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Flyers Gameday: 2/4/17 vs. LA

February 4, 2017, 9:25 AM ET [529 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. KINGS

Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (26-20-6) play host to Darryl Sutter's Los Angeles Kings (26-21-4) in a Saturday matinee at the Wells Fargo Center. Game time is 1:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised locally on CSN Philadelphia and nationally on NHL Network.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the inter-conference teams. On opening night of the 2016-17 regular season, the Flyers skated to a 4-2 win at the Staples Center.

Flyers Outlook

The Flyers have a 16-7-3 home record this season. After being embarrassed in an abysmal 5-1 loss in Carolina on Tuesday, the Flyer returned home to hold the Montreal Canadiens to just 16 shots -- season lows for both teams -- in a 3-1 victory.

Claude Giroux (power play), Matt Read and Sean Couturier (empty net) scored for the Flyers. Read's goal (7th of the season) ended a personal 27-game goalless drought. Michal Neuvirth was not tested much but authored several tough clutch saves and is likely to get the start against Los Angeles.

The Flyers are likely to use the same lineup as they did in the game against Montreal. If so, both Shayne Gostisbehere and Travis Konency will be healthy scratches for the second straight game. Veteran defenseman Michael Del Zotto remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Kings Outlook

The Kings are 11-13-3 on the road this season to date. The team brings a four-game winning streak in to Saturday's game. In their last game, the Kings shut out the visiting Colorado Avalanche, 5-0, on Wednesday night.

Jeff Carter tallied his 25th(power play) and 26th goals of the season and Peter Budaj earned a 22-save shutout. The Kings also got goals from Marian Gaborik, Dustin Brown and Dwight King.

Tyler Toffoli, who led the Kings with 31 goals last season but has been since Dec. 20 of this season with a lower-body injury, is expected to return to the LA lineup against the Flyers. He skated on a line with Carter and Tanner Pearson at the team's practice on Friday.

Crash-and-bang forward Jordan Nolan (lower body) and star veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick (groin) remain sidelined for the Kings.

Projected lineups (subject to change)

FLYERS

12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
22 Dale Weise - 10-Brayden Schenn - 17 Wayne Simmonds
25 Nick Cousins - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read
76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 P-E Bellemare - 13 Roman Lyubimov

9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Andrew MacDonald
32 Mark Streit - 55 Nick Schultz
23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas

30 Michal Neuvirth
[35 Steve Mason]

Scratches: Nick Schultz (healthy), Michael Del Zotto (lower body), Shayne Gostisbehere (healthy), Travis Konecny (healthy).


KINGS

12 Marian Gaborik - 11 Anze Kopitar - 23 Dustin Brown
70 Tanner Pearson - 77 Jeff Carter - 73 Tyler Toffoli
74 Dwight King - 21 Nick Shore - 22 Trevor Lewis
13 Kyle Clifford - 26 Nic Dowd - 15 Andy Andreoff

6 Jake Muzzin -8 Drew Doughty
24 Derek Forbort - 27 Alec Martinez
3 Brayden McNabb - 53 Kevin Gravel

31 Peter Budaj
[37 Jeff Zatkoff]

Scratches: Devin Setoguchi (healthy), Paul LaDue (healthy), Jonathan Quick (IR, groin), Jordan Nolan (IR, lower body), Matt Greene (IR, back/groin).
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