Game No. 44 Preview: Flyers vs. Lightning

There is no mystery in what the Philadelphia Flyers are walking back into in tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa Bay has already shown them exactly how unforgiving this matchup can be. What remains is whether Philadelphia can take the clarity that comes from a lopsided loss and turn it into something useful before the Lightning turn the game into a track meet again.

Monday’s rematch comes only days after a disheartening 7–2 defeat on Jan. 10, a game that unraveled late and packed a gut punch. But the Flyers did not leave that night pretending otherwise. Players were direct in acknowledging that the performance required correction—regrouping, learning, and applying adjustments. This game is the immediate test of whether those words can ultimately translate to on-ice play.

Dan Vladar will start in net, and there is no gentle way to describe what that means against Tampa Bay.

The Lightning do not overwhelm goaltenders with shot volume alone; they overwhelm them with movement. Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, and Jake Guentzel thrive on forcing lateral reads, dragging defenders out of position, and turning brief hesitations into tap-ins or uncontested looks from the slot.

Vladar’s night will hinge not just on his individual performance, but also on the Flyers’ ability to reduce the chaos in front of him. Tampa’s east–west game punished Philadelphia last time by pulling coverage apart and forcing goaltending decisions with little margin for error. Vladar can handle pressure—he has all season—but no goaltender survives repeated seam passes without structural support.

If the Flyers fail to clean up puck management through the neutral zone or allow uncontrolled entries, Vladar will be facing the same kind of night Ersson endured on Saturday.

Philadelphia enters this game still short-handed. Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale remain unavailable, while Travis Konecny is a game-time decision. That reality shapes everything—from matchup options to how aggressively the Flyers can push the pace.

Matvei Michkov skating alongside Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras is a clear attempt to keep creativity high even with personnel missing. That line offers skill, vision, and puck control, but it will also be tested defensively against a Lightning team that hunts mismatches relentlessly.

Below them, the Barkey–Couturier–Tippett line gives Philadelphia its most reliable blend of structure and pressure, and may be tasked with absorbing some of Tampa’s heavier minutes.

After the Flyers' practice on Sunday, head coach Rick Tocchet emphasized how much his team had to "push through" this unfortunate rash of injuries, and made it clear that he has plenty of his trust in his lineup to handle whatever challenges get thrown at them.

The Flyers’ defensive structure will be under constant examination. Cam York and Travis Sanheim will again shoulder the heaviest burden, particularly against Tampa’s top unit. Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen offer size and edge, but must avoid chasing hits at the expense of positioning. Emil Andrae and Noah Juulsen, meanwhile, represent a pairing that needs to be decisive—quick outlets, clear reads, and no hesitation under pressure.

Tampa punished indecision last time. Pucks lingered on sticks for half-seconds too long. Clears turned into turnovers. The Flyers had their share of execution errors last time out against the Lightning, and against such a high-powered opponent, execution is everything.

For all of that, this is not a hopeless matchup. The Flyers had strong stretches in the previous meeting. They generated quality chances. They forced Andrei Vasilevskiy into some difficult saves. The game did not tilt irrevocably until finishing failed and mistakes compounded late.

If Philadelphia can convert on the opportunities they create, limit turnovers at the offensive blue line, and stay disciplined enough to avoid feeding Tampa’s transition game, they can keep this matchup competitive deep into the night.

Redemption, in this context, does not necessarily mean dominance. It means coherence and showing that the lessons from Jan. 10 were absorbed rather than archived.

The Lightning will certainly not meet the Flyers halfway. They never do. What Philadelphia can control is whether this game follows the same script, or whether they can write a different one.

Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards:

Matvei Michkov - Christian Dvorak - Trevor Zegras

Denver Barkey - Sean Couturier - Owen Tippett

Nikita Grebenkin - Noah Cates - Carl Grundstrom

Nic Deslauriers - Rodrigo Abols - Garnet Hathaway

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Rasmus Ristolainen

Emil Andrae - Noah Juulsen

Goalies:

Dan Vladar

Sam Ersson

Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards:

Gage Goncalves - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov

Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Jake Guentzel

Zemgus Girgensons - Yanni Gourde - Pontus Holmberg

Nick Paul - Dominic James - Oliver Bjorkstrand

Defense:

J.J. Moser - Darren Raddysh

Charle-Edouard D'Astous - Erik Cernak

Declan Carlile - Maxwell Crozier

Goalies:

Jonas Johansson 

Andrei Vasilevskiy