John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (19-20-6) are in Elmont on Thursday evening to take on Patrick Roy's New York Islanders (17-19-7). Game time at UBS Arena is 7:30 p.m. EST.
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
Thursday's game is the first of four meetings this season between the Flyers and Islanders. They will rematch at UBS Arena on January 24 before the venue shifts to Wells Fargo Center on January 30 and April 12.
The Flyers are 2-0-1 over their last three games but lost ground in the race for a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference after settling for one point in a 3-2 (2-0) shootout road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders are coming off a 3-0 home shutout loss against the Ottawa Senators but previously earned an impressive 4-0 road victory over the Vegas Golden Knights and 2-1 triumph in Utah.
Here are five things to watch in Thursday's match.
1. Four in a row for Ersson?
Samuel Ersson got the night off in Columbus on Tuesday after starting the games of last Thursday (vs. Dallas), Saturday (vs. Anaheim) and Monday (vs. Florida). He performed well in all three games, including a shutout of the Ducks.
Ersson is the likely starter in Elmont. He has appeared in two games against the Islanders in his NHL career to date, posting a shutout (Nov. 25, 2023) in a game that was scoreless through 65 minutes. The Flyers prevailed, 1-0, in a five-round shootout decided by a Tyson Foerster goal.
Ivan Fedotov has seemingly reclaimed the No. 2 job on the goalie depth chart from rookie Aleksei Kolosov, at least for now. Fedotov provided a strong performance in regulation and overtime against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
2. Brink: Now off the schneid
Bobby Brink has consistently played good hockey for the last six to seven weeks. He's made himself a mainstay on a productive two-way line steered by center Noah Cates and Foerster.
Brink is, first and foremost, a playmaking winger more than a goal scorer. He's made his share of crafty passes as well as hustling up opportunities with the forechecking pressure his line generates. Even so, every skilled player needs to score a few goals to maintain confidence in his game.
On Tuesday in Columbus, Brink scored a slam-dunk of a goal from a perfect setup from defenseman Nick Seeler. The goal ended a 20-game goalless stretch for Brink.
In the big picture, nothing changes. Brink's assignment from Tortorella is still to focus on "checking forward" and distributing the puck. Even so, mixing in some goals too, is good for the player as well as the team. Tuesday's tally was a positive sign in that regard.
3. Be ready for a grinding game
The Islanders are a low-scoring team, ranking 29th leaguewide with an average 2.60 goals per game. The Flyers rank 14th at an even 3.00 goals per game.
The Islanders, who rank directly in the middle of the pack in team goals against average (3.02, 16th) rely heavily on blocking shots (ranked 11th, while the Flyers rank first) and forcing opponents into a grinding style game.
When the Islanders can do so successfully, especially when they are not forced to chase the game, Roy's team can still be a handful as they showed in the recent shutout win over Vegas and previous victories this season over the likes of Carolina, Toronto, and New Jersey.
A key for the Flyers in all of their upcoming games with the Islanders: be patient and don't force plays that aren't there to be made.
4. Will TK lead the way?
By his standards, Flyers leading scorer Travis Konecny (20 goals, 30 assists, 50 points) had a quiet night in Columbus on Tuesday. Linemates Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost combined for a go-ahead goal in the third period, but "TK" wasn't involved in that particular play.
Konecny's most memorable moment on Tuesday in Columbus showed a different facet of how he plays: he stood up immediately for teammate Travis Sanheim after the Flyers took exception to a Mathieu Olivier hit at the other end of the ice.
It is rare for Konecny to go three straight games without a point, and he will try to avoid that against the Islanders. In the bigger recent picture, he has posted six points (2g, 4a) over the last five games.
5. Behind enemy lines: Dealing with Anders Lee
The veteran New York Islanders captain leads the team in scoring (19 goals, 35 points) including five points (3g, 2a) over the last four games. Lee has dressed in all 43 games his club has played to date.
Lee's presence near the net and his strength in puck battles on the boards have given the Flyers fits for years. The 6-foot-3, 231 pound winger creates matchup difficulties for many clubs including the Flyers.
