RAV4 Things: Flyers vs. stars

Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (36-24-10) are again house on Sunday to tackle Glen Gulutzan’s Dallas Stars (44-18-11). Both groups are enjoying their third recreation in 4 nights.

Game time at Xfinity Mobile Aren is 7:00 pm EDT. The recreation shall be broadcast on NBCSP.

Sunday’s recreation is the second and last assembly of the season collection between the 2 groups. Back on Nov. 15 in Dallas, the Stars handed the Flyers a 5-1 setback. Jason Robertson scored three targets for Dallas.

With 10 video games remaining within the 2025-26 schedule, the Flyers are 4 factors — three stranding factors plus a 27-23 tiebreaker drawback in regulation wins — behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the ultimate wildcard playoff spot within the Eastern Conference.

Factoring a 29-23 regulation wins drawback, Philly is 5 factors behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place within the Metropolitan Division. The second place New York Islanders have a six-point edge (89 to 84 factors plus a 28-23 regulation wins disparity) on the Flyers.

Philly’s one benefit; The Flyers have performed one or two fewer video games thus far than all of those groups. Philadelphia holds one recreation readily available on Pittsburgh and Columbus and two on the Islanders.

If the Flyers can not take at the least third place within the Metro, they’ll solely get into the playoffs through wildcard berth. To get hold of that spot, Philly must catch and surpass the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators along with Columbus. Detroit (86 factors, 28 regulation wins) and Ottawa (86 factors, 32 regulation wins) additionally maintain tiebreaker benefits if the Flyers are unable to beat them on complete factors.

On Saturday night time, the Flyers earned a 5-1 street win over the Red Wings. Owen Tippett (twenty fifth, twenty sixth and twenty seventh targets of the season) led the way in which with a hat trick and an help. Philly additionally acquired one objective apiece from Noah Cates (seventeenth) and Sean Couturier (ENG, tenth).

Earlier within the day, Dallas powered previous the host Penguins by a 6-3 depend. Jason Robertson (fortieth) notched a objective and an help, whereas Mavrik Bourque tallied a pair of empty web targets after aiding on a Lian Bichsel marker. In the identical recreation, Mikko Rantanen hit the 21-goal and 50-assist marks for the season.

Here are the RAV4 Things to look at on Sunday.

1. Konecny ​​and Zegras

The Flyers’ two main scorers this season — Travis Konecny ​​and Trevor Zegras — have contributed assists not too long ago however targets have been onerous to return by late.

Konecny ​​has two targets for the month of March. Zegras has one objective this month. Fortunately, they have been establishing targets for teammates. Meanwhile, Tippett and Cates have shouldered the goal-scoring load. Couturier has scored a objective in three straight video games.

At some level quickly, nonetheless, the Flyers will want Konecny ​​(25 targets) and/or Zegras (22 targets) to get again into the objective scoring column with extra regularity. That’s notably true towards a powerhouse opponent like Dallas.

2. Shot suppression

Sunday’s recreation pits two of the NHL’s high groups in shot suppression. The Flyers permit a mean of 25.7 photographs per recreation (4th greatest within the NHL) whereas Dallas permits 26.3 on common (seventh). Meanwhile, The Stars held the Penguins to a mere 12 photographs on objective in Saturday afternoon’s match.

One of the prime variations between the groups: Dallas has extra end than Philly. Dallas 25.7 photographs per recreation (twenty seventh) whereas the Flyers common 25.4 (thirtieth). However, the Stars rating a mean 3.37 targets per recreation (eighth) whereas the Flyers rating 2.82 (twenty fifth).

The Flyers have been making a concerted effort to cross up few shot alternatives. They’ve been attacking the center of the ice higher than late and getting our bodies to the web. Doing so towards Dallas generally is a tall job.

With the likes of Robertson, Wyatt Johston (40 targets), Rantanen and even old-guard veterans resembling Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, the Stars do not essentially want plenty of photographs to attain their targets. Philly has to maintain Dallas to the perimeter as a lot as attainable and clear pucks from the defensive zone persistently. Failed clears that permit extended forechecking for Dallas are often a recipe for a troublesome night time.

3. Between the Pipes: Ersson vs. DeSmith

With the Flyers within the latter recreation of a back-to-back set, search for Samuel Ersson (12-10-5, 3.20 GAA, .867 SV%) to get the beginning in objective. Ersson has performed very nicely in every of his final 4 begins (all wins) in addition to his final reduction outing again on March 9.

Dallas No. 1 goalie Jake Oetinger has been a workhorse for his staff. I’ve began each on Wednesday and Saturday. However, with Dallas having already clinched a playoff spot however nicely behind the Colorado Avalanche for the highest seed within the Western Conference, the Stars are near being locked into second place within the Central Division.

It shall be a shock if backup goalie Casey DeSmith doesn’t get the beginning nod on Sunday. The Stars have hardly skipped a beat at any time when DeSmith (14-7-5, 2.40 GAA, .908 SV%) has been in web.

4. Special groups

The Flyers had a uncommon good night time on particular groups in Detroit on Saturday: 2-for-2 on the facility play. 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.

Philly can be sensible to remain out of the penalty field towards Dallas. Only the Edmonton Oilers have transformed energy performs at a better clip than the Stars. Meanwhile, the Flyers nonetheless rank final within the NHL on the facility play.

A break even night time on particular groups can be a hit towards Dallas. Winning the particular groups battle would one way or the other go a really great distance towards coming away with two factors.