Flyers vs. Red Wings: How to Watch, Lineups, Keys to the Game

Just days after their first meeting of the season, the Philadelphia Flyers (37-25-12) take on the Detroit Red Wings (39-27-8) once again. But this time, the venue switches, putting the Flyers on home ice in the midst of an even tighter playoff race.

Now, both the Flyers and Red Wings are tied with 86 points, still on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Both teams are two points back of the final wildcard spot. The Flyers are also three points back of third place in the Metropolitan Division. Another crucial game between these two teams begins at 7 PM.

How to Watch

Time: 7 PM
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.3 ESPN and the 97.3 ESPN Free Mobile App
Streaming: ESPN+

Projected Flyers Lines vs. Red Wings

Injury & Roster Updates

Lineup Updates: Tyson Foerster returns to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 1, well ahead of his scheduled recovery time. Alex Bump remains out of the lineup and Garnet Hathaway also comes out with Foerster's return.
Starting Goalie: Sam Ersson gets the start for the Flyers. Ersson is 13-10-5 with a 3.11 GAA and .870 save percentage on the season. He made 17 saves on 18 shots in a win over Dallas on Sunday.
Injuries
- Nikita Grebenkin: upper-body injury, out 7-to-10 days
- Rodrigo Abols: fractured ankle, out at least two months from Jan. 21

Opponent Snapshot: Detroit Red Wings

Opponent record: 39-27-8
Special Teams Ranking
- Power Play: 22.3% (13th)
- Penalty Kill: 77.7% (22nd)
Who’s hot?: Alex DeBrincat has seven goals and 21 points in the last 15 games. Patrick Kane has four goals and 14 points in the last 12 games. Moritz Seider has six assists in the last five games. Dylan Larkin has two goals and three points in four games since returning from injury.
Who’s in net?: John Gibson is expected to start for the Red Wings. Gibson has a 27-19-3 record this season with a 2.63 GAA and .904 save percentage. He exited after the first period of his last start on Tuesday, allowing three goals on 14 shots to Pittsburgh in a loss. He allowed four goals on 21 shots against the Flyers on Saturday.
Injuries: Michael Rasmussen remains out with an undisclosed injury.

Keys to the Game

Look Who's Back: One game after adding Porter Martone to the top-nine, Tyson Foerster makes his return for the first time since Dec. 1, another notable addition to the top-nine forward group. Just in time for the stretch run.
We Meet Again: For the second time this week, the Flyers have a critical matchup with the Red Wings. This one, with the two teams tied in the standings, holds even more importance.
Back to Basics: The Flyers appeared out of sorts early and let some bad habits and critical mistakes cost them in Tuesday's game. Getting back to what has worked for so much of March will help get them back in the win column.

By the Numbers

Both teams have great records when scoring first. The Flyers are 18-5-4 when scoring the first goal. Detroit is 24-5-2.
The Flyers were 10-4-1 in the month of March. Detroit was 5-7-2.
Travis Konecny has five goals and 17 points in 22 career games against Detroit. Alex DeBrincat has nine goals and 12 points in 18 career games against the Flyers.

Quotable

"I liked a lot of our game. I thought we had a lot of good looks. We just couldn't outscore our mistakes tonight. And then, obviously, giving up two on the power play hurt us as well. It's unfortunate, but we'll move on and get ready for Thursday." - Travis Sanheim on Tuesday's loss to Washington

X-Factors

Owen Tippett: If the last game against Detroit was any indication, Tippett can take over a game. He'll certainly get plenty of interest from the Red Wings after scoring a hat trick on Saturday.
Alex DeBrincat: His points streak may have been snapped in the last game, but DeBrincat remains on a hot streak and can be dangerous from anywhere in the attacking zone.

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.