John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (4-2-1) will host Greg Cronin's Anaheim Ducks (3-4-0) in a Saturday matinee at the Wells Fargo Center. Game time is 1:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP with Jim Jackson and Brian Boucher on the call. The radio broadcast, with Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on the call, is on 97.5 The Fanatic and an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the inter-conference clubs. The Flyers and Ducks will rematch in Anaheim on Nov. 10, 2023. Last season, the Flyers swept the two-game season series with a 4-1 road win and a 5-2 home victory.
The Flyers enter Saturday's game coming off a 6-2 rout of the Minnesota Wild to improve to 3-0-0 at home so far this season.
Bobby Brink scored power play and even-strength goals for his first two career tallies in the NHL. The Flyers also received goals from Travis Konecny (6th), Sean Couturier (PPG, 2nd), Owen Tippett (1st), and Travis Sanheim (1st). Cam Atkinson collected three assists. Carter Hart turned aside 25 of 27 shots to earn the win.
Here are five things to watch in Saturday's game:
1. Forechecking pressure
The Flyers have been effective at establishing a forecheck and making opponents work hard to get the puck out of their end zone. Keeping that trend going against Anaheim would go a long way toward playing from ahead.
The Ducks have a talented group of forwards. However, it's also a club that will turn pucks over under pressure. Anaheim has made notable strides toward cleaning up that area compared to last season. Nonetheless, it's still a team that can revert to the sorts of breakdowns that plagued them last year.
Additionally, the harder the Ducks have to work in their own end, they less opportunities there are for Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry and company to go on the attack.
2. Continued balanced scoring
Through the first seven games of the 2023-24 season, the Flyers have gotten at least one goal from eight different forwards and at least one tally from four different defensemen (five blueline goals in total). With Couturier (2g-4a) and Atklinson (4g-3a) back in the lineup after missing last season, the Flyers have been better able to spread around the offense.
"We don't have that one or two really big scoring forwards, but we have pretty good depth, and we're able to roll our lines," Couturier said on Thursday. "I think that's been one of the areas that has helped us."
Eight different Flyers players have posted four-points or more so far this season. Konecny leads the Flyers with nine points (6g-3a) through seven games. He's followed by Sanheim (1g-6a), Atkinson, Couturier, Joel Farabee (3g-2a), Brink (2g-2a), Tippett (1g-3a) and Scott Laughton (0g-4a).
It's also important not to overlook the goaltending the Flyers have received so far from Hart. Through his first six starts, Hart has posted a .924 save-% and 2.18 GAA.
3. Flyers power play vs. Anaheim PK
Philly got off the 5-on-4 powerplay schneid in going 2-for-3 on the man advantage against Minnesota.
Now the Flyers will look to build on it in upcoming games. No NHL team has had to play shorthanded more times thus far than the Ducks (37 TS). They are tied with Montreal for the most penalties taken that have put the club shorthanded.
The Ducks enter Saturday afternoon's game 28-for-37 (75.7 percent, ranked 18th) on the penalty kill. Anaheim has not yet scored a shorthanded goal.
4. Flyers PK vs. Anaheim power play
The Flyers went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill against Minnesota. Philadelphia's aggressive penalty killing style has been very effective so far. The Flyers enter Saturday's game tied for 10th in the NHL on the PK at 86.4% (19-for-22).
The Flyers have already racked up four shorthanded goals in the first two-plus weeks of the young season: two by Konecny and two by defenseman Sean Walker. In addition to the four pucks that have gone in for shorties, the Flyers have had several shorthanded breakaways that did not result in goals.
The Ducks have been struggling so far on the power play. Anaheim is 1-for-24 (4.2 percent) thus far on the man advantage, ranking last in the league. The Flyers' 3-for-23 (13.0 percent) ranks 24th.
5. Behind enemy lines: Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks enter this game coming off an upset 4-3 overtime road win over the previously unbeaten Boston Bruins on Thursday. Two nights earlier, the Ducks captured a 3-2 sudden death road victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Last year, the Ducks ranked dead last in the NHL with a horrid 4.09 GAA. Not only did it rank at the bottom of the league last year, the 2022-23 Ducks set the dubious distinction of being the NHL club with the worst team goals against average since the 1995-96 San Jose Sharks (4.35 GAA).
So far this season, the Ducks have shown improvement in their off-puck play. That will need to continue for Anaheim to climb in the standings.
