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Flyers Gameday: 2/9/17 vs. NYI |
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PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. ISLANDERS
In the fourth game of a five-game homestand, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (26-21-7) play host to interim head coach Doug Weight's New York Islanders (23-18-10) on Thursday evening.
Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised locally on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the third of four meetings this season between the Metropolitan Division teams, and the first of two in Philadelphia. The Flyers have won each of the first two games.
On Nov. 3, the Flyers skated off with a bonus point from a 3-2 shootout road win in Brooklyn. On Jan. 22, Philly earned a 3-2 overtime road win.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers have a 16-8-4 home record this season. The team has gone 1-2-1 since the All-Star break and are 1-1-1 on the current homestand. Offense has been at a premium, with the Flyers having been shut out in each of the last two games at the Wells Fargo Center -- tying a dubious franchise record -- and scoring just four goals as a team since the break.
The Flyers were shut out by the St. Louis Blues, 2-0, on Monday. Philadelphia held a 26-16 shot on goal edge for the game but could not get a puck past ex-Flyers goalie Carter Hutton. The power play looked weak in going 0-for-4. The game was not entirely devoid of positives for Philadelphia, however.
The encouraging signs: The Flyers held the Blues to just one shot for the first 22:01 of the game, two shots until 27:58 and 16 shots for the game. Philly outshot St. Louis by an 11-1 count in the first period and, in the second period, looked strong in killing a four-minute penalty. Philly sporadically generated good scoring chances, particularly a new trio of Nick Cousins and Wayne Simmonds flanking Sean Couturier. As the game progressed, however, the good looks at the net significantly dwindled.
A healthy scratch in each of the last three games, Shayne Gostisbehere practiced on the first power play unit on Wednesday. That's usually a telltale sign of a player being slated to dress for the next game. However, he also took extra skating on Wednesday -- usually a telltale sign of a player being scratched the next game -- while Nick Schultz exited the ice among the regulars.
Hakstol said a decision would be made on Thursday. The Flyers will hold an optional morning skate at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ.
Michal Neuvirth missed practice on Wednesday due to illness. Steve Mason is the likely starter in goal against the Islanders but Neuvirth is expected to be available as the backup.
A healthy scratch for two games, rookie forward Travis Konecny returned to the Flyers' lineup on Monday. In the second period, he crashed awkwardly into the boards, appearing to hurt his leg and also favoring a shoulder as he limped off the ice. He returned to finish the period but sat out the third period. On Tuesday, the Flyers announced the player would miss four to six weeks with a lower body injury. Matt Read, a healthy scratch against the Blues, will re-enter the Philadelphia lineup.
Islanders Outlook
The Islanders are hot on the Flyers' heels for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. New York has closed to within three points of the Flyers, holds three games in hand and owns a tiebreaker advantage (22 regulation/overtime wins to 21 by the Flyers). A win by Philadelphia, especially a regulation win would alleviate some of the immediate pressure. The Flyers also hold a one-point advantage plus a game in hand on the Boston Bruins, who play against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
New York has surged in the standings because the club has gained at least one point in nine of its last 10 games (7-1-2). The club is 1-1-1 over its last three games and just 6-10-4 on the road thus far in the 2016-17 season.
On Monday, the Islanders skated to a comeback 6-5 home overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Andrew Ladd tied the game late in regulation before Brock Nelson's second goal of the game won the match for New York. Ryan Strome, Nikolay Kulemin and Josh Bailey also scored for the Islanders, who trailed by scores of 2-1, 4-2 and 5-4 before Ladd sent the game to OT with his tying goal with 1:29 left on the third period clock.
New York has a few notable injuries: backbone defenseman Travis Hamonic (lower-body injury) is on injured reserve, while agitating winger Cal Clutterbuck (lower body) is doubtful. Additionally, forward Mikhail Grabovski (concussion) remains on IR.
Projected lineups (subject to change)
FLYERS
12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
25 Nick Cousins - 14 Sean Couturier - 17 Wayne Simmonds
24 Matt Read - 10 Brayden Schenn - 22 Dale Weise
76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 P-E Bellemare - 13 Roman Lyubimov
9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Andrew MacDonald
23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas
32 Mark Streit - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere
35 Steve Mason
[30 Michal Neuvirth]
Scratches: Michael Del Zotto (lower body), Travis Konecny (leg), Nick Schultz (healthy).
ISLANDERS
27 Anders Lee - 91 John Tavares - 12 Josh Bailey
72 Anthony Beauvillier - 29 Brock Nelson - 18 Ryan Strome
16 Andrew Ladd - 10 Alan Quine - 25 Jason Chimera
11 Shane Prince - 53 Casey Cizikas - 86 Nikolay Kulemin
2 Nick Leddy - 55 Johnny Boychuk
14 Thomas Hickey - 50 Adam Pelech
44 Calvin de Haan - 4 Dennis Seidenberg
1 Thomas Greiss
[30 Jean-Francois Berube]
Scratches: Stephen Gionta (healthy), Scott Mayfield (healthy), Cal Clutterbuck (doubtful, lower body), Travis Hamonic (IR, lower body), Mikhail Grabovski (concussion).
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QUICK HITS: FEBRUARY 9, 2017
* AHL: The Lehigh Valley Phantoms skated to a 5-0 shutout home win over the Binhamton Senators on Wednesday night. Alex Lyon stopped all 27 shots he faced, notching his third shutout of his rookie pro season and improving his save percentage to .914 while lowering his season GAA to 2.58 and raising his record to 20-8-2. The Phantoms got goals from defensemen Robert Hägg (fourth) and Samuel Morin (third) as well as forwards Mark Zengerle (ninth), Danick Martel (12th) and Scott Laughton (11th). Hägg, selected as the game's second star, also picked up an assist, as did third star Morin.
* QMJHL: Flyers 2016 first-round pick German Rubtsov (lower-body injury) missed his team's most recent game but is expected tor return to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens lineup on Thursday night as they take on the Val-d'Or Foreurs. Likewise, defense prospect Philippe Myers, who has been out since suffering his second concussion of the season while playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, could return to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies' lineup as they take on the Gatineau Olympiques on Thursday night.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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