Flyers in their home stretch of the regular season.

Blocking Out The Noise

Scoreboard-watching is now an inevitable part of experiencing Flyers hockey right now, but it's important that this team focuses on the things they can control. They have a golden opportunity to yank back some control of their playoff destiny by beating the Islanders, and that should be the priority instead of getting in their own heads about what results their competitors are getting. If they are able to collect as many points as they can get, there's still a very good chance they make it into the playoffs. The mental toughness that they've honed all season will be needed more than ever now, and with a day of rest and a team meeting about what is expected and required of the players going forward, we should be able to see a clarity and focus return to the Flyers.

Flyers Projected Lines:

Forwards:

Tyson Foerster - Sean Couturier - Travis Konecny

Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Cam Atkinson

Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Nic Deslauriers

Noah Cates - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale

Egor Zamula - Erik Johnson

Starting Goalie:

Sam Ersson