John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (29-20-7) are in the Windy City to take on Luke Richardson's Chicago Blackhawks (15-38-5) on Wednesday night. Game time at United Center is 7:30 p.m. ET.
The game will be nationally televised on TNT. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the teams. The Flyers and Blackhawks will rematch at Wells Fargo Center on March 30. Last season, the teams split the two games with the Blackhawks earning a 4-1 win in Philadelphia on January 19, 2023, and the Flyers skating to a 5-4 overtime win in the final game of the 2022-23 season (April 13, 2023).
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils in their Stadium Series game at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. In a losing cause, Owen Tippett tallied even strength and power play goals (20th and 21st of the season), while Nick Seeler scored his first. Travis Konency contributed two assists. Previously, the Flyers put together a five-game point streak (4-0-1).
Home for nearly all of February (nine of 10 games), the Blackhawks are 1-4-1 to date this month. In their lone road match of February, the Blackhawks are coming off a 6-3 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday evening. Connor Bedard tallied a power play goal (17th) and an assist for Chicago. Nick Foligno (13th) and Tyler Johnson (PPG, 11th) also scored for the Blackhawks.
Here are five things to watch in Wednesday's game.
1. Situational Awareness and Discipline
The Flyers were often their own worst enemies in their last 4-3 overtime loss in Toronto last Thursday and the Stadium Series on Saturday, highlighted by unforced errors and costly penalties. The Flyers have faced eight shorthanded situations in the last two games.
Tortorella let it be known in uncertain terms during Monday's practice at Flyers Training Center that he expects teamwide attention to detail. Players' ice time will depend on it moving forward.
The Flyers cannot afford to take any opponent lightly. That includes a Chicago team that brings the NHL's fewest points (33) into Wednesday's game.
2. Small-Area Game
Another emphasis point at that week's practices: making plays in close quarters. The Flyers are a very good team in generating scoring chances off the rush. They've been less consistent lately in being first on retrievals, cycling the puck and providing F3 support when defensemen point in from the point. It takes awareness as well as aggressiveness. Defensively, the Flyers need to win initial puck battles and then avoid turning the puck right back over to the opposition.
"Games this time a year are a grind," Tortorella said, after the Flyers' road win in Florida back on Feb. 6. “The way we’ve been successful is checking forward and not being safe."
Flyers left winger Joel Farabee noted after practice this week that things can go off track when the smaller details within the game lapse.
"In such a long season, it's easy to get away from some of the little things that are a part of the game that help you win games. Even just our last little stretch of games, just giving up goals from areas that we, in the beginning of the year, weren't giving up. Just cleaning some stuff up in the D-zone, being a little harder to play against, I think, is something we're focusing on now," Farabee said.
3. Konecny Rolling Again Offensively
The Flyers have played six games since the NHL-Star break. Konecny has recorded at least one point in each match, leading the Flyers with 11 points (4g, 7a) in that span. Overall, Konecny has posted 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 56 games played this season.
Tippett brings a three-game point streak (3g, 1a) into Wednesday's game. In the Stadium Series game, he sniped a pair of goals from the center slot area. Tippett has five points in six games since the break.
Morgan Frost also has five points since the All-Star break (2g, 3a). Tortorella praised his play in recent wins over Winnipeg and Arizona but said after Tuesday's practice that "there's still inconsistency" in the 24-year-old center's game.
4. Flyers Special Teams vs. Blackhawks Special Teams
The Flyers had a rough night at 5-on-5 in the Stadium Series on Saturday, but they won the special teams battles. Philly was 1-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill against the Devils on Saturday.
For the season, the Flyers rank 31st on the power play (24-for-180, 13.3 percent). They've yielded three shorthanded goals to date. The Flyers' penalty kill ranks second leaguewide at 86.4 percent (opposing power play are 24-for-176). Philly leads the NHL with 13 shorthanded goals scored: five by Konecny, three by Poehling, two by Sean Walker and one apiece by Scott Laughton and Garnet Hathaway.
The Blackhawks' power play ranks last in the NHL at 13.1 percent (22-for-168) with six shorthanded goals allowed. The PK ranks 23rd at 77.5 percent (opposing power plays are 39-for-173). Chicago has scored three shorthanded goals: one each by Foligno, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk.
5. Behind Enemy Lines: Chicago Blackhawks
Bedard missed 14 games with a broken jaw but returned to the lineup on February 15.
In the three games since he came back, Bedard has posted two goals and four assists. Overall, the highly touted rookie has 39 points (17g, 22a) in 42 games played.
Bedard's primary linemates since his return have been Foligno (13 goals, 25 points on the season, six-game point streak with four goals and three assists) and Philipp Kurashev (nine goals, 23 assists; six-game point streak with four goals and four assists).
Jason Dickinson is third on the Chicago scoring leaderboard. In 56 games, he's scored 17 goals and contributed 10 assists.
On the injury front, Taylor Hall (torn ACL, out for the season), Andreas Athanasiou (lower body), Nikita Zaitsev (knee), and Connor Murphy (lower body) are all on the injured reserve list.
Former Flyers goaltender Petr Mrazek (39 games played, 13-22-2, 2.99 GAA, .909 save percentage, one shutout) has generally done a good job at keeping the Blackhawks in games. Backup Arvid Söderblom has appeared in 21 games (2-16-1, 4.01 GAA, .875 SV%).
