Flyers hope to avoid fifth straight loss, host Sabres

The Philadelphia Flyers are 0-2-0 in the Daniel Briere era. After falling to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, the Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres at the front of a back-to-back.

Tonight is the second of three meetings between both teams this season. In their first matchup on January 9th, Samuel Ersson shut out the Sabres, 4-0. The season series wraps up on April 1st.

Buffalo Sabres (32-28-6)

Six points behind the New York Islanders, Buffalo is battling for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. They fell to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday in a shootout, 5-4. Over the last ten games, the Sabres are 3-5-2.

Tage Thompson (42G, 45A) is one of the most improved players in the NHL this season. He leads the Sabres in points; notching four assists in his last five games. Ersson silenced him in January, and Carter Hart hopes to have the same effect.

Dylan Cozens (26G, 31A) is having a breakout season, ranking fifth on the team in points. His 2022-2023 campaign set a new career high during the early stages of his NHL journey. Cozens has three points in his last five games, including a goal and an assist Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here’s the tentative lineup for the Buffalo Sabres:

Skinner-Thompson-Tuch
Peterka-Cozens-Quinn
Greenway-Jost-Mittelstadt
Girgensons-Krebs-Okposo

Dahlin-Bryson
Power-Jokiharju
Stillman-Lyubushkin

Anderson
(Luukkonen)

Philadelphia Flyers (24-32-11)

On a four-game winless streak, the Flyers are sliding in the league standings. Ahead of the opening faceoff versus the Golden Knights, Philadelphia ranked 26th in the NHL. Now, they’re 28th.

Carter Hart (17-21-10, 2.96GAA, 90.6%SV) will start between the pipes. He didn’t start on Tuesday due to illness, and Felix Sandstrom occupied the crease. In seven career games versus the Sabres, Hart is 3-2-0 with a 2.73GAA and a 90.6%SV.

Travis Sanheim (-9, 111BLK, 31GV, 44.7%CF) lit the lamp versus Vegas. He struggled often this season, but his goal on Jonathan Quick could help jumpstart him in the final weeks of the regular season.

“Any guy, when you’re looking for offense out of, no matter how the goal’s scored; off his ass, whatever it may be, always helps. We’re looking for anything for him to gain traction.”

John Tortorella; 3/17/2023

Here’s the tentative lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers:

Farabee-Hayes-Tippett
Laughton-Cates-Foerster
van Riemsdyk-Frost-Lemieux
Deslauriers-Laczynski-Allison

Provorov-York
Sanheim-Ristolainen
Seeler-DeAngelo

Hart
(Sandstrom)

Place Your Bets

Philadelphia Flyers moneyline (+115)
Buffalo Sabres moneyline (-135)
Tage Thompson over .5pts (-205)
Carter Hart under 3.5GA (-145)

Game Information

You can watch the Philadelphia Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The radio broadcast will be available on 93.3 WMMR and on Flyers Radio 24/7. The puck drops at 7pm from the Wells Fargo Center.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)