PREVIEW 8:15 AM EDT
With six games remaining in the regular season, the Flyers (44-24-8) have wrapped up a five-game homestand and now embark on one of those dreaded three-game-in-four-day stretches of hockey. Tonight they are in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs (33-35-9). The game starts at 7:00 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast locally on CSN Philly and across Canada on TSN.
This is the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Flyers won the first two games in regulation and got the win via shootout in the most game.
On March 10 in Toronto, the teams dueled to a scoreless tie. Toronto had the better of the chances in regulation. Finally, Claude Giroux's spectacular goal in the shootout and a 3-for-3 showing by Ilya Bryzgalov earned Philly a bonus point.
Coming off a highly disappointing 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday, the Flyers took Tuesday off and then had a high-tempo practice yesterday. Claude Giroux and Nicklas Grossmann both took maintenance days yesterday but will be ready to go tonight.
Ilya Bryzgalov suffered a chip fracture in his right foot during warmups before the Tampa game. He played in the game, but was limping afterwards. Initial X-rays were negative but an MRI on Tuesday revealed the tiny fracture (which is also sometimes called a bone bruise). He is officially on day-to-day status but the injury is more typically of the week-to-week variety with 3-4 weeks being typical of a minor chip fracture.
Bryzgalov was in Voorhees yesterday and was said to have ridden an exercise bike briefly before leaving in the morning. With Bryzgalov sidelined, Sergei Bobrovsky becomes the Flyers' starting goalie and Jason Bacashihua is the backup until Bryzgalov is ready to play again.
In addition, Kimmo Timonen (nagging lower-back injuries) is being rested. The club has called up Marc-Andre Bourdon from the Phantoms. Bourdon had been sidelined with concussion-like symptoms but recently returned, which is why the club chose him for recall rather than Brandon Manning. Andreas Lilja (upper body injury) remained sidelined at practice yesterday and is still day-to-day. Erik Gustafsson stays in the lineup.
Toronto has been in a free-fall for the last six weeks. The club is 5-16-3 over the last 24 games and is coming off a miserably flat performance in a 3-0 loss to Carolina on Tuesday. All-Star winger Joffrey Lupul (shoulder) is out of the lineup, as is Nikolai Kulemin (broken finger). James Reimer (upper body) is doubtful for tonight, meaning the Flyers will see Jonas Gustavsson again.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)
FLYERS
Hartnell - Giroux - Jagr
Schenn - Briere - Simmonds
Talbot - Couturier - Voracek
Wellwood - Read - Rinaldo
Carle - Kubina
Grossmann - Coburn
Gustafsson - Bourdon
Bobrovsky
[Bacashihua]
MAPLE LEAFS
Ashton - Bozak - Kessel
MacArthur - Grabovski - Frattin
Connolly- Steckel - Crabb
Rosehill - Lombardi - Brown
Phaneuf - Gunarsson
Franson -Gardiner
Liles - Schenn
Gustavsson
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