Gameday 72 Preview: Flyers vs. Blackhawks

The Philadelphia Flyers have spent the last few weeks proving they can go toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the league. 

They pushed the Stars to overtime, hung tough against division rivals, and showed the kind of fight that has kept them in the playoff picture despite all the bumps along the way. Now, they shift gears and take on a very different challenge—the Chicago Blackhawks.

It’s no secret where Chicago stands. They’re near the bottom of the standings, in the midst of a tough rebuild, and dealing with a laundry list of injuries. 

But no one in the Flyers’ locker room is looking at this game as a freebie. That’s how you get burned. Instead, this is an opportunity to build on their strong play, reinforce good habits, and bank two crucial points in the last days of this road trip.

1. Keep the Momentum Going

It’s been a gauntlet lately. The Flyers have gone up against some of the best teams in the league, and instead of backing down, they’ve elevated their play. 

Their game against Dallas was a perfect example—tight, structured, and disciplined, with flashes of offensive creativity. They didn’t get the full two points, but they proved something to themselves in the process.

The challenge now is maintaining that same level of intensity against a team they should beat. It’s a mental test as much as a physical one. When you play a team like Dallas, you know you have to bring your best just to stay in the fight. Against Chicago, the stakes might not feel as high, but the consequences of a letdown would be just as severe.

That’s why this game is just as important as any they’ve played recently. If the Flyers want to stay in the playoff hunt, they can’t afford to give points away. They need to approach this one with the same energy they’ve brought against the league’s best—dictating the pace, forechecking aggressively, and making life miserable for a young, inexperienced Blackhawks squad.

2. The Offense Is Heating Up

For a while there, scoring goals felt like pulling teeth for this team. The defense and goaltending were doing their jobs, but the goal support just wasn’t there. Now, though, the offense is starting to come alive again.

Matvei Michkov has continued to be a spark, using his creativity to generate chances and making plays that no one else on the ice even sees coming. Ryan Poehling has been playing with the kind of speed and confidence that makes him a nightmare for opposing defenders, and has catapulted him into a key piece of the Flyers’ offense.

Not to mention that Travis Konecny is scoring again, and it’s facilitated a drastic upswing in his confidence.

It’s been a slow build, but the Flyers are starting to look like a team that can score consistently again. That’s going to be key against Chicago. The Blackhawks don’t have the defensive structure or the goaltending depth of a team like Dallas, which means there will be chances to capitalize on. The Flyers just need to stay sharp, keep attacking, and not let the Blackhawks hang around.

3. Don’t Let Connor Bedard Steal the Show

For all of Chicago’s struggles, there’s one player who can single-handedly tilt the ice in their favor: Connor Bedard. The 19-year-old phenom has lived up to the hype, even on a team that’s far from contention. He’s shifty, elusive, and has an elite release that makes him dangerous from anywhere in the offensive zone.

If the Flyers want to secure this win, they have to keep Bedard in check. That means being physical with him—cutting off his space, making him work for every inch of ice, and not letting him dictate the tempo of the game. He’s not the biggest guy, and when teams get in his face and force him to battle for pucks, it can take him out of his rhythm.

Sean Couturier will likely see a lot of Bedard, and that’s exactly the matchup the Flyers want. Couturier has made a career out of neutralizing star players, using his positioning and stick work to frustrate even the most skilled forwards. If he and the Flyers’ defensive core can keep Bedard quiet, Chicago is going to have a tough time generating much offense.

Final Thoughts

This game is about taking care of business. The Flyers have been building something over the last few weeks, refining their game, and proving they belong in the playoff conversation. Now, they need to take that same energy and apply it against a team they should beat.

Keep the momentum going. Keep the offense rolling. Shut down Bedard. Do those three things, and they’ll walk out of Chicago with two points and their playoff hopes burning even brighter.

Projected Lines

Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards:

Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink 

Olle Lycksell - Sean Couturier - Travis Konecny

Owen Tippett - Ryan Poehling - Matvei Michkov 

Nicolas Deslauriers - Rodrigo Ābols - Jakob Pelletier

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim 

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale 

Egor Zamula - Emil Andrae 

Goalies:

Samuel Ersson 

Ivan Fedotov 

Chicago Blackhawks 

Forwards:

Ilya Mikheyev - Frank Nazar - Connor Bedard

Teuvo Teravainen - Philipp Kurashev - Nick Foligno

Joe Veleno - Ryan Donato - Tyler Bertuzzi 

Landon Slaggert - Lukas Reichel - Patrick Maroon

Defense:

Alex Vlasic - Wyatt Kaiser

Ethan Del Mastro - Connor Murphy

Louis Crevier - Artyom Levshunov

Goalies:

Spencer Knight

Arvid Soderblom