Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (36-24-10) are again residence on Sunday to tackle Glen Gulutzan’s Dallas Stars (44-18-11). Both groups are taking part in their third recreation in 4 nights.
Game time at Xfinity Mobile Aren is 7:00 p.m. EDT. The recreation might be broadcast on NBCSP.
Sunday’s recreation is the second and ultimate assembly of the season collection between the 2 groups. Back on Nov. 15 in Dallas, the Stars handed the Flyers a 5-1 setback. Jason Robertson scored three objectives for Dallas.
With 10 video games remaining within the 2025-26 schedule, the Flyers are 4 factors — three strandings factors plus a 27-23 tiebreaker drawback in regulation wins — behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the ultimate wildcard playoff spot within the Eastern Conference.
Factoring a 29-23 regulation wins drawback, Philly is 5 factors behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place within the Metropolitan Division. The second place New York Islanders have a six-point edge (89 to 84 factors plus a 28-23 regulation wins disparity) on the Flyers.
Philly’s one benefit; The Flyers have performed one or two fewer video games so far than all of those groups. Philadelphia holds one recreation readily available on Pittsburgh and Columbus and two on the Islanders.
If the Flyers can’t take no less than third place within the Metro, they’ll solely get into the playoffs through wildcard berth. To receive that spot, Philly should catch and surpass the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators as well as to Columbus. Detroit (86 factors, 28 regulation wins) and Ottawa (86 factors, 32 regulation wins) additionally maintain tiebreaker benefits if the Flyers are unable to beat them on whole factors.
On Saturday night time, the Flyers earned a 5-1 highway win over the Red Wings. Owen Tippett (twenty fifth, twenty sixth and twenty seventh objectives of the season) led the best way with a hat trick and an help. Philly additionally received one objective apiece from Noah Cates (seventeenth) and Sean Couturier (ENG, tenth).
Earlier within the day, Dallas powered previous the host Penguins by a 6-3 depend. Jason Robertson( (fortieth) notched a objective and an help, whereas Mavrik Bourque tallied a pair of empty internet objectives after helping on a Lian Bichsel marker. In the identical recreation, Mikko Rantanen hit the 21-goal and 50-assist marks for the season.
Here are the RAV4 Things to look at on Sunday.
1. Konecny and Zegras
The Flyers’ two main scorers this season — Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras — have contributed assists just lately however objectives have been onerous to return by of late.
Konecny has two objectives for the month of March. Zegras has one objective this month. Fortunately, they have been organising objectives for teammates. Meanwhile, Tippett and Cates have shouldered the goal-scoring load. Couturier has scored a objective in three straight video games.
At some level quickly, nonetheless, the Flyers will want Konecny (25 objectives) and/or Zegras (22 objectives) to get again into the objective scoring column with extra regularity. That’s significantly true in opposition to a powerhouse opponent like Dallas.
2. Shot suppression
Sunday’s recreation pits two of the NHL’s prime groups in shot suppression. The Flyers permit a median of 25.7 pictures per recreation (4th greatest within the NHL) whereas Dallas permits 26.3 on common (seventh). Meanwhile, The Stars held the Penguins to a mere 12 pictures on objective in Saturday afternoon’s match.
One of the prime variations between the groups: Dallas has extra end than Philly. Dallas 25.7 pictures per recreation (twenty seventh) whereas the Flyers common 25.4 (thirtieth). However, the Stars rating a median 3.37 objectives per recreation (eighth) whereas the Flyers rating 2.82 (twenty fifth).
The Flyers have been making a concerted effort to move up few shot alternatives. They’ve been attacking the center of the ice higher of late and getting our bodies to the web. Doing so in opposition to Dallas could be a tall process.
With the likes of Robertson, Wyatt Johston (40 objectives), Rantanen and even old-guard veterans resembling Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, the Stars do not essentially want a number of pictures to attain their objectives. Philly has to maintain Dallas to the perimeter as a lot as doable and clear pucks from the defensive zone constantly. Failed clears that permit extended forechecking for Dallas are normally a recipe for a troublesome night time.
3. Between the Pipes: Ersson vs. DeSmith
With the Flyers within the latter recreation of a back-to-back set, search for Samuel Ersson (12-10-5, 3.20 GAA, .867 SV%) to get the beginning in objective. Ersson has performed very effectively in every of his final 4 begins (all wins) in addition to his final aid outing again on March 9.
Dallas No. 1 goalie Jake Oetinger has been a workhorse for his staff. He began each on Wednesday and Saturday. However, with Dallas having already clinched a playoff spot however effectively behind the Colorado Avalanche for the highest seed within the Western Conference, the Stars are near being locked into second place within the Central Division.
It might be a shock if backup goalie Casey DeSmith doesn’t get the beginning nod on Sunday. The Stars have hardly skipped a beat at any time when DeSmith (14-7-5, 2.40 GAA, .908 SV%) has been in internet.
4. Special groups
The Flyers had a uncommon excellent night time on particular groups in Detroit on Saturday: 2-for-2 on the facility play. 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Philly could be sensible to remain out of the penalty field in opposition to Dallas. Only the Edmonton Oilers have transformed energy performs at a better clip than the Stars. Meanwhile, the Flyers nonetheless rank final within the NHL on the facility play.
A break even night time on particular groups could be successful in opposition to Dallas.Winning the particular groups battle by some means would go a really great distance towards coming away with two factors.
