In the third game of their four-game road trip to open the 2024-25 season, John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (1-1-0) will visit Kris Knoblauch's Edmonton Oilers (0-3-0). Game time at Rogers Place is 10:00 p.m. EDT.
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN. 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 clubs will rematch at Wells Fargo Center on Feb. 22, 2025.
The Flyers have had two nights off since sustaining a 6-3 loss on Saturday against the Calgary Flames. In a losing cause, Travis Konecny scored even strength and power play goals (1st and 2nd tallies of the season) and Joel Farabee (1st) notched an even strength marker.
Here are five things to watch in Tuesday's game.
1. Ironman Farabee
For as long as Tortorella has been the Flyers' head coach, Farabee has not missed a single game. He has dressed in 174 straight games, tying him with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby for the NHL's longest active Ironman streak. The last time Farabee missed a game was during an injury-plagued 2021-22 season when Mike Yeo was behind the bench as interim head coach.
On Monday, Farabee did not participate in practice. Tortorella described the absence as a maintenance day. Assuming Farabee is good to go for Tuesday night's game in Edmonton, the streak will live on.
Also notable, Farabee has started the 2024-25 season with a point in each of the first games (assist in Vancouver, goal in Calgary).
Last season, Farabee played exceptionally well from the start of the season to the All-Star break. He began the campaign with six points (4g, 2a) over the first eight games. Another hot offensive start from Farabee would be very helpful in providing the Flyers the scoring production they need from the middle-six group of their forward lineup.
2. Starting the Jett
Eighteen-year-old Jett Luchanko made his NHL debut on opening night in Vancouver. He turned in a solid overall performance despite one miscue in the defensive zone. Just as importantly, he bounced right back after the mistake and did not seem hesitant on either side of the puck.
The Flyers rested their 2024 first-round pick in Calgary. Look for him to return to the lineup in Edmonton, where his blazing speed could prove useful against one of the fastest teams in the National Hockey League.
At practice on Monday, Luchanko centered a line with Konecny and Tyson Foerster. The youngest member of the Flyers "F Troop" (along with Farabee and Morgan Frost), Foerster scored the Flyers first goal of the season in the Vancouver game. In Calgary, Foerster had his first fight in the NHL, standing up for teammate Jamie Drysdale after Drysdale was freight-trained at center ice by Martin Pospisil.
3. Michkov back on the right
Highly touted 19-year-old rookie Matvei Michkov played on left wing in each of the first two games of the regular season. While he can play the left side, Michkov has primarily played right wing as he's come up through the hockey ranks.
During training camp and the first two games of the regular season, Michkov played with various linemates. However, his primary on-ice compatriots in camp were Frost and Owen Tippett. The full trio was reunited at Monday's practice.
On opening night in Vancouver, Michkov got off to a quiet start but got rolling by the third period (five shots on goal). In Calgary, Michkov once again needed time to get rolling. He eventually notched a power play assist in the third period for his first NHL point.
Michkov's assist was a one-touch feed to goal scorer Konecny: the second pass of a pretty tic-tac-toe connection from Frost to the rookie and Michkov to the All-Star winger.
4. Discipline and special teams
The Flyers have already faced 10 shorthanded situations in the two games they have played to date. This early trend needs to end if the Flyers are to beat the defending Western Conference champion Oilers. Edmonton still has a fearsome power play.
The Oilers are 1-for-5 so far on power play opportunities. That's bound to change soon both in the quantity of power plays and the frequency of power play goals. Taking penalties against the Oilers is still playing with fire.
In Vancouver, Philly went 5-for-5 on the PK. Goaltender Samuel Ersson bailed the team out on the first two kills and the players in front of him shut down the subsequent manpower disadvantages.
In Calgary, the Flyers were 3-for-5 on the kill. They paid the price for 4-on-3 and 5-on-3 predicaments. On the positive side, Scott Laughton and Konecny worked a give-and-go for a shorthanded tally.
The Flyers are 2-for-8 so far on the power play: 1-for-4 in Vancouver and another 1-for-4 in Calgary. In the opener, Bobby Brink set up Foerster to get Philly on the board for the first time. Konecny kept a glimmer of Philly comeback hopes alive in Calgary before a Flames empty net goal sealed the outcome.
5. Behind enemy lines: Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers overcame a very slow start last season before going on a tear that took them all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. This season, Edmonton has stumbled out of the gate over the first week of the regular season.
These numbers say it all: The Oilers have been outscored by a combined 15-3 including a 9-2 margin at 5-on-5 and opposing power plays going 5-for-9 against Edmonton over the first three games.
Oilers superstar Connor McDavid (0g, 2a, -5) is still looking for his first goal of the new season. Leon Draisaitl (1g, 0a, -4, three minor penalties) has also had a rough start to the season by his standards. Coming off a 50-goal season last year, Zach Hyman is searching for his first point.
It's inevitable that the Oilers will start taking out their early frustrations on opposing clubs. Philly just wants to prolong the agony for one more game. There's no doubt that the Oilers offensive firepower will come around. The question marks are the team defense and the goalie play of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.
