In the first matchup of the 2024 NHL Stadium Series, John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (29-19-7) will take on Lindy Ruff's New Jersey Devils (27-22-4) on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Game time is 8:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised nationally on ABC and streamed on ESPN+. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the third meeting of the four-game regular season series between the Flyers and Devils. Both of the first two games of the season series have been decided in overtime. Each team has won one. Following the Stadium Series, the Flyers and Devils will play each other for the final time in the regular season on April 13 at Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers, currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division, enter Saturday with a seven-point lead over the fourth-place Devils in the race for an automatic playoff spot. The Devils, however, hold two games in hand and a 23-22 lead in the tiebreaking category of regulation wins.
Philadelphia brings a five-game point streak (4-0-1) into Saturday's game. The Flyers saw a four-game post All-Star break winning streak come to an end in a overtime road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
The Devils, who are playing their fourth game in six nights, have posted a 3-2-1 record since the NHL All-Star break. New Jersey sustained a 2-1 home loss to the LA Kings at Prudential Center on Thursday.
Here are five things to watch in Saturday night's outdoor game:
1. Dealing with the Elements
As with any outdoor game, it takes players some time to adjust to the wind, the weather, and the sightlines (especially at night under stadium lights) that differ from a typical arena game. With considerable experience now in staging outdoor games, the ice usually holds up fairly well in NHL outdoor games.
Flyers fans, no doubt, remember the team's comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 amid a heavy rain storm at Lincoln Financial Field throughout the third period and overtime. The teams were able to finish the game. In February 2021, too much sun was a delaying factor for the Flyers outdoor game against the Boston Bruins in Lake Tahoe but the game itself was playable.
For the 2024 Stadium Series, the elements should not be a hindrance. It should be a "hockey weather" evening. According to the National Weather Service, morning snow showers should move out well ahead of the game. Temperatures are predicted to be in the upper 30s on Saturday, with a low of 24 or 25 degrees in the later evening hours.
2. Couturier Is a Go
Newly appointed Flyers captain Sean Couturier was on the receiving end of a slash from Toronto's Tyler Bertuzzi in the third period of Thursday's game. Couturier skated one subsequent shift. On Friday afternoon, Couturier was a full participant in the Flyers' practice at MetLife Stadium.
Afterwards, Couturier said he's good to go for Saturday's game. Although he's likely still sore and bruised, it's something he can play through.
Flyers defenseman Cam York left Thursday's game after a hit from Toronto's Simon Benoit in the third period. York participated in Friday's practice and said he felt well. He is a game-day decision for the Stadium Series.
Flyers winger Tyson Foerster (minor lower-body injury) will not play on Saturday but is not expected to be out for a lengthy period of time. Veteran defenseman Ramus Ristolainen (upper-body injury) is also out.
3. Ersson Gets the Start
Typically, Tortorella does not announce his starting goaltender until gameday. However, in this case, Samuel Ersson confirmed after Friday's practice that he will get the start in goal for the Stadium Series. It will be Ersson's first professional outdoor game, and his parents have traveled from Sweden to watch him.
Ersson enters the Stadium Series with a 15-9-4 record, 2.55 goals against average, .900 save percentage and three shutouts. The backup goaltender is Cal Petersen (2-1-0, 3.00 GAA, .890 SV%).
For the Devils, Vitek Vanecek has recently been dealing with a lower-body injury as well as an illness. New Jersey's primary starter this season, Vanecek is unavailable for the Stadium Series game.
Nico Daws (5-6-0, 2.93 GAA, .909 SV%) got the start against the Kings on Thursday, stopping 27 of 29 shots in a losing cause. Akira Schmid (5-7-1, 3.26 GAA, 893 SV%) is also available for duty against the Flyers.
4. Inside the Numbers
Teams try not to deviate from their typical identities and systems, whether the game is played in an indoor arena or outside in a stadium. To some degree, though, one should expect the unexpected as an outdoor game plays out on the ice.
Statistically, the Devils rank tied for 9th in the NHL offensively, averaging 3.34 goals per game. The Flyers rank 22nd with an average 2.91 goals per game.
Travis Konecny leads the Flyers in scoring with 51 points (26 goals, 25 assists) in 55 games). He's followed by Joel Farabee (17g, 25a, 42 points in 55 games). Despite 21 shots on goal and multiple good scoring chances, Farabee's last goal came nine games ago on a power play goal against Otttawa from just inside the left point. He has three assists in the last eight games. If you're looking for a breakout game candidate on the Flyers, Farabee would be a good choice.
Following Farabee on the Flyers scoring leaderboard are Owen Tippett (19g, 14a) and Couturier (11g, 22a): Both players have 33 points in 51 games played. After Konecny, Morgan Frost (9g, 17a, 26 points for the season in 44 games) has arguably been the Flyers' hottest offensive player over the last five weeks.
Travis Sanheim leads the Flyers blueline with 30 points (5g, 25a) in 55 games. Veteran winger Cam Atkinson (13g, 15a, 28 points) had hot streaks early in the season and again in mid-January (five goals and 10 points in five games after a 26-game goal drought). However, Atlkinson is without a point in his last seven games.
The Devils have more firepower than Philly. New Jersey has eight players with double-digit goals and seven players with 25-plus points.
On the flip side, the Flyers rank tied for 10th defensively with a team 2.85 goals against average but are a very good shot suppression team that allows the third-fewest shots on goal per game (27.9). The Devils have been unhappy with how many goals they've allowed this season, ranking in a tie for 26th with a team 3.42 GAA. New Jersey ranks 22nd (31.6 average shots against per game) in terms of preventing opposing shots on goal.
In terms of special teams play, the Devils rank tied with the Vancouver Canucks for ninth on the power play (38-for-161, 23.6 percent), The Flyers penalty kill ranks second in the NHL at 86.0 percent (opposing power plays are 24-for-171).
Worth watching: While the Devils power play is formidable, it's prone to yielding shorthanded counterattacking chances. New Jersey has coughed up seven opposing shorthanded goals. No NHL team has allowed more than eight this season thus far.
The Flyers, meanwhile, lead the NHL with 13 shorthanded goals. Konecny has scored five. Ryan Poehling has three. Defenseman Sean Walker has tallied two. Scott Laughton, Garnet Hathaway and Sanheim have one apiece. Laughton leads the Flyers with five shorthanded assists.
Philadelphia went 1-for-3 on the power play on Thursday in Toronto. For the season, the Flyers rank 31st in the NHL at 13.0 percent (23-for-177) with three shorthanded goals allowed. The New Jersey PK ranks 18th at 79.4 percent (opponents are 34-for-165). The Devils have scored three shorthanded goals: one apiece by Nico Hischier, Curtis Lazar, and Erik Haula.
5. Behind Enemy Lines: New Jersey Devils
Both the Flyers and Devils are teams that like to attack off the rush. New Jersey sorely missed their most dynamic player, Jack Hughes (17g, 32a, 49 points in just 37 games played), while he was out with an injury. Hughes has been back in the lineup since the All-Star break. He brings a three-game point streak (2g, 2a) into the Stadium Series game.
The Flyers have learned the hard way in recent years that opponents who lose track of Jesper Bratt (team-leading 57 points in 53 games) will often soon regret it. Bratt, who has 20 goals and 37 assists so far this season. In 26 career games against the Flyers, Bratt has scored nine goals (his most against any opponent) and 20 points (also his most against any club).
Following Bratt and Hughes on the Devils scoring leaderboard: veteran power forward Tyler Toffoli (23g, 13a), two-way center Hischier (16g, 19a), Haula (11g, 16a), fleet and offensively creative young defenseman Luke Hughes (8g, 19a), and 2020 first-round pick Dawson Mercer (15g, 11a).
Veteran Swiss winger Timo Meier (10g, 11a) has had a disappointing season so far after signing an eight-year, $8.8 million AAV contract. He's been limited to 40 games played and dealt with mid-body issues. Meier has points (1g, 1a) in two of the Devils' last three games.
Former longtime Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat exited the All-Star break with a two-goal game against the Calgary Flames. He has one assist (against Nashville) in four games since then. For the season, Palat has 20 points (8g, 12a) in 43 games played. Lazar (6g, 11a) and veteran defenseman John Marino (4g 13a) have chipped in 17 points apiece.
Overall, the Devils have a deep and talented roster and a good on-paper mix. However, the squad has been inconsistent and prone to costly breakdowns in puck management and gaps.
