Gameday 73 Preview: Flyers vs. Maple Leafs

The Philadelphia Flyers need a win. Badly.

After a stretch where goals were hard to come by, their offense has finally started clicking again—but just as one problem seems to be fixed, others have cropped up on the defensive side of things. 

The Flyers have allowed 20 goals in their last five games, which, among other things, has caused their ongoing goaltending woes to reach a fever pitch. 

Their recent history against the Maple Leafs doesn’t inspire much confidence either, as they’ve gone just 1-8-2 in their last 11 meetings with Toronto.

But this Flyers team has shown resilience all season. They rarely go down without a fight, and even against a stacked Toronto squad, they’ll be looking to claw their way back into the win column before heading home.

1. Sam Ersson Needs a Big Game

The Flyers’ goaltending situation has been, in a word, rough lately.

Sam Ersson, who looked rock-solid earlier in the season, has struggled in recent outings. His last five starts have seen him post an .860 save percentage, and while some of that can be attributed to defensive breakdowns in front of him, there’s no getting around the fact that he’s in goals he no doubt would want back. The Flyers need him to consistently find his game again, especially against a Maple Leafs team that can punish mistakes in an instant.

Toronto boasts an absurd amount of offensive talent, headlined by Auston Matthews, who’s in the midst of another ridiculous goal-scoring season. With William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares also in the mix, the Leafs have no shortage of players who can take over a game. That means Ersson will need to be sharp from the opening puck drop—because if there’s one thing the Flyers can’t afford, it’s another night of chasing the game after giving up an early goal or two.

That said, we’ve seen Ersson step up plenty of times before. Last season, he was a major reason why the Flyers’ playoff push lasted as long as it did. This is another one of those moments where the team needs him to rise to the occasion.

2. The Flyers Can’t Afford Defensive Lapses Against Toronto’s Firepower

Goaltending struggles aside, the Flyers’ defense as a whole has been far from airtight lately. 

Defensive zone coverage has been sloppy, costly turnovers have piled up, and opposing teams have been able to exploit gaps far too easily. That’s a problem against anyone—but against one of the most offensively dangerous teams in the NHL? It’s a recipe for disaster.

One of the biggest issues has been a lack of structure in high-pressure situations. The Flyers’ aggressive forecheck is a core part of their identity, but when they get caught up ice, odd-man rushes start piling up. Toronto thrives on transition play, so if the Flyers aren’t careful with their puck management, they could find themselves scrambling more often than not.

This is also a night where the Flyers’ top shutdown pair—Travis Sanheim and Cam York—is going to have its hands full. Sanheim, in particular, will likely be tasked with matching up against Matthews whenever possible. He’s had a strong season overall, but he’ll need to be at his absolute best in this one.

Discipline will also be key. The Leafs’ power play isn’t quite as lethal as it has been in past seasons, but it’s still a top-10 unit that can make opponents pay. The Flyers need to stay out of the box—something they’ve struggled with on this road trip—especially given how much their penalty kill has faltered lately.

3. The Flyers’ Offense Has Reawakened—Can They Keep It Going?

If there’s one silver lining from this recent rough patch, it’s that the Flyers’ offense has finally started producing again. After weeks of being snakebitten, where they were generating chances but failing to convert, the puck is finally going in.

For the Flyers to have a chance in this game, they need these lines to continue producing. Toronto isn’t a team you’re likely to beat in a low-scoring, grind-it-out affair. The Flyers are going to have to trade punches with the Leafs offensively and hope that their depth scoring can chip in as well.

Final Thoughts

This game is a crossroads for the Flyers. They’ve lost five straight, their hold on a playoff spot is slipping, and they need to find a way to stop the bleeding. It won’t be easy—not against a Leafs team that has owned them recently—but it’s not impossible either.

If Sam Ersson can rise to the occasion, if the Flyers can tighten up defensively, and if their newfound offensive spark doesn’t fizzle out, they have a real chance to steal a win in Toronto. But if they come out flat, if they make the same costly mistakes that have haunted them in recent games, it could be another long night.

The good news? This Flyers team has proven time and time again that they don’t back down from a challenge. We’ll see if they can rise to the occasion again.

Projected Lines 

Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards:

Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink

Matvei Michkov - Sean Couturier - Travis Konecny

Olle Lycksell - Ryan Poehling - Jakob Pelletier

Nicolas Deslauriers - Rodrigo Abols - Owen Tippett

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale

Egor Zamula - Emil Andrae

Goalies:

Samuel Ersson

Ivan Fedotov

Toronto Maple Leafs 

Forwards:

Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner

Bobby McMann - John Tavares - William Nylander

Scott Laughton - Max Domi - Nicholas Robertson

Steven Lorentz - David Kampf - Calle Jarnkrok

Defense:

Morgan Rielly - Brandon Carlo

Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev

Simon Benoit - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Goalies:

Anthony Stolarz

Joseph Woll