Inside the Article:
The Detroit Red Wings today head to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers for a matinee matchup with puck drop set for 1:00 PM. This is the Red Wings final matchup against the Flyers this season with the Red Wings losing the previous two matchups against Philadelphia. The first game was 2-1 Flyers in Detroit, and the second was 3-1 Flyers in Philadelphia.
Detroit Red Wings (31-31-9) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (27-32-12)
When:Â Saturday, March 25
Time:Â 1:00 p.m. ET
Where:Â Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
Channel:Â Bally Sports Detroit
Red Wings vs. Flyers Scoring Leaders
Red Wings vs. Flyers Goaltender Comparison
Why it matters
The Red Wings have lost six of their last seven road games heading into today and have been outscored 26-11, one of those losses was against the Flyers on March 5th in Philadelphia.
Today’s matchup is between two teams that are both at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with the Flyers currently sitting in 14th in the Conference and the Red Wings sitting in 13th. The Flyers had been helping the Red Wings out by beating the Sabres 5-2 and the Panthers 6-3, two teams that are currently ahead of the Red Wings in the Wild Card Standings.
Today’s matchup will also feature James Van Riemsdyk, who was reportedly traded to the Red Wings during the trade deadline until he wasn’t when the trade fell apart. It was said that the trade was done, Van Riemsdyk would be a Red Wing in exchange for a draft pick, and Philadelphia would retain the $7 million cap hit. However, the hold-up was that the Red Wings needed to trade a forward from their roster but ultimately could not get a deal done, and the Van Riemsdyk trade fell through.
With today’s game Red Wings defenseman, Robert Hagg will take on his former team. The Flyers drafted Hagg 41st overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. He’s has played against the Flyers twice in his career, with his first time back in Philadelphia coming earlier this season. The Red Wings today will also take on Brendan Lemieux who is the son of Red Wings’ rival Claude Lemieux. Brendan’s dad Claude is also the Agent of Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider.
Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to get the start in today’s game against the Flyers. This will be his first start since December 8th against the Florida Panthers. In that game against the Panthers, Nedeljkovic allowed five goals on 41 shots. Nedeljkovic also made an appearance in Thursday’s game against the Blues, in which he allowed one goal on nine shots. Magnus Hellberg is expected to be the backup with Ville Husso still dealing with a lower-body issue.
Red Wings vs. Flyers by the numbers
Tonight’s Red Wings player to watch: Lucas Raymond
Lucas Raymond finished fourth in the Calder Memorial Trophy as his teammate Moritz Seider took home the award last season. He was also named to the 1st team All-Rookie Team last season. Last Season Raymond scored 23 goals and added 34 assists, playing in all 82 of the Red Wings games. This season Raymond missed some time with an injury but has still played in 63 games scoring 16 goals and adding 23 assists.
Raymond started this season off hot but cooled off in December, he would catch fire again in January but has failed to find the back of the net as of late, with his last goal coming on March 8th against Chicago, and before that he had not scored since January 21st which was against the Flyers. Over the course of his last three games, Raymond has tallied two points, both of which came on assists.
- Raymond is tied for third on the team in goals.
- Raymond is also tied for fifth on the team in assists.
- Raymond ranks fourth on the team in points.
Lucas Raymond’s line assignments:
Raymond is expected to play on the first line tonight with Dylan Larkin and Joe Veleno. Raymond will also play on the first power-play unit with Larkin, David Perron, Alex Chiasson, and Moritz Seider.
- Raymond has five power-play goals, and 12 power-play assists this season.
- Raymond has ten power-play goals, and 25 power-play assists in his career.
Raymond’s career vs. Philadelphia
Raymond has played in five career games against the Flyers and has had a point in four of those five games, scoring two goals and notching three assists. Raymond has led the Red Wings to a 3-2-0 record in the five games he’s played against Philadelphia, and in those five games, the Red Wings have outscored Philadelphia 18-13.
Wrap Up
On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings got all the help they needed to gain some ground in the Wild Card chase but just couldn’t pull out a win over the Blues. Time is running out for the Red Wings season, and the fact that they are still in the race and have a chance to make the playoffs, even if those chances are slim, is a step in the right direction for this team for the future.
The one thing they need to address is if or when they jump out to a big lead, they need to keep their foot on the gas and if the opposing team comes back and ties it or even takes the lead, they need to not let that destroy them mentally. Head Coach Derek LaLonde addressed that after Thursday’s game. The team looked completely different once the score was 2-2 in the second period, and when the period ended it was 4-2.
Even after the loss the other night the Red Wings do still have a chance as they currently sit nine points back with 11 games left, and three of those 11 games are against two teams that are ahead of them in the standings for that Wild Card spot. Those three games along with today’s matchup against Philadelphia are must-win games.
What is the Detroit Red Wings’ schedule?
Remaining Detroit Red Wings Schedule:
