The Philadelphia Flyers didn’t get much time to dwell on Monday’s frustrating shutout in Tampa—and maybe that’s for the best.
They’re staying in South Florida to face a Panthers team that punishes even the slightest hesitation, and the lineup adjustments heading into Wednesday’s game make Philadelphia’s priorities crystal clear: spark the offense, reinforce the back end, and give Dan Vladar another full opportunity to solidify the crease picture.
Vladar Back in Net
The Flyers have been granting Vladar the heavier workload over the past couple of weeks, and his recent results—steady, composed, increasingly confident—have earned the trust.
Against Florida, he’ll need to be sharp early. The Panthers roll four lines that attack aggressively off the rush, and even without Sasha Barkov or Matthew Tkachuk, the speed and forechecking pressure remain disruptive. Vladar’s poise under traffic and ability to handle second-chance chaos will matter… a lot.
Grebenkin Returns to Reignite the Offense
After being held without a goal in Tampa, Philadelphia is clearly prioritizing creativity and puck touch in the bottom six, which has manifested in Nikita Grebenkin drawing back into the lineup, replacing Nic Deslauriers.
This shouldn't be a surprise. Deslauriers brings physicality, but the Flyers simply couldn’t generate enough sustained offense on Monday to justify sticking with a more grind-heavy fourth line. Grebenkin gives them hands, forechecking finesse, and an ability to extend shifts with skill rather than collisions. Not to mention, it will give Grebenkin valuable ice time to continue proving himself with the big club—something he's been missing out on in recent weeks.
GRAB THAT PUCK 😄
— NHL (@NHL) November 5, 2025
Nikita Grebenkin has his first NHL goal! pic.twitter.com/R6kjrXjPKC
That Grebenkin is back while Deslauriers sits hints at the broader mandate: the Flyers need playmaking tonight, not energy for energy’s sake.
And on a road trip where scoring has been inconsistent, Grebenkin’s reintroduction carries some urgency—especially since the Panthers’ structure doesn’t give up much unless you force open the seams.
Juulsen Reinforces the Blue Line as Zamula Comes Out
The other lineup change is on defense: Egor Zamula out, Noah Juulsen in.
This one has a little more nuance.
The Panthers forecheck aggressively and hit hard. They aren’t Tampa’s brand of structured suffocation; they’re confrontational and physical, especially deep in the zone. Juulsen’s game—sturdy, simple, and punishing—fits this matchup better than Zamula’s approach.
'Everyone’s Bringing the Intensity': Tocchet, Flyers Committed to Avoiding ComplacencyThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> were battling hard in practice on Monday.
Juulsen gives the Flyers a counterpunch physically, but more importantly, a stabilizing presence for Nick Seeler. Their pairing is straightforward, defensive-minded, and built to handle the kind of grind-it-out shifts Florida forces.
In short: Juulsen replaces Deslauriers’ physical edge, but does so in a place where it actually helps neutralize Florida’s strengths.
Offense Must Be Sharper—and Faster—Than in Tampa
The Flyers didn’t just get shut out by Tampa Bay; they got stuck. Slow to second pucks, disconnected between forwards and defense, and too often pushed to the perimeter.
The Panthers are not a team that lets you play your way into the game. You have to set your rhythm early.
Philadelphia’s projected forward groups—particularly the top nine—appear designed to combat that:
Michkov – Couturier – Brink
An intelligence-first line, heavy on puck retrieval and east–west vision. Michkov has looked more confident and more assertive with each passing game, and his playmaking could be crucial to loosening Florida’s defensive posture.
Foerster – Cates – Konecny
A line with balance: forechecking, scoring touch, and a high motor on every shift. Foerster’s return has fundamentally changed Philadelphia’s transition game; he stabilizes possessions and gives them a reliable zone-entry threat.
Zegras – Dvorak – Tippett
The team’s current most explosive trio returns intact. Even in the Tampa loss, this line created forward momentum. Zegras is distributing well, Dvorak remains unbelievably effective, and Tippett continues generating high-danger chances, even when he doesn’t bury them.
If the Flyers score early—and they will need to in order to give them a spark they can sustain throughout this game—it’s likely coming from somewhere in this group.
Florida’s Lineup Still Hits Hard Despite Injuries
Even with a thinner lineup due to injuries, Florida is a handful.
Brad Marchand is still Brad Marchand. Sam Reinhart is still one of the smartest offensive players in the NHL. Carter Verhaeghe’s release is lethal from anywhere inside the blue line.
The Flyers don’t need perfection, but they need pace—and a commitment to winning small battles that they lost in Tampa.
Projected Lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Forwards:
Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Bobby Brink
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Trevor Zegras – Christian Dvorak – Owen Tippett
Nikita Grebenkin – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway
Defense:
Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Noah Juulsen
Goalies:
Dan Vladar
Sam Ersson
Florida Panthers
Forwards:
Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer
Noah Gregor – Luke Kunin – Jack Devine
Defense:
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
Goalies:
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
