5 THINGS: Flyers vs. Ducks

On Lou Nolan Night at the Wells Fargo Center, interim head coach Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (23-37-11) will take on Dallas Eakins' Anaheim Ducks ( 28-32-12) on Saturday evening. The pregame ceremonies honoring Nolan's 55 years of continual service to the Flyers organization and 50 years as public address announcer will begin at 7:25 p.m. EDT. Opening faceoff is at 7:46 p.m. (NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic, FlyersRadio247.com).

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the inter-conference teams, and the lone game in Philadelphia. Back on Jan. 4 in Anaheim, the Flyers lost by a 4-1 score. Troy Terry compiled a hat trick with two even strength goals and a power play tally.
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 4-1 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. Kevin Connauton (1st goal of the season), Owen Tippett (8th goal of the season, 2nd as a Flyer), Noah Cates (2nd) and Travis Konecny (13th) scored for the Flyers. Travis Sanheim chipped in two assists amid a strong two-way performance. Morgan Frost assisted on the Konecny goal and won six of eight faceoffs. Kevin Hayes set up the Tippett tally. In goal, Martin Jones turned back 26 of 27 shots to earn the win.
The Ducks sustained a 4-2 home loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Trevor Zegras (18th) and Adam Henrique (15th) tallied in a losing cause for Anaheim, while former Flyers goaltender Anthony Stolarz stopped 24 of 27 shots. Saturday's game in Philadelphia marks the start of a grueling eastern road trip that will see the Ducks play four games in six nights including a 6:00 p.m. EDT game in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
Here are five things to watch -- after the Lou Nolan ceremony -- in Saturday's game.
1. Youthful energy
It's too late for the Flyers, who are 28th place in the 32-team NHL and have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, to "rescue" their 2020-21 season. However, that's not to say the team has nothing to play for beyond Draft Lottery odds. An ongoing emphasis within the team has been placed on playing with more consistent pace, energy and resiliency than the team exhibited as the season got away from them. It's not just about execution of systems. It's also an attitude.
Over the last 10 games, the Flyers have shown improvement in their game despite their modest 4-6-0 record in that span. A big part of the recent improvement has been supplied by players who entered this season either with no prior NHL experience or at least with less than 55 games over one or more previous seasons.
Players such as the 23-year-old Tippett, the 22-year-old Frost and 21-year-old Cam York -- the latter two entered this season qualifying for NHL rookie status, while Tippet entered the campaign with a combined 54 games in the league -- have been trending the right way in their respective games after experiencing their share of adversity earlier in the season.
In the meantime, after completing their 2021-22 collegiate hockey seasons, 23-year-old two-way forward Noah Cates and 23-year-old offensive-minded defenseman Ronnie Attard have recently made their NHL debuts. Cates has fit right in the NHL lineup while Attard has shown flashes of upside.
Hobey Baker Award finalist and NCAA leading scorer Bobby Brink, whose University of Denver team will play this Saturday for the NCAA championship, is also likely to join the Flyers soon. The Flyers also have one non-emergency recall left from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The likes of Wade Allison, Tanner Laczynski and Isaac Ratcliffe -- all of whom scored goals on Friday night in a 4-1 win over the Hershey Bears -- are vying for that final recall spot if the Flyers utilize it before the end of the season.
The infusion of youth in the Flyers lineup -- and the recent expansion of the roles by players already in the system such as York and Frost -- has made for interesting viewing as the season winds down. Watching young players navigate their respective learning curves and strive for consistency is one of the primary aspects worth tracking over the final 11 games of this season.
2. Special Teams Processes
The Flyers enter Saturday's game with the NHL's lowest-ranked power play ( 26-for-207,12.6 percent success rate) along with 10 shorthanded goals allowed (ranked 30th). The Flyers penalty kill is ranked 23rd (47 opposition power play goals on 198 opportunities, 76.3 percent).
The team's special teams index number -- power play percentage plus penalty killing percentage -- is 88.9. That ranks 30th in the NHL in combined special teams efficiency, ahead of only the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.
The Flyers' penalty kill has fared better of late, going 16-for-19 (84.2 percent) over the last 10 games. The power play, however, is 2-for-30 (6.7 percent) with two shorthanded goals allowed. The Flyers showed improved puck movement and increased puck possession time in a couple of games but have struggled mightily to finish.
Anaheim's special teams come in at 22.1 percent on the power play (ranked 12th) and 80.5 percent on the penalty kill (ranked 13th) for a special team number of 102.6. That should present a good challenge for the Flyers.
3. Inside the Numbers
As a team, the Ducks are minus-28 (131GF - 159 GA) at 5-on-5 this season. The Flyers are minus-21 (139 GF - 160 GA). Dating back to the All-Star break, the Flyers are close to the break-even mark (62 GF - 64 GA) in their five-on-five goal differential. The Ducks are minus- 26 (41 GF -67 GA) in that span.

In terms of individual scoring since the All-Star break, Travis Konecny leads the Flyers with 19 points (5g, 14a) while dressing in 25 of 26 games. He's followed by Kevin Hayes (five goals, 17 points in 17 games), Joel Farabee (five goals, 15 points in 20 games), Cam Atkinson (six goals, 14 points, -12, while dressing in all 26 games) and defenseman Travis Sanheim (four goals, 14 points, +7, 22:32 TOI).
On the Anaheim side in the same span, Trevor Zegras leads the way with 19 points (6g, 13a, -12) in 23 games. He's followed by Adam Henrique (9 goals, 17 points in 21 games), Troy Terry (six of his overall 31 goals, 16 of his overall 57 points), defenseman Cam Fowler (two goals, 14 points) and former Flyers forward Derek Grant (five goals, 10 points in 24 games).
4. Behind Enemy Lines: Anaheim Ducks
Saturday's match will be the first career game in Philadelphia for dynamic 21-year-old forward Trevor Zegras. Already one of the most creative and most daring players with the puck league-wide, he has already scored on "the Michigan" lacrosse-style goal and set up a Sonny Milano goal on a trick play that has been dubbed "the Zegras" among his season highlights. Overall, he has 18 goals, 33 assists and 51 points in 65 games played. That includes a pair of goals and four points in the Ducks' last five games.
Ryan Getzlaf, the 36-year-old Ducks franchise icon, who has spent his entire 17-season career with Anaheim and has captained the club for the last 11 seasons, recently announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2021-22 season. This year, he has compiled 28 assists and 31 points in 49 games played. Getzlaf, who last suited up on March 29, is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Claimed off waivers from the Flyers on March 20, Gerry Mayhew has chipped in two goals in seven games for the Ducks. He was scratched last game against Calgary.
5. Players to Watch: Sanheim and Fowler
Travis Sanheim stands a good chance this season winning his first Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers' top defenseman. He has played especially well of late on both sides of the puck. Last game against Columbus, he killed several developing Blue Jackets attacks with a quick defensive stick. He triggered breakouts with good outlet passes. In two instances, he skated pucks to safety himself. Up ice, Sanheim has been jumping into the attack with a lot of confidence.
Anaheim blueline counterpart Cam Fowler leads the Ducks' defense corps with 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) and an average 24:17 of ice time. He's also blocked 102 shots.