Early look The full preview opens on Saturday 13 March, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Detroit Red Wings at Philadelphia Flyers: game preview

Puck drop16 Mar · 7:00 PM ET
VenueXfinity Mobile Arena
All-time meetings164 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Six points apart last season

Detroit finished last season 16th in the league on 92 points. Philadelphia finished 11th on 98.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 165

Across 164 completed games, Philadelphia lead the head-to-head 88-69-7.

All-time record88-69-7Philadelphia's record in the series
Meetings played164This is number 165
2025-26 series—
Last 53-2Detroit
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
9 Apr 2026PHI 3 – DET 627–22PHI 1/6 · DET 3/4DET
2 Apr 2026DET 4 – PHI 219–34DET 1/2 · PHI 0/1DET
28 Mar 2026PHI 5 – DET 326–35PHI 2/2 · DET 0/2PHI
21 Jan 2025DET 1 – PHI 2 OT28–26DET 0/0 · PHI 0/1PHI
18 Dec 2024PHI 4 – DET 619–24PHI 0/1 · DET 1/2DET
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateDetroitPhiladelphia
28 Mar 202639-26-8 · 86 pts13th36-24-12 · 84 pts15th
2 Apr 202640-27-8 · 88 pts12th37-26-12 · 86 pts16th
9 Apr 202641-29-9 · 91 pts12th40-27-12 · 92 pts11th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 28 Mar 2026, Detroit were 13th in the league and Philadelphia 15th. By 9 Apr 2026 it was 12th and 11th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Philadelphia out-attempted Detroit 276 to 255

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Detroit Red Wings

255 att · 128 on goal · 20 G · 15.6%
Crease18 att · 1 G
Slot96 att · 9 G
Wing95 att · 10 G
Point35 att · 0 G
Neutral zone11 att · 0 G

Philadelphia Flyers

276 att · 132 on goal · 16 G · 12.1%
Crease21 att · 5 G
Slot109 att · 9 G
Wing100 att · 1 G
Point40 att · 0 G
Neutral zone6 att · 1 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Detroit have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

DetroitPhiladelphia
3.23xG for per game1.95
2.85xG against per game4.51
53.1%xG share30.2%
−2.7FinishingGoals minus expected goals−2.8
+0.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.0

This season: 3 games for Detroit, 4 for Philadelphia. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Detroit

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2725.0%
Power play · 2025-2622.6% · 12th
Power play · last 5 meetings5/10 · 50.0%
Penalty kill · 2026-2761.5%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.1% · 23rd
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 97/181
Drawn · 2026-2712 (4.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings10 (2.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2713 (4.33/gm)
PP goals · last meetings5

Philadelphia

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2615.7% · 32nd
Power play · last 5 meetings3/11 · 27.3%
Penalty kill · 2026-2773.3%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.6% · 22nd
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 133/248
Drawn · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)
Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2715 (3.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings3

Skaters

Patrick Kane has 10 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
93Alex DeBrincat32241.33
23Lucas Raymond30331.00
14Sean Couturier40220.50
11Travis Konecny40220.50
74Owen Tippett41010.25
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
72Justin Faulk31120.67
53Moritz Seider30110.33
24Nick Seeler40110.25
Defencemen stats

Patrick Kane vs Philadelphia · game by game

See all: Patrick Kane vs Philadelphia · game by game →
DateVenueGAPSOGTOI
9 Apr 2026home123315:09
2 Apr 2026away123117:27
28 Mar 2026home022320:40
21 Jan 2025away000115:43
18 Dec 2024home112312:48
Last 5 meetings10 P3 G, 7 A · 11 SOG
Next best9 PMoritz Seider, DET
2025-26 season57 P67 GP · 16 G
Blank vs PHI1 of 5
Full game log

Goaltending

John Gibson has started most of these meetings

John Gibson played 3 of the last 5 meetings with Philadelphia, with a .886 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 14 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 13 Mar: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

DET · 1-2-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 13 Mar

SV% · 2026-27.9033 GP · 2.38 GAA · 2025-26 .901
vs Philadelphia.8863 app · 70 SA · 8 GA
GSAx · 2026-27+0.43 starts · most on the roster
vs PHIVenueSAGASV%
9 Apr 2026home152.867
2 Apr 2026away342.941
28 Mar 2026home214.810
Full game log

PHI · 0-2-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 13 Mar

SV% · 2026-27.8632 GP · 5.12 GAA · 2025-26 .906
vs Detroit.8372 app · 43 SA · 7 GA
GSAx · 2026-27−1.62 starts · most on the roster
vs DETVenueSAGASV%
9 Apr 2026away84.500
28 Mar 2026away353.914

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Joseph Woll .929 (2 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 5.9 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

9 Apr 20269 · PHI 3–6 DET
2 Apr 20266 · DET 4–2 PHI
28 Mar 20268 · PHI 5–3 DET
21 Jan 20253 · DET 1–2 PHI
18 Dec 202410 · PHI 4–6 DET

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Detroit2.332.672.943.15
Philadelphia1.254.253.052.96

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest5.9Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings7.2Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

10 on the injury lists

Detroit · injuries

Carter BearUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct
Chase StillmanUndisclosedIRReturn9 Oct
J.T. CompherUndisclosedOutReturn9 Oct
Jacob Bernard-DockerUpper BodyIRReturn9 Oct
Marco KasperUpper BodyIRReturn20 Oct
Mason AppletonUndisclosedIRReturn13 Oct
Simon EdvinssonContract DisputeOutReturn10 Oct

Philadelphia · injuries

Helge GransLower BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Nikita GrebenkinUpper BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Rasmus RistolainenUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct
2 Oct · DET

Placed F Dylan Larkin on the non-roster injured reserve.

25 Sep · DET

Assigned Fs Ondrej Becher, Cameron Butler, Sheldon Dries, Noah Dower Nilsson, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, Ds Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson and Gs Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to Grand Rapids (AHL).

20 Aug 2026 · DET

Acquired F Sutter Muzzatti from Nashville Predators for future considerations.

5 Oct · PHI

Reinstated C Jett Luchanko Barkey from injured reserve.

27 Sep · PHI

Agreed to terms with LW Garrett Wilson on a 1-Year contract. Loaned G Alexei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

25 Sep · PHI

Loaned Fs Jacob Gaucher, Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko and D Oliver Bonk to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Injury report
#23Jeffrey (JP) HurlbertRound 1 · KamloopsLW
#47Victor PlanteRound 2 · Usa U-18LW
#79Michal OrsulakRound 3 · Prince AlbertG
#108Adam LevacRound 4 · PeterboroughC
Full draft

Philadelphia · 2026 draft

See all: Philadelphia · 2026 draft →
#27Maksim SokolovskiiRound 1 · LondonD
#53Brek LiskeRound 2 · EverettD
#62Martin PsohlavecRound 2 · Karlovy Vary Jr.G
#120Marek SklenickaRound 4 · SeattleG
Full draft

Updated after every final