Philly Leader

On Military Appreciation Night, the Philadelphia Flyers, led by John Tortorella, will face off against Ryan Warsofsky's San Jose Sharks at the Wells Fargo Center. The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on NBCSP with radio coverage on 97.5 The Fanatic.

This marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season, with a rematch set for New Year's Eve at SAP Center. The Flyers are coming off a close 4-3 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers. Joel Farabee, Anthony Richard, and Garnet Hathaway scored in regulation time, while Scott Laughton provided two assists.

Five key aspects to watch in Monday's game include the chemistry of Laughton's line with Bobby Brink and Farabee; increased production needed from Morgan Frost, Tyson Foerster, and Matvei Michkov; sustaining improved puck movement initiated by rookie defenseman Emil Andrae; a reset of their power play which has cooled after early success; and an analysis of their opponent, the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks recently secured a narrow victory over the New Jersey Devils with Nico Sturm scoring the only goal. Mackenzie Blackwood made 44 saves to secure the shutout win for San Jose.

Mikael Granlund leads San Jose in points this season followed by Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund. With Blackwood having played extensively in their last match, Vitek Vanecek might start as goalie against Philadelphia.

The matchup also highlights a coaching contrast between Warsofsky as one of NHL's youngest head coaches and Tortorella as its most senior coach.