Philly Leader

Interim head coach Brad Shaw will lead the Philadelphia Flyers (31-37-9) against former Flyers coach Peter Laviolette's New York Rangers (38-34-7) on Wednesday evening at Madison Square Garden. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcasted on TNT, TRUTV, and MAX, with a radio broadcast on 93.3 WMMR.

This will be the conclusive encounter of the current season between the Flyers and the Rangers. The series stands at one win each. The Flyers secured a 3-1 victory at Wells Fargo Center on Black Friday, while the Rangers triumphed with a 6-1 win at Madison Square Garden on January 23.

The Flyers were officially eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs following a 3-2 defeat in Montreal. Despite being out of playoff contention, the team still has a handful of games left in the season. Meanwhile, the Rangers are not yet out of playoff contention with five games remaining, although their chances are slim, trailing Montreal by six points for the final postseason spot. Both the Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings have 79 points, but Detroit benefits from having an additional game.

Key players for the Flyers are grappling with injuries. "Flyers centers Sean Couturier and Ryan Poehling are both, in Shaw's words, 'nicked up' heading into this week's games." Their availability for the game will be assessed as the day progresses. Poehling has recently been productive on offense, tallying 12 points in his last 11 games. Couturier has also been a key contributor in recent games.

In addition to Poehling and Couturier, Noah Cates will be essential for the Flyers, while Karsen Dorwart and Rodrigo Abols are ready to step in if needed. Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett are close to reaching personal milestones, each needing one goal to hit 20 goals for the season. Meanwhile, Travis Konecny is aiming for the 80-point milestone, currently boasting a career-best 74 points this season.

Jamieson Drysdale, whose season began on a rough note, has shown improvement. "The fleet-footed 23-year-old has begun to attack with much more frequency and confidence," capitalizing with five goals and three assists since the mid-season break.

The Rangers find themselves in a dire situation at this stage of their season. Recent losses have put them in a precarious position as they attempt to secure a playoff spot. "The Flyers may need to withstand an early push from the Blueshirts on Wednesday night while playing in a charged-up atmosphere at MSG."