Game Day Preview: Flyers vs. Capitals

The Flyers kick off their March schedule in the nation's capital.

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports - Game Day Preview: Flyers vs. Capitals

The Philadelphia Flyers closed out a massively chaotic February schedule with a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, but will enter the month of March having made several changes to their squad due to the injuries of Travis Konecny and Jamie Drysdale, along with backup goalie Cal Petersen being placed on waivers. They're still holding tight to third place in the Metropolitan Division, and will be protecting that playoff spot at all costs.

They have a chance to start the month on a positive note against the division rival Washington Capitals, who are coming into this game on a less impressive 8-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. The Capitals sit sixth in the division, and are still in race for a second wild card spot in the playoffs.

Energy Conservation

No, that was not a joke about the Wells Fargo Center power outage that occurred during the Flyers' game against the Lightning. Instead, it's a key factor to the Fylers' success in the home stretch of the regular season. With 22 games left, and the trade deadline not until Mar. 8, a lot can happen for this team. They might need to re-adjust to new players coming in (whether it be through trades and/or AHL call-ups), and potentially even losing some.

The most important thing is to be able to stay consistent and not overwork themselves during a busy March schedule. The league is in "playoff hockey" mode and, as head coach John Tortorella has said previously, there are no easy games in the NHL—especially when the playoff races are so tight. The Flyers will want to avoid burnout as much as possible in this last stretch in the pursuit of a convincing playoff run. No tanking here!

Status Won't Save You

New captain Sean Couturier has experienced a slump lately, and, in turn, has been moved down to the fourth line the last couple of games. While it may seem odd for a coach to demote his captain and most experienced player so severely, Tortorella outlined exactly why he made that decision—and it's not personal towards Couturier.

"I don't do it by—and it's certainly not a disrespect in any fashion to the player—I'm not going to run the bench based on what people think about you or where you sit as a veteran guy, a captain," he said. "I think [Couturier] understands that. That's what I love about Coots. I'm sure he isn't pleased at all...I think Coots understands how he's played, what's going on with his game, but I'm not going to give something for free just because of his status. Once the game starts, status isn't a really big determination for me...That's how I run the bench.

"It's not gonna be giving him free minutes because you want to make sure he gets back to the beginning of the year. I don't know if he will get back to the beginning of the year. I'm doing it on how guys have played...They may disagree in my assessment, but that's how I'm gonna do it, through assessing their play."

He continued: "I don't hide from it. There's nothing I'm trying to brush over. I don't do it with [the media], I don't do it with the players. I hope there's a competition there. That would mean we're a better team...It really isn't confusing for me because I respect all our athletes. It doesn't matter what their status is—veteran, young guy, this, that, and the other thing—I just try to keep it right on the table. You play well, you're going to get more minutes. If you play really bad, you're out, and I'm gonna play someone else. You're gonna have to wait your turn. It's pretty simple."

Two Swedes in a Pod

Sam Ersson is expected to get the start against the Capitals, but fans will be able to see how his new backup, Felix Sandstrom, performs in the near future. Tortorella confirmed that the Flyers were still planning on starting their No. 2 in "four to five more games" during the season, as the hunt for a consistent goalie lineup continues in Philadelphia. Ersson has been solid all year, and has proven that he does have the potential to permanently become the Flyers' No. 1, but it's left the team on a seemingly endless quest for a suitable backup.

Petersen didn't quite fit the bill, and Sandstrom will have another chance to prove to the Flyers he has what it takes to stay up in the NHL. Perhaps the Swedish connection will be powerful enough to end the Flyers' goaltending woes?

Flyers Projected Lines:

Forwards:

Farabee - Frost - Brink

Tippett - Laughton - Foerster

Cates - Poehling - Hathaway

Deslauriers - Couturier - Lycksell

Defense:

York - Sanheim

Seeler - Walker

Zamula - Staal

Starting Goalie:

Ersson