Returning from a five-night hiatus, John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (18-11-4) are in British Columbia on Thursday night to take on Rick Tocchet's Vancouver Canucks (23-9-3). It's the first stop in a four-game western road trip for the Flyers and the start of a stretch of three games in four nights. Game time at Rogers Arena is 10 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is second and final meeting of the 2023-24 season series between the teams, and the lone game in Vancouver. Back on October 17 -- the Flyers regular season home opener -- Carter Hart recorded a 26-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Canucks.
Egor Zamula opened the scoring at 1:45 of the first period. Later, Sean Couturier scored on a penalty shot, debuting his "Martin St. Louis" move that he subsequently also used successfully in a shootout. Thatcher Demko made 40 saves in a losing cause for the Canucks.
Since that time, Vancouver has surged in the standings. Tocchet's club enters this game in first place in the Western Conference and tied with the New York Rangers for the most points in the NHL. For the season to date, the Canucks are the top scoring team in the NHL (3.86 goals per game on average) and rank second defensively with a team 2.51 goals against average.
The Flyers, meanwhile, have the NHL's top record (13-4-3) in the 20 games they've played dating back to November 10 in Anaheim. In that span, the Flyers' team 2.50 GAA ranks fourth in the NHL and ranks second in the NHL with a penalty kill clicking at 89.4 percent. The Canucks are one point behind the Flyers over that same span, but have played 22 games.
Here are five things to watch in Thursday's game:
1. A reset for both teams
With the Canucks coming off a four-night break over the holidays and the Flyers five nights removed from their wild comeback in a 7-6 shootout loss in Detroit, there is no momentum or fatigue factor for either team heading into the game. As with all clubs exiting the holiday break, the first game back is a reset for both Philadelphia and Vancouver.
In the bigger picture, the Flyers have either won or posted at least a regulation tie in 10 of their last 11 games (7-1-3). The Canucks are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games.
Heading into the schedule break, Travis Konecny led the Flyers both in goals (16) and total points (27). He collected three assists in the final four games leading into the break. Konecny last scored seven games ago with a two-goal performance in Colorado on December 2.
Konecny is followed on the Flyers' scoring leaderboard by defenseman Travis Sanheim (4g, 20a), two-way center Couturier (9g, 14a), left winger Joel Farabee (11g, 11a. team-leading 21 points at 5-on-5), and left winger Owen Tippett (11g, 11a).
Adjusted for ice time differentials (points/60 mins of ice time), Farabee (4.17 P/60) has been the Flyers most efficient point producer. He's followed by Tippett (3.68 P/60), Konecny (3.46), Morgan Frost (3.27 P/60) and Bobby Brink (3.12 P/60).
2. Defend less, attack more
While the Flyers won a lot of games heading into the holiday break, they spend a lot more time defending in recent weeks than they were over the first six weeks of the regular season. Over the last 10 games, the Flyers rank 22nd in the NHL in terms of shot attempt differentials (Corsi) at 5-on-5 although they were 12th in terms of quality of scoring chances (expected goals) at even strength.
After the Flyers' 4-2 home loss to Nashville on Dec. 21, Tortorella chided the team for a decline in forechecking pressure in recent weeks and an overreliance on creating plays off transition plays.
For the season, the Flyers rank 16th in team Corsi at 5-on-5 (47.43 percent) and 12th in expected goals differential (51.91 percent).
The Canucks, over their last 10 games, have a 46.01 team Corsi and 46.96 percent expected goals share at 5-on-5. For the season, the Canucks are 19th in team Corsi at 5-on-5 (48.85 percent) and 21st in expected goals share (48.65 percent).
In terms of limiting opposing shots that force the goalie to make a save, the Flyers rank in a tie for fifth for the fewest shots on goal allowed per game this season (28.6) while Vancouver ranks 14th (30.0). The Flyers rank fifth in terms of generating shots on goal (32.9) while the Canucks are 29th (28.0).
Bottom line: At the end of the night, all that really matters is whether you won or lost. The Canucks and Flyers are both finding ways to win with regularity. However, to sustain that success for the duration of the season, both clubs would serve themselves well to attack more and defend less than they have of late.
3. Goalie matchup
With three games in the next four nights, the Flyers will split goaltending duties between Samuel Ersson (8-4-2, 2.56 GAA, .899 SV%, two shutouts) and Hart (9-6-2, 2.62 GAA, .913 SV%, one shutout). Tortorella will announce Thursday's starter against the Canucks following the morning skate at Rogers Arena.
At Wednesday's practice, Ersson manned the net that the Flyers will defend in the first and third periods. That is often -- but not always -- a clue as to which goalie will start and which will back up in the next game. Whichever goalie backs up against the Canucks will likely start Friday's game in Seattle.
Hart's lone shutout this season came at the Canucks' expense. However, in recent weeks, he battled a lingering illness and Ersson started five consecutive games before Hart returned to start in Detroit in the final game before the Christmas break. Hart was strafed for five goals in the first period but then allowed only one goal over the final 45 minutes of regulation and overtime.
The Canucks have a more relaxed schedule than the Flyers in upcoming days.Their next game after playing the Flyers will not be until next Tuesday (Jan. 2). As such, there is not an imminent need to split starts between their two goalies.
Demko has made 25 starts to date this season. He's posted a 17-7-1 record, 2.46 goals against average, .917 save percentage and three shutouts. Backup goalie Casey DeSmith has had 10 starts and one relief appearance (6-2-2. 2.44 GAA, .923 SV%, one shutout).
4. Flyers special teams vs. Canucks special teams
The Flyers enter Thursday's game in Vancouver ranked last in the NHL on the power play at 10.6 percent (11-for-104). They've allowed two shorthanded goals to date, Philly also ranked 32nd in the NHL on the power play in both 2021-22 (12.6 percent) and 2022-23 (15.6 percent).
Vancouver's penalty kill ranks 24th in the NHL to date this season at 77.8 percent success. Opposing power plays are 24-for-108 thus far. The Canucks have scored four shorthanded goals this season: one apiece by J.T. Miller, Sam Lafferty, Teddy Blueger and defenseman Tyler Myers.
The Flyers' penalty kill has excelled this season, clicking at 85.7 percent to rank fifth. Opposing power plays are 15-for-105. However, Philly allowed a power play goal in three of their four final games before the holiday break. The Flyers have scored seven shorthanded goals so far this season: three by Konecny, two by defenseman Sean Walker, and one apiece by Ryan Poehling and Scott Laughton.
The Canucks' power play ranks 10th in the NHL at 24.2 percent (30-for-124). They are the only team in the NHL that has yet to allow a single shorthanded goal against so far this season.
5. Behind Enemy Lines: Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks earned a 7-4 home victory over the San Jose Sharks in the final game before the holiday break. Overall, Vancouver is 13-3-1 on home ice so far this season.
Miller enters this game ranked third in the NHL's Art Ross Trophy race. He's posted 15 goals, 33 assists and 48 points to date in 35 games while averaging 19:54 of ice time per game. Among his points, 21 have come on the power play (7 PPG, 14 PPA). Miller has also won 54.9 percent of his faceoffs. In 29 career games against the Flyers, Miller has posted nine goals and 18 points.
Fleet-footed and creative defenseman Quinn Hughes is second on the Canucks with 44 points (10 goals, team-high 34 assists), while leading the team with an average 24:35 of ice time per game and a traditional +28 rating. His defense partner, Filip Hronek, has averaged 24:03 of ice time while posting a plus-23 rating and 29 points (2g, 27a).
Standout center Elias Petterson has collected 43 points to date (13g, 30a). Seventeen of his points (5 PPG, 12 PPA) have come on the power play. He averages 19:50 of ice time per game. In nine career games against the Flyers, Petterson has posted nine points (3g, 6a).
The Canucks' primary net-front threat, right winger Brock Boeser, leads the Canucks with 24 goals (9 PPG) among his 38 points. Injuries have often been a problem for Boeser in recent years but he's dressed in all 35 games to date this season.
The left wing on the Canucks' top five-on-five line, Ilya Mikheyev has posted 20 points to date (10g, 10 a) in 30 games played. Heading into the Christmas break, he had four points (1g, 3a) in the last four games. Fellow Russian winger Andrei Kuzmenko has 19 points (8g, 11a) to date this season including a two-goal game against San Jose in the final game before the break.
