Coming off an outstanding first homestand of the 2023-24 season, John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (3-1-0) are in Texas on Saturday to take on Peter DeBoer's Dallas Stars (2-0-1) at the American Airlines Center. Game time is 8:00 p.m. EDT.
The game will be televised on NBCSP with Jim Jackson and Brian Boucher on the call. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on the call, and an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the inter-conference clubs. The clubs will rematch at the Wells Fargo Center on January 18, 2024. The Stars have given the Flyers a lot of trouble in recent years, and the Flyers will look to end a six-game losing streak against Dallas. Last season, the Flyers lost by scores of 5-1 (home) and 4-1 (road) in the two-game season series.
The Flyers enter this game coming off an impressive 4-1 home victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Cam Atkinson notched his second and third goals of the young season, both assisted by Owen Tippett. Joel Farabee (2nd) scored on a nice give-and-go with rookie Bobby Brink. Sean Walker (1st as a Flyer) tallied a shorthanded goal. Carter Hart was quietly excellent in turning back 22 of 23 shots.
The Flyers did not hold practice on Friday before departing for Dallas. The team will hold a morning skate at the American Airlines Center at 12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. local time).
Here are five things to watch in this game:
1. Make Dallas defend more than attack.
In each of the Flyers three wins this season, they've been able to establish a forecheck and force their opponents -- Columbus, Vancouver and Edmonton -- to spend considerable time defending rather than attacking. With Sean Couturier providing airtight checking against Connor McDavid, the Flyers were even able to prevent the NHL's single most dangerous forward from registering a shot on goal during the game.
Typically, DeBoer's team is a well-structured one that it is hard for opponents to impose their will against. The Stars enter this early-season game ranked eighth in 5-on-5 puck possession and seventh in 5-on-5 expected goals share (56.1 percent, one spot behind the sixth-ranked Flyers' 56.88 percent share). The Stars can beat opponents either with skill or with grit, making them a tough matchup for many clubs.
2. Ersson gets the go
Carter Hart has played very well in all four games this season. In each of the Flyers three victories, Hart was a big reason for club earning two points. He recorded his fifth career shutout in the Vancouver game and, although he didn't face a high volume of shots from the Oilers, was called upon to make some tough stops and critical junctures and handled them flawlessly.
However, the Flyers need to get some work for young backup goalie Samuel Ersson, who will get the start tonight. Entering the Dallas game, Ersson last played on October 2 (the next-to-last game of the preseason). In that exhibition game, Ersson went the distance but saw only 14 shots.
On the Dallas side, Jake Oettinger has picked right up where he left off in his stellar 2022-23 season. He's started all three games to date and turned back 82 of the 87 shots fired his way in regulation and overtime. Backup Scott Wedgewood has not yet appeared in a regular season game this month.
3. Special teams
The Flyers have had three strong games on the penalty kill (Columbus, Vancouver and even the normally lethal Edmonton power play), including Walker's shorthanded goal in Thursday's game.
The Flyers power play, which has ranked last in the NHL each of the previous two seasons, has made subtle progress early this season in terms of entries and puck movement. However, the numbers haven't shown it. The Flyers have started the season 1-for-17 on the man advantage. The lone goal was a 5-on-3 tally by Travis Konecny in the Ottawa game.
The Stars have been a little inconsistent on the power play so far. They've coughed up a shorthanded goal and did not connect on the man advantage either against St. Louis or Vegas. However, Dallas enters this game coming off a 2-for-5 night in their win against the Ducks.
So far, the Dallas penalty kill is unscathed through their first three games: a perfect 11-for-11. Across the NHL, only the Colorado Avalanche (17-for-17, two shorthanded goals) and Boston Bruins (13-for-13) have had more notable success to date. These are the only three clubs that have yet to give up an opposing power play tally.
4. Blueline personnel
Flyers veteran defenseman Marc Staal was forced to leave Thursday's game with an upper body injury. Per John Tortorella, Marc Staal is expected to be week-to-week. Meanwhile, Rasmus Ristolainen remains on IR.
Elsewhere on the Philadelphia blueline, Egor Zamula may slot back into the lineup in Dallas in place of fellow rookie Emil Andrae. They have alternated games so far, with Zamula playing in Games 1 and 3 and Andrae appearing in his first two career NHL games in the matches against Ottawa and Edmonton.
5. Behind enemy lines: Dallas Stars
The seemingly ageless Joe Pavelski is off to another strong start (2g, 1a). The Stars have spread around the offense so far but have not really gotten rolling yet. They've scored a combined six goals in regulation/overtime through three games but came away with five of six possible points.
It's only a matter of time, for example, until Jason Robertson -- coming off back-to-back seasons of 40+ goals -- starts putting pucks in the net. Robertson, who has done plenty of damage to the Flyers in the twice-per-season meetings of previous seasons, has one assist and no goals yet through three games.
