Preseason 5 Things: Flyers @ Sabres

The Philadelphia Flyers will take on the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Tuesday evening. Both clubs are 1-0-0 in the preseason to date.

Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT. The radio broadcast of the game, with Tim Saunders and Steve Coates on the call, will be on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on
Flyers Radio 24/7
.
Tuesday's game is not being televised. However, a live stream with the Buffalo broadcasters on the call will be
AVAILABLE HERE
.
Here are five things to watch in Tuesday's game.
1. Brother Act, Part 2
Brothers Noah and Jackson Cates scored for the Flyers in a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins in the preseason opener on Saturday. They were on separate lines in that game after being linemates in the second game of the Rookie Series.
On Tuesday in Buffalo, the Cates brothers will be back together on the same line. Cooper Marody is their projected right winger. The Flyers' lines at the morning skate were as follows:
25 James van Riemsdyk - 48 Morgan Frost -11 Travis Konecny
49 Noah Cates - 59 Jackson Cates - 20 Cooper Marody
76 Isaac Ratcliffe - 73 Elliot Desnoyers - 17 Zack MacEwen
26 Antoine Roussel - 22 Adam Brooks - 36 Linus Sandin
45 Cam York - 61 Justin Braun
8 Kevin Connauton - 47 Ronnie Attard
84 Linus Högberg - 95 Adam Karashik
29 Troy Grosenick
33 Samuel Ersson
2. The Frost Report
Apart from a nifty assist on Noah Cates' 5-on-3 power play goal in Saturday's game, Morgan Frost logged more than 20 minutes of ice time across 5-on-5 play and both ends of special teams. He redeemed himself for icing the puck with a one-goal lead in the final 15 seconds of the third period with a vital shot block in the waning moments. He went 60 percent (12-for-20) in the faceoff circle. He was also credited with two takeaways.
On Sunday morning, Frost centered a scrimmage line with James van Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny. The trio impressed in the second half, registering two goals (one by JVR, the other by Frost) and generating no less than five high-quality scoring chances.
That line will stay together for Tuesday's exhibition game in Buffalo.
3. Ratty and Big Mac
Now a fourth-year pro, left winger Isaac Ratcliffe is in a battle to earn an NHL roster spot. He had a slow first half of last season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but started to pick up in December.
Ratcliffe eventually earned his first NHL recall and generally played well for the Flyers over a 10-game stretch. After he went back down to the Phantoms, he closed out strong down the stretch.
For Ratcliffe, who was a prolific goal-scorer in the Ontario Hockey League, the player has had to somewhat remake his game at the pro level. He's more effective when he's playing a physical brand of hockey rather than just relaying on his hands and finishing ability in the slot. He has to protect the puck with his size and strength.
After Tuesday's morning skate, Ratcliffe discussed what he hopes to gain by playing on a line with Zack MacEwen in the Buffalo game. He also discussed his development process as a player, saying that he had to come a long way to get to his current point but still faces work ahead to reach his potential.

4. A Look for Brooks
Back on July 13, the Flyers signed 26-year-old center Adam Brooks to a two-year, two-way contract ($762,500 NHL AAV, $450,000 at the AHL level). The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect bounced around the waiver wire in 2021-22 after he did not make the Leafs' opening night roster. He's all too familiar with the waiver process from his experiences last season.
Before the season began, Brooks was waived by Toronto and claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 11. After dressing in just four games with the Habs (0g, 1a), he was waived by Montreal and claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights Nov. 17. After roughly three months and seven games played (2g, 0a) with Vegas, he was waived and reclaimed by the Maple Leafs on Feb. 16. The Leafs hoped to place the player with the AHL's Marlies and waived the player the next day for purposes of AHL assignment. However, Brooks didn't clear. On Feb. 18, the Winnipeg Jets claimed him and dressed Brooks in 14 games (0 points) over the remainder of the season.
5. Behind Enemy Lines: Sabres Coming off a Win
The Sabres opened their preseason schedule on Sunday with a 4-3 overtime road win against the Capitals. Buffalo trailed 1-0 at the first intermission. The game tied at 2-2 heading into the third period before the Sabres pushed back from another one-goal deficit to force overtime.
Vinnie Hinostroza won the game at 1:15 of sudden death. Dylan Cozens (power play), Tyson Kozak and Jack Quinn (power play) tallied in regulation for the Sabres.
The Sabres' gameday roster against the Flyers is embedded below:

Per Buffalo-based writer Joe Yerdon, the Sabres' morning skate lines were as follows.
Skinner-Thompson-Weissbach
Mittelstadt-Savoie-Okposo
Rousek-Biro-Tuch
Cederqvist-Girgensons-Rosén
Jobst-Olischefski-Warren
Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Jokiharju
Pilut-Lyubushkin
Lindgren/Davies-Komarov
Anderson
Subban
Warm