In the midst of their upward trajectory, the Philadelphia Flyers are setting their sights on a season-high fourth consecutive victory, with their sights set on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The two teams, both currently on the fringes of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, will face off in a home-and-home set this Thursday.
The Flyers, who are enjoying a streak of success, are currently a mere five points shy of the final wild-card spot. Their recent victories, three in a row, have given them a considerable boost. Conversely, the Penguins find themselves in a less favorable position, having suffered four consecutive losses and currently holding a spot near the bottom of the East standings.
In their previous encounter, the Flyers displayed a commanding performance against the Penguins, securing a 6-1 victory at home. This triumphant result was largely thanks to Bobby Brink, who contributed a goal and three assists, Noah Cates, who netted twice and added an assist, and Tyson Foerster, who also had a three-point night.
Having returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, the Flyers have demonstrated an impressive offensive prowess, netting 12 goals in two games. This performance has clearly bolstered their confidence and momentum. Cates, who ended an 11-game scoring drought in the last game, expressed the team’s rejuvenated spirit. “I think we’re refreshed and we’re excited to come to the rink, to get to work and play in these games again,” he said.
Foerster’s performance has also been noteworthy, with three goals and two assists in his last five games. Furthermore, highly-touted rookie Matvei Michkov has been a standout, accumulating seven points in the last four games.
Despite their current slump, the Penguins have their sights set on a turnaround. Veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson emphasized the importance of staying focused on the present. “We know the position that we’re in,” Karlsson said. “If you start thinking big picture, it might get a little bit discouraging. We can’t let that happen.“We still got a lot of hockey left. We just got to stay in the moment and try and find it for each day.”
The Penguins will be relying heavily on their captain, Sidney Crosby, who recently saw his seven-game point streak come to an end. However, his track record against the Flyers, particularly at home, is exceptional. Crosby has recorded a goal and three assists in each of his last two home games against the Flyers.
Evgeni Malkin, another star on the Penguins’ roster, has also been impressive against the Flyers, boasting a 10-game regular-season home point streak.
The Flyers have enjoyed solid goaltending in their recent wins over the Penguins. Samuel Ersson has successfully repelled 54 out of 57 shots in the two most recent games against the Penguins. However, backup goalie Ivan Fedotov is going through a rough patch, with seven successive losses dating back to Nov. 25, and hasn’t been on the ice since Feb. 6.
As the Flyers and Penguins prepare to face off once again, the stakes are high. Both teams are striving to solidify their positions in the Eastern Conference, and this game will undoubtedly be a crucial step towards that goal.
