Sports
Flyers Look to Solidify Playoff Spot Against Maple Leafs in Key Matchup
Seeking to strengthen their hold on an automatic Stanley Cup playoff spot, the Philadelphia Flyers (34-24-8) will host Sheldon Keefe’s Toronto Maple Leafs (37-19-4) on Thursday evening. Game time at Wells Fargo Center is 7:30 p.m. EDT.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and Hulu. The radio broadcast is on 93.3 WMMR with an online simulcast.
This is the second of three meetings this season between the Flyers and Maple Leafs, and the first of two games at Wells Fargo Center. The season series will conclude next Tuesday with another game in Philadelphia.
On Feb. 15 in Toronto, the Flyers lost a hard-fought 4-3 decision in overtime. Travis Sanheim, Garnet Hathaway, and Travis Konecny scored in regulation. For the Flyers, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Owen Tippett starred in a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks heading into this matchup against Toronto.
The Maple Leafs are 7-3-0 over their last 10 games, and 19-7-6 on the road. Toronto’s success revolves around stars like Auston Matthews and William Nylander while the Flyers’ key players include John Tavares and Bobby McMann.
In the previous encounter between the two teams, Matthews spearheaded the Leafs’ victory with a natural hat trick. The Flyers will need to tighten up defensively to contain the Maple Leafs’ high-octane offense.
Both teams have shown inconsistencies on special teams recently. Philadelphia will need to address its penalty kill struggles, especially against Toronto’s potent power play unit. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, will aim to capitalize on the Flyers’ struggling power play.
The absence of Mitch Marner will be a significant storyline in this matchup. Marner’s injury opens up opportunities for other players on the Leafs roster to step up and contribute.
As the race for playoff positions intensifies, both teams are eager to secure crucial points in this key divisional battle. The Flyers look to maintain their hold on a playoff spot, while the Maple Leafs aim to secure a higher seed in the Northeast Division.
