Flyers vs. Sabres Preview: Playing the Lottery

As the news of John Tortorella‘s dismissal further dissipates, the Flyers move forward with the remaining eight games in the 2024-25 season. Their opponent on Saturday is neck-and-neck with the Orange and Black in the draft lottery race.

The Buffalo Sabres have won three straight games and five of their last seven games to draw to within one point of the Flyers in the standings, making Saturday’s game critical in determining potential draft lottery odds.

Game time is 1 p.m.

Matvei Michkov is on a four-game points streak and had one of his best games of the season on Thursday against Montreal. Michkov scored twice, snapping a 10-goal goalless drought, and came within an inch of his first career hat trick. During the four-game streak, Michkov also has five assists for seven points.

Tage Thompson has started to heat up again. Thompson had six goals in six games from March 3 to 12 before going without a goal in the next five games. Thompson has two goals and three points in his last two games.

Sam Ersson is expected to start for the Flyers. Ersson made 26 saves on 30 shots in Thursday’s win against Montreal, his 20th of the season, snapping a personal four-game losing streak.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to get the start for the Sabres. Luukkonen makes his first start since March 22, allowing three goals on 20 shots in a loss to Minnesota. Luukkonen had won three of his previous four games before the loss on March 22.

Projected Lineups

Lineup Notes

• Flyers: No changes are expected to the Flyers lineup. After spending the entire game on Thursday on the bench without taking a shift, Cam York is expected to play on Saturday.
• Sabres: Jason Zucker is expected to return after missing Thursday’s game for personal reasons. Josh Dunne was sent down to the AHL on Friday.

Where to Watch

• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia/NHL Network
• Radio: Flyers Broadcast Network