The 2024 edition of the annual Black Friday matinee will see John Tortorella’s Philadelphia Flyers (10-10-3) host Peter Laviolette’s New York Rangers (12-8-4). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 1:00 PM EST.

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

Philly is coming off an improbable 3-2 road victory against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. After being at a massive territorial disadvantage all night and trailing 2–1 in the final half minute of regulation, the Flyers tied the game with 12 seconds left on the clock to force overtime. Sean Couturier scored the match winner from sudden death after Morgan Frost scored the equalizer. Both goals were scored via diversions. Scott Laughton scored a goal on the short side in the first period.

The archrival Rangers enter Philadelphia looking to halt a four-game losing streak. The Blueshirts are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games. After a 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and a 5-2 home loss to the St. Louis Blues, the Rangers dropped a 4-3 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on Wednesday night.

Here are five things to watch on Friday:

1. Puck management is crucial

Dating back to the 2021-2022 season, the Flyers are 2-6-3 in head-to-head games against the Rangers. The common theme among most of the losses was failures in puck management and/or structural failures.

Last year’s Black Friday game (Nov. 24, 2023) was a prime example of where the Flyers have all too often gone wrong against the Rangers.

In a 3-1 loss to the Rangers, the Flyers coughed up a pair of costly 2-on-1 rushes and paid dearly for a straight giveaway during a defensive zone showdown. The final 2-on-1 was a rare 60-yard goal that started with a faceoff loss in the offensive zone, a failed forecheck and a defender going to the wrong spot.

In that game, a few mistakes spoiled an otherwise strong effort (37-19 shot on goal rim, territorial advantage in all three periods). Add to that some offensive frustrations in finishing chances and it resulted in losing an otherwise winnable match.

On the other hand, in the final meeting of last year’s season series, the Flyers earned a 4-1 win in a must-win game at Madison Square Garden. The Flyers kept their playoff hopes alive by playing with the kind of focused urgency that was desperately needed.

2. Konecny ​​​​the catalyst

The Flyers All-Star right winger is off to the best start of his NHL career during the first quarter of the regular season. It’s not just the fact that he’s leading the Flyers with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) through the first 23 games. He also performed at important moments.

In the Flyers’ overtime win against Chicago on November 23, Konecny’s saucer pass to Matvei Michkov set up the winning power-play goal in sudden death. On Wednesday, Konecny ​​created Couturier’s winning redirection goal sequence with one hand.

Konecny ​​​​has scored at least one point in 10 of the last 11 games. In that period he scored six goals and eleven assists, good for seventeen points. His last two goals came against the Buffalo Sabers in the Nov. 16 game at Wells Fargo Center.

3. Couturier on goal streak

Flyers captain Couturier has scored a goal in three straight games heading into the Black Friday match. In that span, he has doubled his season goals from three (all in the Oct. 26 game against the Minnesota Wild) to six.

A strong two-way showing against the two-time Selke Trophy finalist Rangers would go a long way toward a Flyers win in Friday’s game. The Flyers need a win to move above “hockey .500” for the season for the first time since their opening night victory in Vancouver.

4. Special teams prospects

The Flyers’ power play has dropped to a tie for 24th on the power play with an efficiency of 16.7. In 12 games in November, the team is 4-for-33 on the man advantage (12.1 percent).

In terms of penalty kill, the Flyers rank 9th in the NHL with an 82.8 percent success rate. Over the past month, the team has won 25-for-29 (82.8 percent). However, the Flyers have yielded three opposing power-play goals on the last 12 PK opportunities.

New York’s power play ranks 15th in the league at 20.4 percent. The PK is in second place with 87.0 percent.

5. Behind Enemy Lines: The Rangers’ main weapons

In recent years, it has usually been some combination of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox and/or Chris Kreider doing the most damage against the Flyers.

This season, Panarin (as usual) leads the Rangers offensively with 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists). Offensive defenseman Fox has 18 points, all via assists. Zibanejad has 15 points (4g, 11a) and an unusual rating of -12, while Will Cuylle has scored nine goals, 18 points and a rating of +12.

Kreider, who is currently dealing with an injury day injury, has been slumping lately but has nine goals for the season. Recently signed to a contract extension, Alexis Lafreniere has scored eight goals and sixteen points.

Igor Shesterkin hasn’t been playing up to his normally elite standards lately. Overall, Shesterkin (8-7-1, 2.98 GAA, .911 save percentage, one shutout) has made 16 starts. Veteran Jonathan Quick (4-1-0, 1.85 GAA, .943 SV, two shutouts) has made five starts and one relief appearance.