5 THINGS: Flyers vs. Oilers

GAME NOTES
In the fifth game of an eight-game homestand, interim head coach Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (16-26-10) will host Jay Woodcroft's Edmonton Oilers (29-21-3) on Tuesday evening. Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET. (NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic).

This is the second and final game of the season series between the teams, and the lone meeting in Philadelphia. On Oct. 27, the Flyers skated to a 6-3 victory at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Two goals by Cam Atkinson -- a first-period buzzer beater and the game winning goal -- led the way offensively. Philadelphia also received tallies from Claude Giroux (4th), fourth-line center Nate Thompson (1st) and Sean Couturier (empty net, 2nd).
Carter Hart was excellent overall in goal, stopping 34 of 37 shots to earn the win. Hart's play in the second period in particular prevented the Flyers from falling behind despite heavy pressure from the Oilers.
A defensive stop by Rasmus Ristolainen in the first period started the 200-foot sequence that ended with Giroux's wraparound goal. Ristolainen led the team with six credited hits and four blocked shots.
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 2-1 win over the visiting Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon. First period goals by Giroux (11 seconds into the game) and Atkinson staked the Flyers to a 2-0 lead. It was Giroux's 17th goal of the season, and the team-leading 18th for Atkinson. Hart and company made the lead stand up.
The Oilers come into this game having lost a 2-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon. A Derek Ryan tally in the second period narrowed a 2-0 gap to a single goal. Both teams had a would-be goal disallowed after being challenged for an offside entry. The Hurricanes staged a textbook closeout to keep the dangerous Oilers' attack at bay late in the game. Connor McDavid briefly left the game -- but subsequently returned -- after taking a stick to the mouth in the first period.
Here are five things to watch in this game:
1. "Defend well but defend less"
In Saturday's win over the Capitals, the Flyers played an outstanding first period and a strong opening five to seven minutes in the middle stanza. However, as soon as the Capitals got on the board on a TJ Oshie power play goal, the puck possession tide shifted dramatically.
The Flyers spent most of the latter half of the game in their own end of the ice, and struggled to advance the puck much beyond the red line. Philadelphia played with some of their best defensive structure of recent months -- largely containing the Capitals to the perimeter -- but they flirted with danger by having to defend so often. When the Capitals did break through, Hart had the answers.
After Monday's practice, Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov noted the importance of the Flyers maintaining the level of defensive support they showed against Washington but also trying to sustain more attack zone time against the Oilers across all three periods.
As Yeo phrased it, "We need to defend well, but defend less. We have to make it about us, not the opponent we're playing."
The first period of Saturday's game was the prototype for the kind of pace, puck pursuit and attacking mentality the Flyers have strived for -- but struggled to sustain -- all season. Philly generated 14 shots on goal in the first period against the Capitals but just a combined eight (four in the second, four in the third) over the final 40 minutes.
2. Lineup Redux
With the Flyers coming off a win last game, it is not a surprise that the line combinations at Monday's practice at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees were the same as Saturday's starting lineup.
Derick Brassard, who had only played one game apiece in December, January and February due to a nagging hip issue, returned to play in Saturday's February finale (11:48 TOI across18 shifts). Tuesday's game against the Oilers will be the first time since November 20th and 23rd that Brassard will be in the starting lineup in consecutive games.
Brassard left the Nov. 23 game against Tampa Bay after just four shifts. He was then out until returning on Dec. 8. but the discomfort returned and he was out until Jan. 6. Brassard returned for the first game after the NHL All-Star break (Feb. 9 against Detroit) but was sidelined again until Saturday's matinee against the Capitals.
For the season, Brassard has dressed in 21 of the 52 games the team has played to date. He has chipped in four goals and seven assists.
Joel Farabee, who has been limited by injury to 34 games played (11g, 8a) this season, went down with a shoulder injury in Columbus on Jan. 20. He returned to the lineup on Saturday, and made a chip pass that started the Giroux goal sequence for the Flyers just 11 seconds after the opening faceoff.
On Monday, the Flyers made a decision to send rookie center Morgan Frost down the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The expediency of Frost's return to the NHL, per Yeo, will be dependent on his play in Allentown as well as the health situation on the Flyers' roster. Kevin Hayes is also nearing a potential return.
Tuesday's projected lineup is as follows:
86 Joel Farabee - 28 Claude Giroux - 89 Cam Atkinson
23 Oskar Lindblom - 21 Scott Laughton - 11 Travis Konecny
25 James van Riemsdyk - 19 Derick Brassard- 20 Gerry Mayhew
76 Isaac Ratcliffe - 38 Patrick Brown - 18 Zack MacEwen
9 Ivan Provorov - 61 Justin Braun
6 Travis Sanheim - 70 Rasmus Ristolainen
3 Keith Yandle - 24 Nick Seeler
79 Cart Hart
[35 Martin Jones]
PP1: Giroux, JVR, Farabee, Atkinson, Yandle
PP2: Brassard, Ratcliffe, Konecny, Mayhew, Provorov
3. Inside the Numbers
It's not hard to cut to the chase as to why the Edmonton Oilers are on the bubble of either being a wildcard team in the Western Conference or missing the playoffs.
Buoyed by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers boast the NHL's 3rd ranked power play (26.5 percent efficiency) and rank within the top one-third of the league with an average 3.26 goals per game (ranked 9th). On the flip side, the Oilers rank 23rd defensively at a 3.23 GAA. Historically, NHL teams that are this reliant on outscoring their mistakes historically miss the playoffs more frequently than they get in. Even if they do make it, such clubs usually squeak into postseason play and rarely advance very far.
Both the Flyers and the Oilers have had problems this season with giving up the game's first goal. Including Saturday's win over the Capitals, the Flyers have scored first in just 22 (13-3-6 record) of 52 games, while giving up the first goal 30 times (3-23-4). Edmonton has scored first a mere 16 times (but are a perfect 16-0-0) and given up the first goal 37 times (13-21-3).
The Oilers are 15-0-0 when leading after the first period in a game this season. They are 10-4-1 when tied after the first period, and 4-17-2 when trailing at the first intermission. The team is 19-1-1 when they hold the lead at the second intermission. The Flyers, meanwhile, are 8-1-4 when leading after the first period and 7-0-3 when leading after two periods. The real telling numbers here show the inadequate frequency of playing from ahead. When tied after two periods, the Flyers are 8-4-3 and the Oilers are 6-2-1.

4. Behind Enemy Lines: Edmonton Oilers
Entering Tuesday's game, the Oilers (53 GP) and Dallas Stars (52 GP) are tied with 61 points. The Stars currently hold the lower wildcard slot in the Western Conference by virtue of having played one fewer game. However, it's worth noting that the Oilers currently hold a substantial tiebreaker edge (24 regulation wins to 19) if they end up in a points tie with Dallas at the end of the 82-game regular season. Nonetheless, the Oilers came up short in a big test against Easten Conference powerhouse Carolina, and should be a very motivated hockey team coming to Philadelphia.
Tuesday's game is the fourth of a five-game road trip for the Oilers.The trip will conclude in Chicago on Thursday.
McDavid is tied with Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau atop the Art Ross Trophy race with 75 points apiece but holds the tiebreaker edge with 28 goals scored to 18 for Huberdeau. McDavid is tied for 7th in the Rocket Richard Trophy race,while teammate Draisaitl's 36 goals put him one behind Toronto's Auston Matthews for the Richard Trophy. Draisaitl, with 74 points, is one point behind McDavid and Huberdeau for the Art Ross Trophy.
After the Oilers' two superstar forwards, there's a big dropoff in point production. Currently out with an injury, two-way center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is third on the team with 37 points (7g, 30a) in 45 games played. Tenacious forward Zach Hyman is next with 35 points (19g,16a), followed by the injured Jesse Puljujärvi (12g, 16a). Defenseman Darnell Nurse has logged 26:16 of ice time per game as the backbone of the blueline corps. Young defenseman Evan Bouchard has logged an average 20:30 TOI and produced nine goals among his 27 points.
In goal, 39-year-old Mike Smith got the start in the Washington game; his 14th outing of the season (5-7-1 record, 3.53 GAA, .893 SV%). Thirty-three-year-old Mikko Koskinen has made 29 appearances this season (18-8-2 record, 3.13 GAA, .901 save percentage). Twenty-two-year-old Stuart Skinner showed promise in 13 appearances but is back with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.
On the injury front, Nugent-Hopkins (upper body) is out; Puljujärvi (lower body) is on IR; Kyle Turris (undisclosed) is on IR; Duncan Keith (concussion) is on IR but could be cleared to play; Zack Kassian (fractured jaw) is on IR; Kris Russell (undisclosed) is on long-term IR. Following Sunday's game, the Oilers recalled 32-year-old forward Brad Malone from Bakersfield. Malone is a veteran of 199 NHL games (13g, 17a).
Keith traveled with the Oilers to Philadelphia and practiced with the team. He may be ready to play in Tuesday's game. The projected Oilers lineup (subject to change) is as follows:
37 Warren Foegele - 97 Connor McDavid - 18 Zach Hyman
91 Evander Kane - 29 Leon Draisaitl - 70 Colton Sceviour
24 Brad Malone - 71 Ryan McLeod - 10 Derek Ryan
16 Tyler Benson - 14 Devin Shore - 80 Markus Niemeläinen
25 Darnell Nurse - 22 Tyson Barrie
2 Duncan Keith - 5 Cody Ceci
84 William Lagesson - 75 Evan Bouchard
19 Mikko Koskinen
41 Mike Smith
PP1: McDavid, Draisaitl, Kane, Hyman, Barrie
PP2: Foegele, McLeod, Benson, Nurse, Bouchard
5. Players to watch: van Riemsdyk and Kane
James van Riemsyk had a resurgent overall campaign in the lockout-shortened 2020-21 season, but it has been a struggle for him in much of the 2021-22 season (11g, 9a, minus-26 rating) while dressing in all 52 games. He has been held without a point in six of his last seven games, is eight games removed from his most recent goal (vs. Winnipeg on Feb. 1) and has just four goals, seven points and a minus-15 traditional Plus-Minus rating dating back to Jan. 1.
When asked about JVR's play over the last two months, Yeo praised the player's work ethic and positive attitude and said that, although the veteran winger did not earn a point in Saturday's game against Washington, he played an effective game. The coach said that the team counts on van Riemsdyk to generate offense and realizes that the points have been hard to come by, but said he is not unhappy with how JVR has been performing apart from a dip in his play about four games ago that was subsequently corrected by the player.
With the Oilers, McDavid and Draisaitl are always the players to watch the most closely, regardless of game or opponent. Beyond those players, veteran power forward Evander Kane poses a good challenge to the Flyers.
Since being jettisoned from the San Jose Sharks, the often-controversial 30 year-old winger has shown he still has plenty of game when he's on the ice. Kane has produced five goals, 10 points and a plus-seven rating in 14 games to date with the Oilers.Kane's combination of size, physical strength and mean streak, pure finishing ability and above-average speed have always made him tough to play against. It's never been a question of talent.