PREVIEW 6:00 AM EST
For the first time since the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, the Philadelphia Flyers (22-11-4) will take on the Chicago Blackhawks (24-11-4) at the Wells Fargo Center. The game starts at 7 PM EST and will be broadcast locally on Comcast Sportsnet Philly.
This is the lone meeting between the teams this season. Last year, on Jan. 23, Claude's four-assist outburst spurred Philly to a 4-1 win in Chicago. Among the Flyers' goal scorers in that game, only Scott Hartnell remains a member of the current team. Marian Hossa scored the lone goal for Chicago.
The Flyers, of course, are coming off the disappointment of blowing a 2-0 lead and losing the Winter Classic. Forward Danny Briere noted at practice yesterday that it is a positive to follow up that game with one against a top-notich opponent like Chicago, because it forces everyone to turn the page immediately and know they had better bring a lot of energy and determination if the team is to be successful.
Philly has dropped five of its last seven games. Apart from the team's much publicized goaltending letdowns in the losses, support scoring for the Giroux line has been lacking of late. Briere said yesterday that there are a lot of players on the club -- himself included -- who need to get back to doing the things that made the Flyers the NHL's highest-scoring team until recently.
With Jaromir Jagr on the shelf for the next week to 10 days with an injury that has variously been described as a groin pull (by Paul Holmgren), strained calf (by Jagr) or lower back strain (by another team source), the Flyers hope that some of their slumping players step up score.
Matt Read (one goal, three assists in last 11 games) will play on Giroux's line tonight. The Flyers also need to get some scoring again from James van Riemsdyk (one regulation goal, one shootout goal and two assists in last 12 games), Jakub Voracek (one goal and six assists in last 15 games) and the more recently slumping Briere (pointless in last four games, one goal and one assist in last eight games) and Wayne Simmonds (pointless in three of last four games).
Per his norm, Peter Laviolette refused to name a starting goalie for tonight's game. Ilya Bryzgalov made himself scarce after practice yesterday. Nevertheless, it looks as if Bryz will get the call tonight.
The Hawks, like the Flyers, started out December like gangbusters but have been a bit inconsistent of late. The power play has not been clicking (1-for-22) in the last five games). However, Jonathan Toews -- who could go neck-and-neck with Giroux in the Hart Trophy race -- continues to play excellent hockey. He has scored goals in two straight games.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)
FLYERS
Hartnell - Giroux - Read
Talbot - Briere - Simmonds
JVR - Schenn - Voracek
Zolnierczyk - Couturier- Rinaldo
Timonen - Coburn
Carle - Bourdon
Lilja - Meszaros
Bryzgalov/Bobrovsky
BLACKHAWKS
Frolik - Toews - Hossa
Sharp - Kane - Stalberg
Bickell - Bolland - Shaw
Brunette - Mayers - Hayes
Keith - Seabrook
Leddy - Hjalmarsson
Lepistö - Scott
Emery
[Crawford]
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Thank you to Braydon Coburn for taking time after practice yesterday to talk with me for an upcoming feature article on Philadelphiaflyers.com.
The article on Coby will run a few weeks after an article looking at three prospects in the Flyers system -- goalie Niko Hovinen and forwards Nick Cousins and Marcel Noebels.
The prospect article was originally completed in early December but with all the major news stories of the last month, got temporarily shelved. An updated version will run on the Flyers' site when there is a break in the schedule.
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