PREVIEW: FLYERS @ PREDATORS

Looking to build their first five-game game winning streak of the season and battle through any fatigue arising from playing four games in six nights and a road-home-road three-in-four set, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (13-10-3) are in Music City on Sunday to take on Peter Laviolette's Nashville Predators (11-8-4). Game time at Bridgestone Arena is 6 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CSN Philadelphia.

This is the first of two meetings of the season between the Flyers and Predators. On Dec. 19, the Predators will pay a visit to the Wells Fargo Center. Last season, the Flyers won both meetings with Nashville.

Flyers Outlook

The Flyers are coming off a satisfying 3-1 home win on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Philadelphia received a pair of goals on the same shift by rookie defenseman Ivan Provorov. Brayden Schenn also tallied for the Flyers and Steve Mason stopped 26 of 27 shots to earn the win. See game wrapup below for more details and analysis.

Radko Gudas missed Saturday's game due to illness. Activated from the injured reserve list on Friday, Brandon Manning returned to the Philadelphia lineup.

With Steve Mason having played every minute of three games in five nights, Hakstol will have to decide whether to go with the veteran in hopes of riding the hot hand or else to give Anthony Stolarz his second NHL start.

Wayne Simmonds enters Saturday's game leading the Flyers with 22 points in 26 games, including a team-high 11 goals. He is followed by Jakub Voracek (eight goals, 14 assists), Claude Giroux (seven goals, 15 assists), Brayden Schenn (four goals, 11 assists in 23 games), Travis Konecny (four goals, 10 assists), Mark Streit (four goals, nine assists) and Shayne Gostisbehere (four goals, eight assists).

Predators Outlook

As with the Flyers, the Predators playing the second half of a back-to-back set. Unlike the Flyers, the Predators did not have to travel after Saturday's game and, additionally, had three off-nights leading into the back-to-back. Thus, on paper, any fatigue factor as the game progresses favors Nashville on paper.

While the Predators have struggled on the road this season (3-7-2), Laviolette's team has been generally outstanding on home ice (8-1-2). The Predators have points in seven of their last 10 games (6-3-1) overall.

However, the Preds sustained a frustrating 5-4 overtime home loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Nashville built a 4-1 lead through two periods but was unable to protect it and ultimately lost as Mike Cammalleri capped the comeback by scoring at 4:42 mark of OT for his second goal of the game. The Predators outshot the Devils, 42-22, for the game.

Kevin Fiala scored two goals (fourth and fifth of the season) in a losing cause for Nashville, who also received single tallies from P.K. Subban (sixth) and Roman Josi (third). Pekka Rinne stopped 17 goals on 22 shots.

Key team stat comparisons (NHL overall ranking)

Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 3.08 (4th), Predators 3.00 (T-5th)
Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 3.20 (29th), Predators 2.61 (15th)
Power play efficiency: Flyers 22.8% (3rd), Predators 22.6% (5th)
Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 80.3% (23rd), Predators 84.5% (10th)
Shots on goal per game: Flyers 32.3 (4th), Predators 31.5 (6th)
Shots against per game: Flyers 28.1 (7th), Predators 30.3 (16th)
Faceoff percentage: Flyers 49.9% (15th), Predators 49.3% (28th)


Projected Lineups (subject to change, will be updated)

FLYERS

12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 17 Wayne Simmonds
11 Travis Konecny - 10 Brayden Schenn - 93 Jakub Voracek
24 Matt Read - 78 P-E Bellemare - 22 Dale Weise
76 Chris VandeVelde - 25 Nick Cousins - 13 Roman Lyubimov

9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Andrew MacDonald
15 Michael Del Zotto - 32 Mark Streit
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 23 Brandon Manning

35 Steve Mason / 41 Anthony Stolarz

Scratches: Nick Schultz (healthy), Scott Laughton (healthy), Sean Couturier (lower body, suspected left MCL), Boyd Gordon (LTIR, upper body), Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body), Radko Gudas (illness).


PREDATORS
9 Filip Forsberg - 92 Ryan Johansen - 38 Viktor Arvidsson
56 Kevin Fiala - 63 Mike Ribeiro - 15 Craig Smith
33 Colin Wilson - 12 Mike Fisher - 19 Calle Järnkrok
17 Mike Liambas - 32 Frederick Gaudreau - 51 Austin Watson

14 Mattias Ekholm - 76 P.K. Subban
59 Roman Josi - 52 Matt Irwin
8 Petter Granberg - 7 Yannick Weber

35 Pekka Rinne / 74 Juuse Saros

Scratches: Pontus Åberg (healthy), Reid Boucher (healthy), Adam Pardy (healthy), Anthony Bitetto (IR, hand), Ryan Ellis (IR, upper body), James Neal (IR, upper body), Miikka Salomäki (IR, hand), Colton Sissons (IR, upper body).

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Wrapup: Provorov, Big Second Period Pushes Flyers Past Chicago

Ivan Provorov's first career game against the Chicago Blackhawks was one he'd like to forget. The second, however, was one he will fondly remember for the rest of his life. The Flyers' rookie defenseman excelled at both ends of the ice, taking first-star honors in the team's 3-1 victory over Chicago at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon.

Provorov scored two goals; his second and third of the season. He saved a goal in his own end with a puck about to cross the goal line (the puck appeared to go over the line but inconclusive replays worked to the Flyers' advantage). Provorov also had a dynamic one-on-one sequence against Patrick Kane in which the Philadelphia blueliner drove the slippery Kane right out of the Philadelphia zone and knocked the puck away for good measure. Provorov skated 20:38 of ice time, also chipping in a pair of blocked shots and a credited hit on a solid bodycheck.

The two goals scored by Provorov in the span of 31 seconds in the second period turned an early Flyers 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 Philadelphia lead they never relinquished. Five minutes later, the Flyers added a third goal as Travis Konecny set up Brayden Schenn on a nifty give-and-go.

“Score one goal in a game, that’s a pretty good feeling and then score two in one shift, that’s pretty unbelievable. It’s two great plays by our forwards. The whole team, it was a great effort. We played a great hockey game so it was easy to play," Provorov said.

"f course, every time you score it’s like a confidence booster. For me, it’s defense first but when you get goals and assists, that’s always nice."

With the victory, the Flyers' increased their winning streak to a season-high four games and pushed their record to three games above .500; also a high-water mark to date. Additionally, the Flyers' regular season home winning streak against the Blackhawks increased to 13 straight games.

Steve Mason was razor sharp for the Flyers in stopping 26 of 27 shots. He had no prayer on an early first period goal by Artemi Panarin nor would have been at fault if Richard Panik had been credited with a tally in the multi-shot scramble around the net in which Provorov ultimately prevented a goal.

"When you let a goal in, the worst thing you can do is get away from the game plan. We stuck to ours, which I think is why we got the result there. Big second period with three goals. Overall, I think our effort was pretty high," Mason said.

Chicago's pre-scout on the Flyers seemed to bring a focus on Philly's season-long vulnerability to backdoor plays because the Hawks tried multiple backdoors during the game as well as a couple of wraparounds on Mason. The Flyers goalie said after the game that the team was aware of what the Hawks were doing.

"Yeah, it was something that we’re aware of. They made a nice pass across, and [Panarin' made a hell of a shot there. I tried not to put it back, but we’re aware of it. We’re aware that they have it down to make those plays. It’s something you have to be cautious of, but at the same time you can’t be changing because they can react and take it in different ways," Mason said.

Mason made some big stops late in the second period and early in the third. Thereafter, the Flyers did a very strong job of closing the game out the rest of the way including an emphatic penalty kill that seemed to drain some air out of the Chicago balloon.

"We came up with a big penalty kill there, with four-something minutes left there. We did not give up a shot on that, either. If they score on that power play… completely different game. And, the guys came up big there. Against a team like Chicago you got to shut it down when you got a lead because they have so many weapons," Mason said.

Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol was also pleased with the close-out job his team did.

"We got a little loose at the end of the second period. We had a little bit of trouble with a couple of their shifts in our zone. They have so much motion, especially the one line they have. We had trouble with that at the end of the second period. I thought we checked well in the third without becoming too passive. I thought we played a smart period, skated, checked well and that created opportunities as well," Hakstol said.

With Corey Crawford falling ill and needing to undergo an appendectomy, backup goaltender Scott Darling (27 saves on 30 shots) was pressed into service for Chicago. He made 16 saves in the first period despite some rebound control issues but the Flyers solved him in the middle frame.

Temple University graduate and Snider Youth Hockey instructor Eric Semborski filled in as emergency backup goaltender for the Blackhawks. He signed a one-day amateur tryout (ATO), which is unpaid under NHL rules, and left with perhaps an even more special memory than the one Provorov will take away from this game.

The game was also the start of the Flyers' annual player-father road trip. The Flyers' dads were at the game and in the locker room afterward. They will accompany the team to Nashville on Sunday.

The Flyers had the game's first three shots and iced the puck for a stoppage at 2:28. On their second shot of the game, the Hawks grabbed a 1-0 lead at 3:44, as the Flyers couldn't stay out of their own way.

Philadelphia ended up with all five skaters on the right side or toward the middle, with the deadly Panarin wide open in sniping range at the bottom of the left circle. He ripped an Artem Anisimov pass over a helpless Mason for his ninth goal of the season. Kane got the secondary assist.

Right near the 6:00 mark, Giroux deflected a centering feed on net. Darling made a good reflex save with his right pad. A promising Flyers rush then went offside at 6:52.

Shots at mid-period were 8-4 Flyers as a Nick Cousins blast from above the left circle was stick-saved over the glass for a stoppage at 9:53. Shortly past the 11-minute mark, a bobbing and weaving Travis Konecny drew Darling way out of the net but there was too much congestion to try a wraparound and a passout to the left circle was broken up.' Shots were 11-4 Flyers with seven minutes left in the period.

The Blackhawks were guilty of too many men on the ice at the 14:08 mark and the Flyers got the game's first power play against the NHL's bottom-ranked penalty kill. The Flyers' top unit generated constant offensive zone time and three shots through the first 90 seconds. After a Darling save on Giroux one timer for a stoppage, the second unit came out. The puck remained in the Chicago end but the Flyers could not convert.

The Blackhawks' top line generated a very dangerous shift in the final minute of the first period, cycling and passing around the offensive zone but a Mason save and an Andrew MacDonald block helped keep the deficit to one goal.

First period shots were 16-6 in the Flyers' favor.

Chicago generated pressure in the opening minute of the second period. Officials apparently conferred over whether Wayne Simmonds chipped a puck over the glass from the defensive zone at 1:06 but nothing but a right circle offensive zone faceoff ensued.

Mason kept the game at 1-0 on a 2-on-1 chance for Chicago, as Ryan Hartman elected to shoot at the rebound eluded Marian Hossa.

Provorov knotted the game at 1-1 as he took a point-to-point pass from Cousins after a battle on the right boards, skated in a long stride and ripped his partially deflected second career NHL goal past Darling at 2:02. Chris VandeVelde got the second assist.

The rookie didn't have to wait long for his third NHL goal. At center point, he took a Michael Raffl feed from behind the net and ripped another shot past Darling at 2:33.

Mason made a tough stop on Richard Panik at 4:09. A scrum ensued around the net. Panarin got open again in a bid for his second goal of the game, but Mason was on the same side this time on a centering feed from behind the net. Mason made the save on Panarin's blast from the left circle at 5:36.

MacDonald and Giroux, in succession, missed the net on open chances from the dead center slot. At the other end, Kane weaved and deked one-on-one but was contained.

The Flyers took a 3-1 lead on a three-on-two counterattack after Schenn claimed a long rebound of a Chicago chance in the Flyers end and started a give-and-go as he sent the puck to Konecny. Philly then turned the 3-on-2 into a 2-on-1 with a nice pass from Konecny to Schenn and Schenn rifled a left slot wrist shot at 8:37 past Darling for his fourth goal of the season.

Mason flagged down a Duncan Keith left point shot through traffic. A stoppage and TV timeout ensued at 10:54.

The Flyers netminder appeared to stop two chances in tight with 3:22 left in the period. Finally, Provorov fell on top of the puck along the goal line and the puck went out of sight but it appeared to be over the line as there was all white showing under Provorov's glove. However, no definitive replay could be found and the no-goal call stood.

Shots in the second period were 13-8 in Chicago's favor (24-19 Flyers overall).

Mason came out to stop a point shot in some traffic in the opening 15 seconds of the third period. Chicago controlled the next faceoff. One-on-one with Kane, Provorov drove him out of the Philly zone and off the puck.

The Hawks generated two shots on goal and two wide of the net two shifts later. Shots to start the third period were 5-1 Hawks until Darling denied shooter Cousins on a Flyers 2-on-1 rush. Mason came up big on his 24th save of the game, denying Panik in close and then melted down play with a cover for a TV timeout at 6:39.

Skating 2-on-1 with Raffl, Voracek shanked an attempted one-timer from the right slot. The Hawks iced the puck at 11:25. Shots to that point in the period were 6-4 Hawks. Philly got its second power play at 11:31 after Gostisbehere was high-sticked in the neutral zone by Dennis Rasmussen. The power play did not do much.

At 13:29, the Flyers were called for too many men on the ice, which put the Hawks on their first power play. Philly killed the penalty with authority, with Wayne Simmonds among the standouts.

Philly went to its third power play at 16:33 as Vinnie Hinostroza blatantly tripped Del Zotto in the Philly zone. Nothing much happened but two valuable minutes ticked off the clock. Chicago then pulled Darling for an extra attacker and called a timeout before an offensive right circle draw with 58.8 seconds left on the clock.

The Flyers did a good job at bottling up the Hawks. Third period shots were 8-6 Hawks (30-27 Flyers for the game).

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