Overview
- Buffalo beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Wednesday, handing the Flyers a fourth straight defeat and a third in a row in regulation.
- Starting goaltender Dan Vladar left after the first period with an injury, remains under evaluation, and will not be available for Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh.
- Sam Ersson, who struggled in relief against the Sabres, is slated to start versus the Penguins, and Aleksei Kolosov has been recalled.
- The Flyers’ special teams have cratered with a power play at 3-for-24 since New Year’s Eve and a penalty kill at 59.1 percent over the last seven games, including two goals conceded to Buffalo.
- Roster setbacks continue as Bobby Brink hits injured reserve, Rasmus Ristolainen is day-to-day with an upper-body issue, Tyson Foerster is out for months, and coaches and players say the group needs a reset.