Brad Shaw takes the reins as Flyers host Canadiens
The Philadelphia Flyers are taking on the Montreal Canadiens in South Philly Thursday night after what was a spectacularly eventful morning. How will the Flyers respond to the firing of head coach John Tortorella? Will they finally end their six-game losing skid?
The Game
When: 7:00 p.m. ETWhere: Wells Fargo CenterHow to watch: NBCSP, ESPN+
Storylines to Watch
Shaw takes the reins
There’s a new guy behind the bench.
Well, sort of.
Associate coach Brad Shaw has been appointed the Flyers’ interim head honcho after former bench boss John Tortorella was relieved of his duties Thursday morning. Tortorella’s dismissal comes two days after claiming he was “not really interested in learning how to coach” in a lost season after suffering a 7-2 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Shaw has served as a key member of the Flyers coaching staff since 2022, overseeing the penalty kill and the club’s defense. He has been credited with improving the play of several Flyers defenders, most notably Rasmus Ristolainen and Jamie Drysdale.
This will be Shaw’s first time serving as head coach of an NHL team. Even if it’s only for the final nine games of the season, he’s certainly earned the opportunity after years of strong work running the PK.
Star rookies facing off
Two of the best young players in hockey will be going head to head when the puck drops.
Matvei Michkov, the Flyers’ prized rookie winger, and Lane Hutson, Montreal’s dynamic 21-year-old defenseman, are both firmly in the running for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Hutson currently leads all rookies with 54 points on the season, but Michkov isn’t far behind him with 51 points.
San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini is still the odds-on favorite to win the Calder, but Michkov and Hutson are still very much in the conversation, and a strong performance from either player could have major implications on the race.
Maybe now they’ll score on the power play?
The Flyers still have not scored one single power-play goal in the month of March. It is March 27.
That’s very bad.
With Tortorella out of the picture, perhaps tonight will be the night the Flyers will break their 0-for-31 run of ineptitude on the man advantage in March. However, Rocky Thompson, who oversees the Flyers power play, remains on the coaching staff, so the dismissal of Tortorella alone may not lead to the steady stream of power-play goals the team has been lacking over the last month.
Projected Lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Foerster — Cates — BrinkMichkov — Couturier — KonecnyTippett — Poehling — PelletierDeslauriers — Abols — Lycksell
York — SanheimSeeler — DrysdaleZamula — Andrae
Ersson(Kolosov)
Montreal Canadiens
Caufield — Suzuki — SlafkovskyRoy — Newhook — LaineAnderson — Dvorak — GallagherHeineman — Evans — Armia
Matheson — CarrierStruble — HutsonXhekaj — Savard
Dobes(Montembault)...
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