UPDATE 8:15 AM EST
According to Frank Seravalli's morning blog for the
Daily News, the Flyers have recalled Harry Zolnierczyk -- I thought they'd tab Ben Holmstrom instead if he's healthy -- and defenseman Brandon Manning.
I am not sure why they made a defense callup unless there was an unreported injury in the Detroit game. Erik Gustafsson was the only D-man at yesterday's optional skate, so I can't go by that, either.
The Phantoms defense is racked by injuries. Marc-Andre Bourdon has passed various concussion tests but still has concussion-like symptoms. Oskars Bartulis (who requires waivers for a recall, anyway) has a diagnosed concussion. Matt Walker is healthy but the Flyers could not recall a forward if they got Walker through waivers for a recall.
PREVIEW 6:00 AM EST
Looking for their fourth consecutive win and fifth in the last six games, the Philadelphia Flyers (37-21-7) will take on the Southeast Division leading Florida Panthers (31-12-12) at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. The puck drops at 7 PM and the game will be broadcast locally on CSN Philly.
This is the third of four meetings between the teams this season, and the first of two in Philadelphia. The Flyers own a pair of 3-2 victories (one in regulation and one via shootout) in the season series to date. Philly has enjoyed a balanced attack, with twelve different Flyers players recording at least one point over the two games.
Philly enters this game riding a wave of renewed confidence from protecting one-goal leads in their last two games. They have received outstanding goaltending from Ilya Bryzgalov in his last four starts.
However, the Flyers are an extremely banged up team right now. They are still without starting defensemen Kimmo Timonen (lower back) and Andrej Meszaros (groin). James van Riemsdyk (broken foot) is lost for the rest of the regular season. Tom Sesito (LTIR, groin tear) is slated to begin rehab work. Chris Pronger (LTIR, concussion) is lost for the season and the playoffs.
In addition, top-line right wing Jaromir Jagr (hip) is doubtful for tonight's game but may skate this morning and decide for sure about tonight. Jagr got tangled up with Valtteri Filppula and left the game early in the second period on Tuesday. Jakub Voracek (stitches around mouth, neck soreness) reports feeling OK after being momentarily knocked woozy by a crushing hit from Niklas Kronwall in the same period. He will be re-evaluated today.
Claude Giroux (sore hand) did not take faceoffs in Tuesday's game and had trouble getting a lot of zip on the puck but he scored a beautiful breakaway goal and assisted on Max Talbot's crucial shorthanded goal. As with virtually all of the regulars on the team, Giroux did not take part in yesterday's optional skate in Voorhees.
With so many players banged up, the Flyers will almost certainly need to call up at least one forward and possibly two from the Phantoms. Paul Holmgren was non-commital about which player(s) it would be.
It seems most likely that, if there are two vacancies, they will make one call-up and dress Jody Shelley (a healthy scratch on Tuesday) as the 12th forward. Because the team has fewer than 12 forwards available, they can make one call-up under emergency conditions, which would not count against their call-up maximum.
The Panthers reeled off a three game winning streak to close out the Month of February but have lost two in a row. Overall, Kevin Dineen's team is 4-5-1 in its last 10 games. Over the course of the season, the Panthers have been a better team at home than on the road, where they bring a 15-13-4 mark into tonight's game. Mikael Samuelsson has two goals (both on the power play) and three points in the two games against the Flyers to date this season.
Florida has a laundry list of its own injuries. Most notably, ex-Flyer Kris Versteeg is out for tonight with a lower-body injury. Fellow former Flyers forward Scottie Upshall is on IR with a sports hernia, while starting defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is on IR with a knee injury and Matt Bradley is out with a concussion.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)
FLYERS
Hartnell - Giroux - Schenn
Read - Briere - Simmonds
Rinaldo - Talbot - Wellwood
Zolnierczyk - Couturier - Shelley
Carle - Kubina
Grossman - Coburn
Gustafsson - Lilja
Bryzgalov
[Bobrovsky]
PANTHERS
Bergenheim - Weiss - Samuelsson
Fleischmann - Mattias - Wolski
Smithson - Goc - Kopecky
Barch - Santorelli - Skille
Campbell - Garrison
Ellerby - Weaver
Strachan - Jovonovski
Clemmensen/ Theodore
********
Use coupon code "FlyersBuzz" on
HockeyTickets.ca between now and the end of the regular season to receive a 10% discount on all ticket orders over $150 and also have a chance to win two free lower-level seats to a Flyers regular season game of your choice at the Wells Fargo Center.
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Flyers Buzz. For more information click here.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»