What to watch as Flyers face Sabres in another must-win game

In the second of back-to-backs for the 19-15-6 Philadelphia Flyers, it’s also another must-win game Sunday after noon as they host the 9-25-6 Buffalo Sabres at the Wells Fargo Center.

GAMEDAY
.#Flyers rap up the season series with the #Sabres in hopes to keep their season alive. #AnytimeAnywhere pic.twitter.com/Glg1Zf7Hg1
— Philly Sports Reports (@PhlySprtsReprts) April 11, 2021

Here’s what to watch:

The finale of the season-series

This is the eighth and final meeting of the season series between the teams. The Flyers are 5-2-0 against the Sabres this season. On the one hand, all three of the Flyers’ shutout victories this season (two by Brian Elliott and one by Carter Hart) have been against Buffalo. The Flyers have also two multi-goal comebacks to beat Buffalo post-regulation.

However, two of the Sabres’ nine wins this season have come against Philadelphia. Both of those were 6-1 blowout — one of which in Philly and the other in Buffalo — and the Sabres March 31st win over the Flyers ended Sabres an 18-game winless streak that included the two games the Sabres were unable to close out on the Flyers in the third period.

Must-win

The Flyers have played much better hockey so far in the month of April than they did during the disastrous month of March. By record, the Flyers are 2-1-1 so far this month but the team has improved from a process standpoint, mainly in terms of puck support. Even the team’s long-suffering penalty kill has been very good over the last two games.

On Saturday afternoon, the Flyers pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins in South Philadelphia. Travis Konecny played an outstanding game, even apart from tallying a goal and an assist. He continued a run of strong recent play. Konecny forechecked effectively, skated well, and aggravated Bruins players. Elliott made big saves at huge moments of the game. Sean Couturier netted the game-winner and Shayne Gostisbehere scored a first-period power play goal. The Flyers ended their season series with Boston at 2-4-2.

Projected lineups

Flyers:

25 James van Riemsdyk- 14 Sean Couturier – 23 Oskar Lindblom
21 Scott Laughton – 13 Kevin Hayes – 86 Joel Farabee
93 Jakub Voracek – 28 Claude Giroux – 11 Travis Konecny
12 Michael Raffl – 19 Nolan Patrick – 62 Nicolas Aube-Kubel

9 Ivan Provorov – 61 Justin Braun
6 Travis Sanheim – 8 Robert Hägg
55 Sam Morin – 53 Shayne Gostisbehere

37 Brian Elliott
[79 Carter Hart]

PP1: Giroux, Patrick, Farabee, Voracek, Provorov.
PP2: Hayes, Couturier, JVR, Konecny, Gostisbehere.

Recalled to Taxi Squad on April 10: 58 Tanner Laczynski, 57 Wade Allison.

Scratches: 5 Phil Myers (healthy), 56 Erik Gustafsson (healthy).

Injured reserve: 48 Morgan Frost (shoulder surgery).

COVID-19 protocol: None.

Sabres:

3 Jeff Skinner – 23 Sam Reinhart – 68 Victor Olofsson
74 Rasmus Asplund – 24 Dylan Cozens – 72 Tage Thompson
25 Arttu Ruotsalainen – 37 Casey Mittelstadt – 21 Kyle Okposo
13 Tobias Rieder -15 Riley Sheahan – 20 Cody Eakin

26 Rasmus Dahlin – 10 Henri Jokiharju
78 Jacob Bryson – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
33 Colin Miller – 44 Matt Irwin

35 Linus Ullmark
[31 Dustin Tokarski]

PP1: Reinhart, Mittelstadt, Olofsson, Dahlin, Ristolainen
PP2: Okposo, Thompson, Skinner, Miller, Bryson

Scratches: 4 Taylor Hall (healthy, awaiting potential trade, 40 Carter Hutton (lower-body injury).

Injured reserve: 9 Jack Eichel (upper body), 3 Willam Borgen (forearm fracture), 19 Jake McCabe (knee surgery), 27 Curtis Lazar (lower body), 74 Rasmus Asplund (upper body), 28 Zemgus Girgensons (hamstring surgery).

COVID-19 protocol: None.