The Philadelphia Flyers are enjoying their finest hockey of the season, however a contemporary problem awaits Thursday once they host the defending champion Florida Panthers.
Philadelphia is 4-0-1 over its final 5 video games with three extra time wins throughout that stretch. Rookie winger Matvei Michkov has scored OT targets in two of these victories. The 19-year-old Russian has three OT tallies within the final 9 video games, together with Saturday’s 3-2 win at St. Louis.
“We have had some confidence with (extra time),” Philadelphia coach John Tortorella mentioned. “Michkov has helped us fairly a bit there. Final yr, we struggled with it.”
The Flyers have had a pleasant break since Saturday’s victory, although, so it stays to be seen if their latest momentum will carry over into Thursday’s contest.
One space that might assist towards Florida is the potential return of No. 1 goaltender Samuel Ersson, who has been out since Nov. 11 with a lower-body damage. Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have break up time in internet throughout Ersson’s absence with blended outcomes.
Tortorella is grateful for the chance to judge each of his group’s backup goalies, however he additionally needs to proceed assessing Ersson, who’s in his first full season as a group’s main netminder.
“All these things with the accidents, the goalie, our No. 1 man gone, it offers us an concept of what we’ve,” Tortorella mentioned. “And that is an enormous a part of this yr and, fairly truthfully, subsequent (yr) as a result of there aren’t any free brokers coming. We now have to maintain on evaluating what we’ve within the group.”
Florida, after all, is aware of what it has in its high goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky. Nonetheless, the Russian netminder has been out currently whereas awaiting the beginning of his youngster. He doubtless will miss Thursday’s contest, as effectively, which may imply one other begin for Spencer Knight.
Knight allowed 5 targets on 16 photographs in Tuesday’s extra time loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins that left Panthers coach Paul Maurice with blended feelings.
“It was alright. I feel that is how we felt about it,” Maurice mentioned. “I do not suppose we gave up an incredible quantity. I do not suppose we took benefit of some issues that we usually do. I am not 100% certain how I really feel about that one.”
After successful their earlier three video games by a mixed margin of 17-4, the Panthers trailed the Penguins 4-1 with beneath 14 minutes remaining. Nonetheless, Matthew Tkachuk registered a purpose and two assists within the third interval to assist drive the additional session earlier than his group finally fell brief.
“I assume it is a level that we’re comfortable to get,” mentioned Tkachuk, who completed with two targets and two assists to surpass 600 factors for his profession. He now has 603 in his ninth season. “However after we struggle again, you simply actually need to get that win.”
Becoming a member of Tkachuk with a multi-point effort was Jesper Boqvist (two assists), whereas his brother Adam Boqvist was among the many different purpose scorers for Florida.
“We simply know after we go on the market that we will put on groups down,” Adam Boqvist mentioned. “I feel we nearly confirmed that tonight with the third interval. Simply transfer on from this.”
The Panthers defeated the Flyers 4-3 in a shootout final month in Florida. The groups will meet once more Jan. 13 in Philadelphia.
–Subject Degree Media