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The Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators are two of the most storied franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL). While the Flyers have a rich history that dates back to 1967, the Senators were only established in 1992. However, both teams have their own unique traditions and styles of play, making a Philadelphia vs Ottawa matchup an exciting and intriguing prospect.
31 MARCH 2023
TIME: 07:00 PM ET
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Let’s start with the Philadelphia Flyers, who have always been known for their tough, physical style of play. The “Broad Street Bullies” era of the 1970s is still legendary in the NHL, when the Flyers won two Stanley Cup championships by intimidating opponents with a relentless physicality. Even today, the Flyers are still a team that opponents need to be wary of when it comes to physical play, with players like Scott Laughton and Nicolas Aube-Kubel not afraid to throw their weight around.
But the Flyers aren’t just a team of bruisers – they also have plenty of skill and scoring prowess. Their top line of Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny is one of the most dynamic in the NHL, with Giroux and Couturier both former Selke Trophy winners (given to the league’s top defensive forward) and Konecny a rising star. And they have plenty of other talented forwards, like Joel Farabee and James van Riemsdyk, who can light up the scoreboard as well.
On defense, the Flyers are led by Ivan Provorov, a young Russian blueliner who is already one of the NHL’s best defensemen. He’s a workhorse who can play big minutes and contribute at both ends of the ice. Behind him, players like Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers have shown promise, though there are still some holes on the back end that need to be filled.
In net, the Flyers have a solid tandem of Carter Hart and Brian Elliott. Hart, in particular, is a young goalie with plenty of potential – he was a Calder Trophy finalist (given to the NHL’s top rookie) in 2020 and has shown flashes of brilliance in his brief NHL career so far.
Now, let’s turn our attention to the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have been a bit of a rollercoaster in recent years – they reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2017, but then went through a rebuilding phase that saw them finish near the bottom of the standings for a few seasons. But they seem to be on the upswing now, with some exciting young talent coming up through the ranks.
At the forefront of that talent is Brady Tkachuk, a hard-nosed forward who is quickly becoming one of the NHL’s best power forwards. He’s got a bit of an edge to his game, but also has plenty of skill and a nose for the net. He’s joined up front by players like Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle, both of whom have shown flashes of brilliance in their young NHL careers.
On defense, the Senators have some solid pieces as well. Thomas Chabot is the team’s undisputed number one defenseman, a smooth-skating blueliner who can make plays at both ends of the ice. Behind him, players like Erik Brannstrom and Jacob Bernard-Docker have shown promise, though they’re still developing.
In net, the Senators have a bit of a question mark. Matt Murray was brought in to be the team’s number one goalie, but he’s struggled in his time in Ottawa so far. Anton Forsberg has been solid in limited action, but he’s not a long-term solution. It remains to be seen who will step up and claim the starting job for the Senators.
