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Flyers Gameday: 10/17/17 vs. FLA |
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UPDATE 10:45 AM EDT
Michal Neuvirth gets the start in goal against the Panthers. The rest of the Flyers' lineup is identical to the home opener.
GAME 6 PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. PANTHERS
In the second match of a five-game homestand, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (3-2-0) host Bob Boughner's Florida Panthers (2-2-0) on Tuesday night. Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised on NBCSP.
This is the first of three meetings this season between the teams, and the lone game in Philadelphia. The teams will rematch in Sunrise, FL, on Dec. 28 and March 4.
The Flyers swept the 2016-17 season series with the Panthers. Philly earned a 3-1 road win on Nov. 2 with Dale Weise's first goal as a player proving to be the game-winner. On Dec. 6 in Philadelphia, the Flyers prevailed 3-2 in overtime behind a pair of Wayne Simmonds' tallies and Jakub Voracek's game-winner in the final 10 seconds of OT. On March 2 in Philadelphia, the Flyers skated off with a 2-1 shootout win behind a 39-save performance (2-for-3 in the skills competition) from Steve Mason.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers could scarcely have done a better job in their home opener on Saturday of jumping all over a tired Washington Capitals team with a depleted blueline. Philly was relentless in laying an 8-2 whipping on Washington.
Voracek (three assists, and a hit crossbar on a 2-on-1 rush) shredded Capitals defenders repeatedly. Linemates Sean Couturier (two goals, one assist) and Claude Giroux (two goals, two assists) reaped the benefits during the night as did Simmonds (one goal, one assist) on a power play goal set up by Voracek. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere collected three apples of his own.
The Flyers also got a big night from fourth-line center Scott Laughton (shorthanded and even strength goals). His shorthanded tally late in the first period sent the Flyers to the locker room with a 2-1 lead and they steamrolled the Caps from there.
Playing the 800th regular season game of his NHL career, second-line center Valtteri Filppula notched his third goal in the last two games. The Flyers got single assist contributions from Jordan Weal, Ivan Provorov and Brandon Manning to round out the scoresheet in the home opener.
Coming off a rough outing in Nashville on Tuesday, Brian Elliott bounced back with a solid game against the Capitals. He didn't have to be spectacular but made a few timely stops and did a better job at melting down plays when his team needed it. He finished with 21 saves on 23 shots to earn his third win of the season and first at home.
Voracek has already racked up nine assists through the first five games in the season. In the meantime, over Couturier's last 24 games dating back to scoring a goal against the Capitals on March 4 of the 2016-17 season, he has 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists). Giroux has seven points on the young 2017-18 season.
Through five games, the Flyers have scored six power play goals on 22 opportunities (27.3 percent, tied for 8th) and yielded an opposing shorthanded goal in the game against Anaheim. On the penalty kill, Philly is 14-for-19 (73.7 percent, ranked 28th) with Laughton having scored the team's lone shorthanded goal to date. At 5-on-5, the Flyers have scored 12 times and yielded seven goals.
Based on Monday's practice, the Flyers may use the same lineup on Tuesday as last game. Rookie defenseman Travis Sanheim took extra skating while veteran Brandon Manning came off with the starters. Brian Elliott may start for the fifth time in the team's sixth game. The Tuesday morning skate will be more telling.
Panthers Outlook
In recent years, many Flyers games against the Panthers have been grind-it-out, low-scoring affairs. So far this season, the Flyers have been successfully playing very high-tempo style. So have the Panthers under new coach Boughner.
The Panthers have scored at least three goals in all five games to date, including a team record 12 goals over its first three games. The team has generated between 36 to 48 shots in all four games so far with individual period highs of 24 shots (first period vs. Tampa on Oct. 7) and 19 (second period at Pittsburgh on Oct.14).
Florida opened the season by splitting a home-and-home set with Sunshine State rival Tampa Bay. The Bolts won on their home ice, 5-3, despite a 36-25 shot advantage for the Cats. The Panthers gained some revenge with a 5-4 home win the next night.
Hosting the St. Louis Blues in their third game, the Panthers rode a three-goal outburst in the second period, including a Vincent Trocheck shorthanded goal, to a lead they never relinquished in a 5-2 victory. Veteran goalie Roberto Luongo (36 saves) recorded his 454th career regular season win, tying him with Curtis Joseph for fourth on the NHL's all-time list.
On Saturday night, the Panthers put up a tough road fight against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins but ultimately fell, 4-3.
Having a healthy Jonathan Huberdeau back in the lineup has made an early difference for the Panthers. He has already racked up three goals and five points through the first five game. Standout young two-way defenseman Aaron Ekblad has scored goals in back-to-back games.
Florida forwards Jared McCann, Trocheck and Nick Bjugstad also have two goals and two assists apiece over the first four games. Connor Brickley has scored once and assisted on three others.
Per Steve Goldstein's Twitter, it appears that Owen Tippett will make his NHL debut against the Flyers on Tuesday. Tippett was selected by the Panthers with the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. He is not related to former Flyers player and long-time NHL coach Dave Tippett. Brickley, who was an extra skater at practice along with Denis Malgin, is a cousin of ex-Flyer and longtime Bruins player/broadcaster Andy Brickley.
Through four games, the Panthers have scored three power play goals on 18 opportunities (16.7 percent, tied 19th) and yielded an opposing shorthanded goal. On the penalty kill, Florida is 13-for-17 (76.5 percent, tied for 25th) with Trocheck having scored the team's lone shorthanded goal to date. At 5-on-5, Florida has scored 12 times and yielded nine goals.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)
Flyers
28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek
40 Jordan Weal - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 17 Wayne Simmonds
22 Dale Weise - 19 Nolan Patrick - 11 Travis Konecny
20 Taylor Leier - 21 Scott Laughton - 12 Michael Raffl
9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Andrew MacDonald
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 8 Robert Hägg
23 Brandon Manning- 3 Radko Gudas
30 Michal Neuvirth
[37 Brian Elliott]
Scratches: Jori Lehterä (healthy), Travis Sanheim (healthy).
Panthers
*
11 Jonathan Huberdeau - 16 Aleksander Barkov - 71 Radim Vrbata
27 Nick Bjugstad - 21 Vincent Trocheck - 63 Evgenii Dadonov
88 Jamie McGinn - 90 Jared McCann - 74 Owen Tippett
18 Micheal Haley - 17 Derek MacKenzie - 7 Colton Sceviour
3 Keith Yandle - 5 Aaron Ekblad
19 Michael Matheson - 13 Mark Pysyk
12 Ian McCoshen - 26 Alex Petrovic
1 Roberto Luongo
[34 James Reimer]
Scratches: Connor Brickley (healthy), Denis Malgin (healthy), MacKenzie Weegar (healthy).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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