A busy and challenging stretch heading into late October, John Tortorella’s Philadelphia Flyers (2-6-1) will visit Jim Montgomery’s Boston Bruins (4-4-1) on Tuesday evening. Game time at TD Garden is 7:00 PM EDT.

The game will be broadcast on NBCSP. The radio broadcast is on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Fyers Radio 24/7.

This is the first of three games this season between the Flyers and Bruins. The teams meet again Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. The season series concludes on December 7 in Boston.

The Flyers are playing their third game in four days and come into this contest coming off a weekend split: a 7-5 home win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon and a 4-3 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

The Bruins are relatively the more rested team, having played just one game since October 24. On Saturday, the Bruins dramatically defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime to end a three-game slump. Team captain Brad Marchand (1st goal of the season) scored the match winner.

Here are five things to watch during Tuesday’s game:

1. Tippett is warmed up

With the exception of the top line, with Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny ​​centering Sean Couturier, a large portion of the Flyers’ forward line (namely the players counted on for the supporting offense) has spent most of the first nine games had a difficult season.

Among the players who will be counted on to lead the charge offensively, Owen Tippett is one who looks set to emerge. The 25-year-old winger has scored five points (1g, 4a) in the past three games.

One bright spot from the supporting cast: Ryan Poehling has created numerous positive shifts since the Seattle game (fourth game of the season). He’s been using his combination of size and speed effectively lately. While not primarily used in offense, he has four assists in nine games.

2. Blueline Backbone: Combination of Sanheim and Ristolainen

With Cam York on IR with an upper-body injury suffered Oct. 23 in Washington, the Flyers will have to rely heavily on a retooled top duo: Travis Sanheim (who has moved from right defense to left) and Rasmus Ristolainen.

The duo played well this past weekend, both offensively and defensively, while logging tremendous ice time. Similar performances are needed against the Bruins.

Offensively, the Flyers allowed four goals from the defense last weekend. On Sunday, Sanheim scored in both the first and third periods. he also assisted on Konecny’s goal that put the Flyers back within 4–3. A day earlier against Minnesota, Ristolainen scored the winning goal in the third period. Fellow defenseman Nick Seeler scored in the first period.

York update: The two-way defenseman is expected to miss at least two weeks due to the injury he suffered last Wednesday.

3. Eyes on Andrae and Drysdale

York’s injury has given second-year defenseman Emil Andrae a chance to show how much he has developed his game since his first season in the NHL at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Andrae made his season debut against Montreal on Sunday. His play was a bright spot for Philly and the offensive blueliner figures to remain in the lineup in the upcoming games.

Andrae was paired with veteran Erik Johnson (994 games played in the NHL regular season) on Sunday. The duo may stay together against the Bruins. Egor Zamula was scratched against the Canadiens.

Speaking of blueliners running a supporting offense, a big game in Jamie Drysdale’s Boston would go a long way for the Flyers to upset the Bruins on their home ice. Drysdale (1g, 2a, 3 pts) is needed to help the Flyers play faster off the break at 5-on-5 and join the rush on the ice more consistently.

4. Shift management

The Flyers have rotated a wide variety of different line combinations up front in the first nine games. Regardless of who steps onto the ice together, however, these improvements are still needed from the team as a whole:

• Puck Possession: The Flyers must attack and defend as five-man units of equal strength. The defensive structure in their own zone has gradually improved over October, but there is still not enough puck support or communication.
• Post-GF/GA Shift: The Flyers have had an issue through the first nine games where they have had to give up close opponent goals OR score a goal only to give up one a few shifts later. In 2024, it is as true as ever before that the shift after a goal or especially an opponent is critical to playing winning hockey.
• Sharp Line Changes/2nd Periods: The second period is the “long change” period in which players must skate a longer distance when changing line combinations on the fly. The Flyers’ second-period struggles so far this season aren’t just due to line change issues, but that’s an issue that’s been addressed a few times.

5. Behind enemy lines: Boston Bruins

The Flyers know all too well the damage David Pastrnak (six goals this season, including three power play markers) can do when he’s open for a one-timer from the wing or lurking. Containing Pastrnak is a perennial key to the Bruins playing effectively. Likewise, Flyers players and fans are quite familiar with the talents of defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

Newcomer Mark Kastelic, formerly of the Ottawa Senators, has an excellent game in the overtime win over Toronto. He scored a goal, blocked two shots and dealt six hits. He has recorded six points (3g, 3a) through the first nine games of the season, matching his massive frame (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) and punishing physical style.

Another newcomer to Boston this season: former Tampa Bay Lightning winger Cole Koepke. The 26-year-old has started strongly this season (three goals, seven points, plus-10). He also fits the playing style (tenacious around the puck, quick wrist shot) and physical profile (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) of opponents who are having some success against Philly.