Game Preview #48: New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Nice time of year for a first matchup to be scheduled with a division rival.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (26-15-6) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (20-20-6).

The Time: 12:30 PM

The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN*, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NHL Network. Audio: Devils Hockey Radio

Semi-Consistently Mediocre

At 20-20-6 on the season and 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, the Philadelphia Flyers pretty much are what they are. They are tied with the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins in points, and are two points out of a playoff spot, though they have two more games played than the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, who each have 48 points. A look at the standings will make it seem like the Flyers are right there, but I think most people should have trouble believing they will end anywhere near a playoff spot unless their defense is fixed overnight.

Philadelphia got most of their wins from November 7 to 30, when they went 8-2-2. Before that point, they were 4-8-1. Since November 30, they are 8-10-3. They do seem to play plenty of close games, but they have been unable to go on more than a single small run.

A big reason for this would be their goaltending and defensive situation. Sure to drive John Tortorella insane, the Flyers have allowed the third-most total goals against in the NHL. In terms of goals per game, Philadelphia has the 28th-ranked defense and the 11th-ranked offense. Where it probably gets frustrating for Tortorella is in the expected gals categories, with the 15th-best xGF/60 and the 8th-best xGA/60 in the league. That team .880 save percentage, with Sam Ersson leading the way with a 12-7-2 record and an .888 save percentage, is killing any hopes the team had of being a surprise playoff team. Ivan Fedotov has not turned out to be a revelation in net, with the 28-year old first-year player sitting at 4-5-3 with an .879 save percentage, with his three appearances late last season giving him a career .869 save percentage in 16 games. Ersson last played against the Islanders on Thursday night, so we will see if the Flyers will go back to him, with Ersson sporting a 5-1-0 record since the Christmas break. Interestingly, one of those games was a combined shutout, with Ersson saving 15 of 15 in the first 40 minutes against the Sharks on New Year’s Eve, which was followed by Aleksei Kolosov saving 7 of 7 shots in the third after Ersson left with a minor injury, which kept him out about a week.

Up front, the Flyers do have a couple injuries. Nick Deslauriers has been out since November 9 with an upper-body injury. And just on Thursday, Ryan Poehling was hit in the head by Maxim Tysplakov, injuring Poehling, and leading to a three-game suspension for Tysplakov. Of course, there was no penalty called on the play, as officials watched Poehling try to crawl his way back to the bench as the teams brawled. All around the league, officials seem to be struggling to protect players in-game, leaving punishments for Player Safety to consider, if they even take notice (a reason I was shocked the Devils actually got a power play for Tkachuk’s charge on Hischier earlier in the week). And Poehling, as clean and physically inoffensive a third-line center as they come, is the kind of player who would benefit from the league taking those check-to-the-head calls more seriously.

The Flyers do have some youthful offensive threat. Travis Konecny leads the team with 20 goals and 53 points, and they have five more players with ten goals in Matvei Michkov (13), Owen Tippett (13), Tyson Foerster (12), Morgan Frost (11), and Noah Cates (10). Something to keep an eye on here is some of the Flyers being able to match the speed of the New Jersey Devils. Owen Tippett is one of the top five fastest forwards in the NHL, and only Luke Hughes can skate with him on our defense. Noah Cates is not a burner, but doesn’t laze around the ice when skating. Travis Konecny, of course, is also a great all-around player with skating ability to show off — and he does not slow down throughout the game. With the intensity they provide, players like Michkov, Foerster, and Frost are able to move more slowly, picking their spots and creating goals.

Devils and the Norovirus

With Stefan Noesen missing the last two games because of an illness going around the area, the Devils really missed his intensity in the lineup. Dawson Mercer struggled against Toronto, and Tatar was not a great option when they faced Florida. Noesen could have been replaced in the lineup by Brian Halonen, but Kurtis MacDermid dressed both games, and Halonen was sent back to Utica after joining the team in Toronto and sitting in the press box. However, this may be a paper move. Per the team, Colton White has been recalled from Utica. I am hoping that a defenseman is not sick as well. It would be tough enough if Noesen was still sick and unable to play, but we will find out the updates on that situation later today before puck drop. In the meantime, watch the Devils’ Next Gen reporter, Nathan, ask the team about their favorite teammates (I have no idea if the below video was actually recorded yesterday. If it was, that would answer our question about Noesen, but none of the team reporters had anything from practice or any lines. I’m not even sure if yesterday was a practice day, since all anyone wanted to talk about was their bad Simon Nemec mock trades.)

12:30. Be there or be square. And if you’re going to Newark, get there early and pick up one of these:

Your Thoughts

What do you think of today’s game? What do you think of Philly? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.