By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
How things have changed for the two franchises that face off on Thursday night since their last meeting. When the Flyers last faced the Montreal Canadiens, it was Game 6 of the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Flyers emerging victorious, 3-2, to claim the series.
Since then, the Flyers never regained the run to success they had in that season. Montreal didn't fare much better, finishing a distant fourth in the North in the regular season in 2020-21, but then going on a playoff run right to the Stanley Cup Final. Since then, they have also struggled and made wholesale changes to the front office.
The two teams meet on Thursday, as the Flyers try to continue to climb back in the standings and build on their three-game winning streak.
Game time is 7 p.m.
Team Leaders
| Philadelphia Flyers | GP | G | A | P | Montreal Canadiens | GP | G | A | P |
| Claude Giroux | 27 | 10 | 14 | 24 | Nick Suzuki | 30 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| Cam Atkinson | 27 | 12 | 7 | 19 | Tyler Toffoli | 26 | 5 | 12 | 17 |
| Sean Couturier | 27 | 6 | 10 | 16 | Jonathan Drouin | 24 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| Travis Konecny | 27 | 5 | 10 | 15 | Josh Anderson | 25 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Derick Brassard | 18 | 4 | 7 | 11 | Christian Dvorak | 27 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
Carter Hart gets the start again on Thursday. Hart made 26 saves in the 6-1 win on Tuesday, picking up his second straight win. This is Hart's first game against the Canadiens since the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In that series, Hart had two shutouts.
Cayden Primeau gets the start for the Canadiens. He is the son of former Flyers captain Keith Primeau and grew up locally in Voorhees, NJ, and attended Bishop Eustace High School. Primeau has made just two starts this season, allowing eight goals total in the two games. Primeau has just eight career starts, posting a 2-5-1 record with a 3.85 GAA and .883 save percentage.
Projected Lineups
Flyers Scratches: Ryan Ellis (injury), Joel Farabee (injury), Nate Thompson (injury), Derick Brassard (injury), Morgan Frost (COVID protocol), Nick Seeler (healthy)
- Flyers: Jackson Cates was called up to take the place of Morgan Frost, who entered COVID protocol on Tuesday. To this point, the Flyers do not have any other players in COVID protocol and the rest of the lineup will remain the same.
- Canadiens: There is one possible change to the lineup for Montreal. Jake Evans will be a game-time decision, but for now is expected to play.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (27th), Canadiens (30th)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (15th), Canadiens (29th)
- Recent History vs. Canadiens
- Jan. 16, 2020 – Canadiens 4, Flyers 1 (at PHI)
- Nov. 30, 2019 – Flyers 4, Canadiens 3 (F/OT) (at MTL)
- Nov. 7, 2019 – Flyers 3, Canadiens 2 (F/OT) (at PHI)
- Flyers Leaders vs. Canadiens
- Travis Konecny – 11 GP, 5 G, 3 A, 8 P
- Claude Giroux – 36 GP, 10 G, 16 A, 26 P
- Sean Couturier – 27 GP, 7 G, 12 A, 19 P
- James van Riemsdyk – 39 GP, 16 G, 9 A, 25 P
- Carter Hart – 4 GP, 2-2-0, 2.84 GAA, .913 SV%
- Milestone Watch
- Travis Konecny needs one goal to reach 100 for his career.
- Claude Giroux needs two assists to reach 600 for his career.
- Giroux also needs two points to pass Bill Barber for second on the franchise's all-time scoring list.
- Cam Atkinson needs four assists to reach 200 for his career.
Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Radio: Flyers Broadcast Network
