The Philadelphia Flyers (13-15-7) take on the Boston Bruins (20-11-2) with some very important pieces making their returns from the COVID protocol list. Giroux, Konecny, Sanheim, Provorov, and Braun are all out of protocol and ready to go for tonight. You can catch the game at 7 pm on NBCSP.

Carter Hart will get the start in Boston. Hart is currently 7-10-4 on the season with a 2.92 GAA and a .912 SV%. He’ll look to get his team back in the win column against a Boston team that’s in the midst of a back-to-back after blowing out the depressing Canadiens 5-1 last night.

If you thought the Flyers situation was bad, just imagine being a Canadiens fan. Your team just made the SCF just a year ago and now look like a JV team in high school.

Hart’s last game came in that ugly 6-2 loss against Pittsburgh on ESPN+. All I’m asking for is one singular game where the Flyers give this kid a couple of two-goal cushions and avoid letting him face 30+ shots a game.

The Flyers will be in TD Garden tonight, a building they haven’t won in (in regulation) since October 6th, 2011. I’ve been aware of the struggles we’ve had going into that building lately, but I had no idea it was that bad. That’s just sad to look at.

Like I said, the Bruins are going to be playing their second game in two nights tonight. The Flyers have absolutely no excuse to look sloppy. If you show me the same kind of effort I’ve seen since after the first two weeks of the season, against one of our most hated rivals, I’m done. 

Speaking of the first two weeks of the season, the Flyers actually beat this Boston team 6-3 after taking a massive dump on the Kraken just two days prior (6-1 W). They received some clutch plays from Atkinson (2), Couturier (1G-1A), Konecny (1G), Laughton (1G), Farabee (1G-1A), and Brassard (0G-2A).

That stretch feels like the last time I could say this team looked like an actual hockey team, which is extremely sad to say since the first two weeks looked like the beginning of a pretty fun season. 

Flyers Lineup vs Pittsburgh

Joel Farabee – Claude Giroux – Cam Atkinson 

James van Riemsdyk – Kevin Hayes – Travis Konecny 

Jackson Cates – Scott Laughton – Oskar Lindblom 

Max Willman – Morgan Frost – Zack MacEwen

Ivan Provorov – Travis Sanheim 

Cam York – Justin Braun

Keith Yandle – Nick Seeler

Carter Hart

Honestly, I’ve given up on getting angry at lineup decisions. Yeo makes Frost watch Jackson Cates skate in the Top 9 at practice on Tuesday, then throws him on the fourth line next to Willman and MacEwen the very next day. But wait, it gets better. Despite being an extra forward in practice, then getting thrown on the fourth line for tonight’s game, he also gets a wall on PP2! 

What are we doing here? Are we trying to turn Morgan Frost into Scott Laughton? Stop trying to turn this kid into a “safe” two-way player and let him play his game. How many two-way players does this team want? Scott Laughton, Max Willman, Jackson Cates, Connor Bunnaman, Oskar Lindblom, and Kevin Hayes are all two-way players.

Morgan Frost is never going to be a STUD defender, but at the same time, he hasn’t been bad defensively at all this year. The added muscle since being 18-years old is obviously helping out with 1v1 battles and I’ve noticed several extremely slick plays from Frost in his own end to break the puck out.

This team can barely break a puck out, gets outshot and out-possessed every game, but yeah Morgan, go watch Cates, Willman, Mayhew, and MacEwen from the bench. 

Power Play

If there was anything positive to take away from this team recently, it’s the play of 21-year old Cam York. York picked up his 1st NHL point Saturday night against the Sharks doing what he does best, quarterbacking a power play. 

Yeah, the power play has gone 2/14 in their last 5 games, but watching York distribute the puck so calmly and smoothly (something I was told Keith Yandle did SO WELL) has been a breath of fresh air for me personally.

York is now on PP1 heading into tonight’s matchup against Boston and I can’t sit here and lie and say I’m not excited to watch him do his thing with Claude Giroux next to him. 

Last 5 games on power play

Vs SJS: 0/3

Vs LA: 1/5  

Vs ANA: 0/1 

Vs PIT: 0/3

Vs SJS: 1/2

Parx Sportsbook

If you’re feeling a win, the Flyers ML is at +210 on Parx Sportsbook. If you’re feeling even spicier, the Flyers to score on the power play is +160. 

Mandatory Credit: Flyers PR Zack Hill - Flyers Twitter