UPDATE 11:15 AM EST
Worst-case fears have been realized with Claude Giroux. He has now been diagnosed with a concussion and is out indefinitely. He reported his symptoms worsening.
PREVIEW 7:45 AM EST
If the Philadelphia Flyers (18-7-3) are to extend their December winning streak to six games, they will need to do without the services of their two most important players when they travel to DC to take on the Washington Capitals (15-12-1). The game starts at 7 PM EST and will be broadcast locally on CSN Philly.
This is the second of four meetings between the teams this season. Back on Oct. 20, a then-undefeated Capitals team ran its record to 6-0-0 by coming into Philly and winning by a 5-2 score. Four of the goals were scored off deflections -- three off Flyers players -- but the Caps were the better team after Philly got off a strong start early in the first period.
Much has changed since then, especially for Washington. The Capitals have struggled for most of the last seven weeks, posting a 9-12-1 record since the last time they played the Flyers. In the process, they fired coach Bruce Boudreau (now with Anaheim) and brought in former Capitals player Dale Hunter.
This will be Hunter's 7th game since taking over behind the bench. The team has won its last two games heading into tonight. Overall, the Caps are 10-4-1 on home ice.
Alexander Ovechkin went through one of the worst offensive dry spells of his career (four points in 10 games) but has now tallied points in three of the last four games. He scored two goals in the first meeting of the season with the Flyers and, for his career, has utterly torn apart Philly with 22 goals and 37 points in 23 games.
The Eastern Conference leading Flyers currently sport the league's best road record (10-3-1). In the absence of Chris Pronger (LTIR, concussion, knee surgery), the rest of the defense has stepped up. The power play has been scorching hot this month as well, and the team has raised its season success rate to 20.4% (3rd in the NHL).
However, the team faces a tough challenge tonight. For the first time since the 2008-09 season, the club will have to play a game without the services of Claude Giroux (head/neck injury). The Hart Trophy candidate was accidentally kneed in the back of the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds in the second period of Saturday night's game against Tampa Bay. Although he has not yet presented concussion symptoms, he has experienced soreness and stiffness in his neck and is still being monitored for a potential concussion.
In the absence of Giroux, rookie center Sean Couturier will have the opportunity to move up from the fourth line to the top unit with Jaromir Jagr and Scott Hartnell. Hartnell brings a five-game goal scoring streak into tonight's game, while Jagr has racked up 4 goals and 7 points in five games since returning to the lineup from a groin pull.
Meanwhile, Danny Briere comes into this game having scored in back-to-back games for the first time this season. He has 7 points (2 G, 5 A) in the five games this month. Simmonds has also scored in back-to-back games.
The puck has not been going in the net much of late for Jakub Voracek (one goal in the last 14 GP) but he has been doing everything else well and has registered assists in two of the last three games. James van Riemsdyk (0 points in last 4 games) has had a bit of a slow return from a slight abdominal muscle tear that kept him out of action in late November.
Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov left Saturday night's game in the third period after mildly re-aggravating a previous (undisclosed) injury. He is still expected to start tonight.
Apart from Giroux and Pronger, the Flyers remain without rookie Brayden Schenn (LTIR, concussion) and defensemen Andreas Lilja (LTIR, high ankle sprain) and Erik Gustafsson (LTIR, hand/wrist surgery). Washington is missing offensive defenseman Mike Green (IR, groin) and role-playing forwards Jay Beagle (concussion) and Matt Hendricks (knee).
PROJECTED LINEUP (subject to change)
FLYERS
Hartnell - Couturier - Jagr
Read - Briere - Simmonds
JVR - Talbot - Voracek
Shelley - Zolnierczyk - Rinaldo
Timonen - Coburn
Carle - Meszaros/Bourdon
Bourdon/Marshall - Meszaros
Bryzgalov
[Bobrovsky]
CAPITALS
Ovechkin - Backstrom - Semin
Brouwer - Johansson - Halpern
Chimera - Laich - Ward
Eakin - Perrault - Knuble
Carlson - Alzner
Orlov - Hamrlik
Wideman - Erskine
Vokoun
[Neuvirth]
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In conjunction with our sponsor, Hockeytickets.ca, I am pleased to announce our next Flyers ticket contest.
Since we already gave away two seats to the Flyers-Bruins game on Saturday, which is the last home game until the Winter Classic, this contest will be one for a pair of ROAD GAME tickets to see the Flyers take on the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Wed. December 21.
To enter the contest, simply send an email to
[email protected] with Flyers-Stars ticket contest in the subject line. A winner will be chosen in a random on Thursday evening and announced on Friday.
Please note that we cannot provide transportation or other accommodations if the contest winner is someone who has to travel for the game. The contest is for the tickets ONLY. Thus, If you enter the contest, please make sure you will be able to use the tickets or else we will have to draw an alternate winner.
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