|
Flyers Gameday: 3/21/15 @ EDM |
|
|
|
|
|
PREVIEW: FLYERS @ OILERS
In the final match of a four-game road trip through Canada, Craig Berube's Philadelphia Flyers (29-29-15) will take on Todd Nelson's Edmonton Oilers (19-39-13). Game tie at Rexall Place is 10:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised locally on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the second of two meetings between the inter-conference teams this season, and the lone game in Edmonton. On Nov. 4, the Flyers earned a 4-1 home win over the Oilers.
The Flyers played on Tuesday night in Vancouver and Thursday in Calgary. Following this game, which is the team's 11th in 21 days, the Flyers will have three nights off and just one game in five nights in a stretch that will the club play just twice over the remainder of March. Six of the Flyers' final eight games are at home.
The Oilers are in the third game of a six-game homestand. They hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday and Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday before back-to-back idle nights. On Monday of next week, the homestand continues with a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Flyers outlook
The Flyers are still in search of their 10th road win of the season. They make their ninth try at it on Saturday night after going 0-5-3 in their last eight away matches. The team enters this game with a 9-20-9 in road games.
When playing on home ice (20-9-6 record), the Flyers have scored an average 2.89 goals per game while allowing 2.34 per game. On the road, Philly has mustered just 2.21 goals per game while yielding 3.13 goals per game.
In terms of special teams play, there is an equally wide disparity. On home ice, the Flyers have killed off a respectable 83.3 percent of their penalties while clicking on a robust 26.7 percent of their power plays. Their road penalty killing percentage of 70.6 is the second-worst in the NHL while their power play success rate is an ordinary 17.7 percent.
The Flyers have posted a 2-4-4 record thus far in March. On Thursday in Calgary, the Flyers absorbed a 4-1 loss. Starting goaltender Steve Mason was pulled after allowing two late second period goals that head coach Craig Berube did not like. After Claude Giroux scored in the waning seconds of the second period to cut the gap to 2-1, the Flyers self-destructed in the third period. They took four minor penalties in the opening half of the final stanza and the Flames collected two power play goals to seal a three-goal victory.
After the game on Thursday, the Flyers held a brief player's only meeting. While no spefics were divulged, the most likely theme was about the need for teammates to play for another and to compete through the end of the season even though the club is all but mathematically elimated from the playoffs.
With Thursday's loss, Mason fell to 1-12-6, with a 2.64 goals against average and .912 save percentage with two shutouts. The team has scored two or fewer goals in 17 of his 19 road starts. Both of his road shutouts ended in shootout losses after the team was unable to provide him even a single goal of support. At home this season, Mason is 13-5-4 with a 1.97 GAA, .936 save percentage and one shutout.
Matt Read has rejoined the team following the birth of his family's first child on Tuesday. He will play in Edmonton. The Flyers dressed seven defensemen for Thursday's game, scratching veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier. Forward R.J. Umberger (hip and abdominal surgery) will miss the remainder of the regular season.
Oilers outlook
The Oilers currently have the NHL's third-worst record. The team is 11-20-3 on home ice this season. For the month of March to date, the club has gone 1-4-3. The Oilers a 1-0-1 on their current homestand.
On Wednesday, the Oilers lost 4-3 via shootout to Columbus. After falling behind 2-0, a mid-second period power play goal by Derek Roy and third period even strength tallies by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (20th goal of the season) and Nail Yakupov gave the Oilers a short-lived 3-2 lead. Columbus bounced right back to re-tie the game less than minute after the Yakupov goal and went on to win in the skills competition. Edmonton had six power plays in the game (1-for-6) to just one (0-for-1) for the Blue Jackets, which played into 47-20 shot advantage for the game in Edmonton's favor.
Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens stopped 17 of 20 shots in regulation and overtime before stopping one of three in the shootout against Columbus. Jordan Eberle was the lone Edmonton shooter to score in three rounds.
Entering Saturday's game, Eberle leads the team with 56 points and 56 assists. With 19 goals, he is one goal behind Nugent-Hopkins (50 points) for the club goal-scoring lead. Justin Schultz leads Oilers defensemen in scoring with 28 points (five goals, 23 assists) in 70 games. In goal, expected starter Scrivens has posted a 13-22-1 record, 2.96 GAA, .897 save percentage and one shutout in 46 starts and 50 overall appearances.
On the injury front, Taylor Hall (11 goals, 30 points in 42 games) has been out with a cracked bone in his lower left leg. He is questionable to make his return for this game.
Tyler Pitlick (ruptured spleen) remains on injured reserve, as does goaltender Viktor Fasth (knee). Matt Fraser (concussion) and Luke Gazdic (illness) are both questionable for the game. Iiro Pakarinen is out with a sprained knee.
Key team stat comparisons (NHL overall ranking)
Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 2.53 (24th), Oilers 2.28 (26th)
Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 2.75 (23rd), Oilers 3.32 (30th)
Even strength Goals For/Against Ratio: Flyers 0.98 (22nd), Oilers 0.65 (28th)
Power play efficiency: Flyers 22.3% (3rd), Oilers 18.4% (14th)
Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 76.5% (29th), Oilers 77.6% (27th)
Faceoff percentage: Flyers 51.5% (T-9th), Oilers 48.2% (24th)
Projected lineups (Subject to change, will be updated)
FLYERS
10 Brayden Schenn - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
24 Matt Read - 14 Sean Couturier - 17 Wayne Simmonds
12 Michael Raffl - 52 Nick Cousins - 25 Ryan White
76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 36 Zac Rinaldo
55 Nick Schultz - 32 Mark Streit
15 Michael Del Zotto - 22 Luke Schenn
8 Nicklas Grossmann - 47 Andrew MacDonald
35 Steve Mason
[29 Ray Emery]
Scratches: Carlo Colaiacovo (healthy), Vincent Lecavalier (healthy), R.J. Umberger (hip/abdominal surgery), Radko Gudas (IR, knee surgery).
OILERS
67 Benoit Pouliot - 93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - 14 Jordan Eberle
16 Teddy Purcell - 8 Derek Roy- 10 Nail Yakupov
23 Matt Hendricks - 27 Boyd Gordon - 12 Rob Klinkhammer
20 Luke Gazdic - 51 Anton Lander- 58 Andrew Miller
84 Oscar Klefbom - 19 Justin Schultz
85 Martin Marincin - 5 Mark Fayne
21 Andrew Ference - 86 Nikita Nikitin
30 Ben Scrivens
[32 Richard Bachman]
Scratches: Keith Aulie (healthy), Ryan Hamilton (healthy), Taylor Hall (questionable, leg fracture), Tyler Pitlick (IR, ruptured spleen), Viktor Fasth (IR, knee). Matt Fraser (questionable, concussion). Luke Gazdic (questionable, illness), Iiro Pakarinen (sprained knee).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»