Flyers-Capitals Preview: The Final Countdown

Back-to-back wins on Thursday and Saturday gave the Flyers some life. There was a chance that they could be in a position to not only take over the final playoff spot after Tuesday night, but even clinch if everything broke their way.

On Monday night, none of that happened, and it showed what happens when a team has to rely on watching the scoreboard.

So now, the Flyers play the final game of the regular season, and the only control they have on their playoff lives depends solely on a regulation win over the Washington Capitals. In addition, the Flyers would need a regulation loss from Detroit against Montreal to still have a chance beyond Tuesday night. Even then, they would also need a regulation loss from the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders to manage to make the playoffs. The chances of all of that are very slim.

The stage is set for Game 82, one final time for the Flyers on the ice. Barring a miracle, their unexpected run to the playoffs would fall just points short.

Game time is at 7 p.m.

Team Leaders

Philadelphia Flyers	GP	G	A	P	Washington Capitals	GP	G	A	P
Travis Konecny	75	33	35	68	Dylan Strome	81	27	40	67
Owen Tippett	77	28	25	53	Alex Ovechkin	78	30	34	64
Joel Farabee	81	22	28	50	John Carlson	81	10	42	52
Travis Sanheim	80	10	34	44	Tom Wilson	73	18	17	35
Morgan Frost	70	13	28	41	Connor McMichael	73	18	15	33

Travis Konecny has been a catalyst behind the last two wins that are keeping the Flyers alive in the race. He scored a key insurance goal late in the second period against the Rangers on Thursday to set a new career high for goals in a season. On Saturday, his sixth shorthanded goal of the season was also his 33rd goal of the season and the 400th point of his NHL career, and held up as the lone goal in the game.

Alex Ovechkin has cooled down with just one goal and one assist in the last five games. But with a chance at the playoffs on the line with a win, Ovechkin could be the catalyst to will his team across the finish line.

Sam Ersson get the start for the Flyers. Ersson made 20 saves in a shutout win over the Devils on Saturday, continuing to bounce back from a series of bad starts. In the last two games, he has made 44 saves on 45 shots to help keep the Flyers playoff hope afloat.

Charlie Lindgren is expected to start for the Capitals. Lindgren also started on Monday night against Boston, making 16 saves in a shutout win. Lindgren has won three of his last four starts, and one more on Tuesday would solidify Washington's place in the playoffs.

Projected Lineups

Flyers Scratches: Rasmus Ristolainen (injury), Nick Deslauriers (healthy), Olle Lycksell (healthy), Denis Gurianov (healthy), Marc Staal (healthy), Ronnie Attard (healthy), Adam Ginning (healthy)

Capitals Scratches: Rasmus Sandin (injury), Nick Jensen (injury), Ivan Miroshnichenko (healthy), Lucas Johansen (healthy), Michael Sgarbossa (healthy)

Lineup Notes

Flyers: No changes are expected from Saturday's game.
Capitals: The Capitals did not have a morning skate after Monday's game. Beck Malenstyn left Monday's game in the second period and did not return, leaving him questionable for Tuesday's game.

Game Notes

Power Play: Flyers (12.3% - 32nd), Capitals (20.6% - 17th)
Penalty Kill: Flyers (83.4% - 4th), Capitals (78.9% - 18th)
Recent History vs. Capitals
- March 1, 2024 - Capitals 5, Flyers 2 (at WSH)
- Dec. 14, 2023 - Flyers 4, Capitals 3 (F/SO) (at PHI)
Flyers Leaders vs. Capitals
- Sean Couturier: 44 GP, 13 G, 19 A, 32 P
- Cam Atkinson: 32 GP, 13 G, 9 A, 22 P
- Scott Laughton: 34 GP, 13 G, 4 A, 17 P
- Sam Ersson: 2 GP, 1-1-0, 3.85 GAA, .843 SV%
Milestone Watch
- Sean Couturier needs three points to reach 500 for his career.