FLYERS VS. RANGERS GAME PREVIEW (5:45 A.M. EST)
Looking to avoid back-to-back losses to start the stretch drive and facing the team they're trying to catch in the Metropolitan Division, the Philadelphia Flyers (30-24-6) play host to the New York Rangers (33-24-3). Game time is 1:00 p.m. EST. The match will be televised locally on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the third of four meetings between the clubs this season, and the second and final game in Philadelphia. The season series will conclude at Madison Square Garden on Wed. March 26.
On Oct. 21 in Philly, the Flyers won for just the second time in the 2013-14 season when they downed the visiting Rangers, 2-1. On Jan. 12 at MSG, the Flyers quickly trailed, 2-0, and went on to lost by a 4-1 count.
After tonight's game, the Flyers embark on a home-and-home set with the Washington Capitals. Tomorrow's matinee in DC starts at 12:30 p.m. and the rematch in Philadelphia will be on Wed. at 8 p.m.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
The first 20 minutes of the Flyers' game against San Jose on Thursday went fine. They outshot the Sharks by a 10-5 margin and went to the dressing room with a 2-1 lead on goals by Andrej Meszaros and Brayden Schenn.
Then the roof caved in.
In a second period that got uglier by the minute, the Sharks strafed the Flyers for five unanswered goals to render the third period meaningless. In the final stanza, Matt Read scored a meaningless late goal to make it a 7-3 final.
In their first game back from the Olympic break, the Flyers went 0-for-5 on the power play. They yielded their 10th opposing shorthanded goal of the season. Philly went 4-for-5 on the penalty kill but the goal they allowed was the springboard to the blowout. The Flyers increasingly stopped competing once San Jose tied the game at 2-2 and then took the lead.
Flyers backup goaltender Ray Emery went down in the third period with a groin injury. He had an MRI yesterday.
Top-pairing Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen will return to the lineup today after sitting out Thursday's game due to post-Olympic fatigue. Erik Gustafsson will be a healthy scratch.
RANGERS OUTLOOK
The Rangers got the stretch drive started the right way, unlike the Flyers. On Thursday, the Blueshirts captured a 2-1 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
A mid-first period goal by Derick Brassard stood up for most of the game. With 4:07 left in regulation, Rick Nash added some valuable insurance. Backup goaltender Cam Talbot (31 saves) took a shutout bid into the final half minute of the game before a Peter Regin goal with 12 seconds left in the game sealed a 2-1 final.
The Rangers went 0-for-1 on the power play against the Hawks and killed off all three minor penalties they took. New York blocked 17 shots in the game to seven for Chicago and the Rangers were charged with just four giveaways.
Yesterday, the Rangers re-signed top pairing defenseman Dan Girardi to a six-year contract extension. The club is still trying to resolve the contract situation of team captain Ryan Callahan.
On the injury front, Mats Zuccarello remains sidelined with the fractured left hand suffered in Sochi during the Olympics. Derek Dorsett (broken fibula) could be ready to make his return today.
KEY STAT COMPARISONS (NHL OVERALL RANKING)
Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 2.70 (16th), Rangers 2.55 (19th)
Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 2.82 (19th), Rangers 2.42 (10th)
Even strength Goals For/Against Ratio: Flyers 0.93 (20th), Rangers 1.03 (13th)
Power play efficiency: Flyers 19.2% (13th), Rangers 20.0% (10th)
Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 84.0% (7th), Rangers 83.0% (10th)
Faceoff percentage: Flyers 49.0% (22nd), Rangers 49.9% (16th)
PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)
FLYERS
19 Scott Hartnell - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
40 Vincent Lecavalier - 10 Brayden Schenn - 17 Wayne Simmonds
9 Steve Downie - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read
12 Michael Raffl - 18 Adam Hall - 36 Zac Rinaldo
44 Kimmo Timonen - 5 Braydon Coburn
8 Nicklas Grossmann - 32 Mark Streit
41 Andrej Meszaros - 22 Luke Schenn
35 Steve Mason
[33 Cal Heeter or 29 Ray Emery]
Potential Scratches: Ray Emery (groin), Erik Gustafsson (healthy), Jay Rosehill (healthy), Hal Gill (healthy), Chris Pronger (LTIR, post-concussion syndrome).
RANGERS
20 Chris Kreider - 21 Derek Stepan - 61 Rick Nash
24 Ryan Callahan - 19 Brad Richards - 62 Carl Hagelin
67 Benoit Pouliot - 16 Derick Brassard - 10 J.T. Miller
22 Brian Boyle - 28 Dominic Moore - 13 Dan Carcillo
27 Ryan McDonagh - 5 Dan Girardi
18 Marc Staal - 6 Anton Strålman
17 John Moore - 8 Kevin Klein
30 Henrik Lundqvist
[33 Cam Talbot]
Potential Scratches: Mats Zuccarello (fractured left hand), Derek Dorsett (broken fibula, may be available), Justin Falk (healthy).
*********
CASINO ROYALE FUNDRAISER WITH FLYERS ALUMNI
On Sun. March 9, starting at 5 p.m., Abrams Hebrew Academy will hold its annual Fund Raising Dinner and Casino Royale Night at Congregation Beth El in Yardley, PA. Special guests for the night will include Bernie Parent, Brian Propp, Bill Clement, Joe Watson and Bob "the Hound" Kelly.
Apart from the dinner and casino event, there will also be a host of items available via auction, including a signed stick by all three members of the Flyers' legendary LCB line (Reggie Leach and Hall of Famers Bob Clarke and Bill Barber), boxes of Bernie Parent's signature cigar line, a handsome Clarke lithograph and many more goodies.
All proceeds go to benefit the school. My nephew, Sammy Sherman, attends Abrams and my sister, Liza, helped to organize the event and line up the Flyers alumni guests. The slogan for the event is "Help Abrams Make Its Goal."
For more information,
click here.
Click below to follow me on Twitter:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»