In the fourth game of their six-game homestand, the Philadelphia Flyers will host the San Jose Sharks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday. The matchup marks the first meeting this season between the two teams and is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST, with coverage on NBCSP.
The Flyers come into the contest following a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny each scored for Philadelphia, while Trevor Zegras was stopped on a penalty shot by goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood in an attempt to tie the game late.
San Jose is currently in the midst of a five-game road trip and recently secured a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Macklin Celebrini contributed one goal and two assists in that win, with John Klingberg and Alexander Wennberg also adding goals. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves for the Sharks.
One storyline centers on rookies Matvei Michkov of the Flyers and Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks. Last season, both players tied as NHL rookie scoring leaders with 63 points each. This year, Michkov has recorded 16 points in 27 games after a slow start but has shown improvement recently. Celebrini has built on his previous success with 43 points in his first 30 games this season, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado in league scoring.
Defensively, Philadelphia ranks among the better teams in goals against average (GAA), currently standing at eleventh overall with a team GAA of 2.85. Offensively, however, they have been less consistent and are ranked twenty-fourth in goals per game at an average of 2.81. The team has adjusted its forecheck to address scoring issues, especially during Tyson Foerster’s absence due to injury.
“‘Pucks and traffic to the net’ is almost a cliche about how to manufacture offense,” according to team commentary. “However, it’s also a tried-and-true bit of conventional hockey wisdom. The games in which the Flyers have broken through offensively have been ones where they’ve established an inside presence in the attack zone.”
Goaltending duties for Philadelphia are expected to be shared during this busy stretch of four games in six nights. Dan Vladar is likely to start against San Jose; he holds a record of ten wins, five losses, one overtime loss, with a 2.59 GAA and .906 save percentage this season. Samuel Ersson started each of the last two games for Philadelphia.
For San Jose, Yaroslav Askarov has appeared in nineteen games (ten wins, eight losses, one overtime loss; 3.14 GAA; .903 save percentage), while Nedeljkovic has played thirteen times this season.
Another development is that Ty Murchison could make his NHL debut for Philadelphia after being recalled from Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the weekend. Drafted by the Flyers in 2021, Murchison turned professional late last season following his collegiate career at Arizona State University and brings physicality to Philadelphia’s defensive lineup.
Murchison practiced alongside Noah Juulsen ahead of Tuesday’s game; if he plays, Egor Zamula would likely be scratched from the lineup.
