Philly Leader

John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers are set to face Paul Maurice's Florida Panthers on Thursday evening at the Wells Fargo Center. The game, starting at 7:00 p.m. EST, will be broadcast on NBCSP and available on radio through 97.5 The Fanatic and online via Flyers Radio 24/7.

This match marks the second encounter of the season between the two teams, following a previous overtime win for the Panthers in Sunrise. The Flyers have been performing well recently, securing nine out of ten possible points over their last five games.

Both teams feature players selected for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The Flyers have three representatives: Travis Konecny, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Travis Sanheim. Meanwhile, the Panthers lead with eight players chosen, including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.

The Flyers face a decision regarding their goaltender lineup with Samuel Ersson returning from injury. Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have filled in during his absence. For the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to start after taking personal leave.

Noah Cates' line has been contributing positively to the Flyers' performance. Cates has shown strong two-way play recently alongside Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink.

The Flyers have focused on improving their five-on-five execution over recent weeks by enhancing defensive structure and offensive zone forechecks. Their power play unit seeks to regain its early-season success following recent struggles.

Coach John Tortorella noted adjustments made during practice aimed at optimizing Matvei Michkov's offensive potential in power plays.