Low expectations from the fans may have been fuel for the Flyers in the season opener. A convincing 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday got them off to the 2022-23 regular season on the right foot.
One of this issues for the team recently has been consistency, and there has been plenty of talk about limiting the losing streaks. The Flyers have a chance to start the season with a pair of wins, and they will take on the Vancouver Canucks in the second game of the season on Saturday afternoon.
Game time is at 4 p.m.
Team Leaders
| Philadelphia Flyers | GP | G | A | P | Vancouver Canucks | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Konecny | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | J.T. Miller | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Morgan Frost | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Elias Pettersson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ivan Provorov | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Andrei Kuzmenko | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Hayes | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Brock Boeser | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| James van Riemsdyk | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Quinn Hughes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wade Allison got things started on Thursday night, scoring the first goal of the Flyers season. He will look to build on that start, especially while most likely playing alongside two new linemates.
J.T. Miller was the only Canucks player to have a mutli-point game in the season opener. He’s the leader down the middle and can play in all situations, so keep an eye on him.
Carter Hart allowed a weak first goal in the first period of Thursday’s game, but settled in nicely to finish strong with 35 saves on 37 shots by New Jersey. Not bad for not having an exhibition game.
Thatcher Demko got off to a rough start this season, allowing four goals on 24 shots in a loss to Edmonton. That said, last season Demko was one of the rising goaltenders in the league and continues to have the potential to be at the top of many categories.
Projected Lineups
Flyers Scratches: Cam Atkinson (injury), Rasmus Ristolainen (injury), Owen Tippett (injury)
Canucks Scratches: Travis Dermott (injury), Tyler Myers (injury), Ilya Mikheyev (injury), Sheldon Dries (healthy), Jack Rathbone (healthy)
Lineup Notes
- Flyers: In addition to Cam Atkinson and Rasmus Ristolainen both not being ready for Saturday’s game, Owen Tippett also joins the scratch list with an injury suffered in Thursday’s game. Olle Lycksell was called up in his place and is expected to make his NHL debut.
- Canucks: Ilya Mikheyev is considered a game-time decision after missing Wednesday’s game.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (9th), Canucks (18th)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (19th), Canucks (29th)
- Recent History vs. Canucks
- Oct. 28, 2021 – Flyers 2, Canucks 1 (at VAN)
- Oct. 15, 2021 – Canucks 5, Flyers 4 (F/SO) (at PHI)
- Flyers Leaders vs. Canucks
- James van Riemsdyk: 18 GP, 6 G, 3 A, 9 P
- Kevin Hayes: 11 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 P
- Nicolas Deslauriers: 18 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 P
- Travis Konecny: 9 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 P
- Carter Hart: 4 GP, 2-0-2, 1.94 GAA, .934 SV%
Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: Flyers Broadcast Network
