GAME 82 PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. RANGERS

Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (41-26-14) are home on Saturday to take on Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers (34-38-9) at the Wells Fargo Center in the Flyers' final game of the 2017-18 regular season. Game time 3:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised on NBC.

This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season series between the teams, and the second in Philadelphia. The Flyers are 2-1-0 in the first three games.

On Jan. 16 at Madison Square Garden, a very different-looking Rangers roster dealt the Flyers a 5-1 thrashing. New York led 3-1 after the first period and by four goals at the second intermission, rending the third period a formality. Rick Nash (later traded to the Boston Bruins) scored two goals for the Rangers, while Michael Grabner (now with New Jersey Devils) and J.T. Miller (now with the Tampa Bay Lightning) scored once apiece.

On Feb. 18 at MSG, the teams played a bizarre game that started out as a fight-filled seesaw affair but eventually turned into a 7-4 rout in the Flyers' favor. In relief on injured Michal Neuvirth over the final 40 minutes, Alex Lyon earned his first NHL win. Seven different Flyers scored one goal apiece. Claude Giroux had a goal and assist. Henrik Lundqvist was left in to absorb the damage, as he was beaten seven times on 37 shots.

On March 22 at the Wells Fargo Center, a stripped-down post trade deadline Rangers team gave the Flyers a tough battle but Philly prevailed by a 4-3 count. Travis Konecny scored twice and Jakub Voracek and Oskar Lindblom (game-winning goal) solved Alexandar Georgiev (32 saves on 36 shots). The Rangers battled back from deficits of 1-0, 3-1 and 4-2 to give the Flyers all they could handle in a tense third period.

FLYERS OUTLOOK

The Flyers magic number for a playoff spot is one. They currently sit in lower wildcard position in the Eastern Conference and fifth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have a 20-13-8 home record (48 points) this season. Overall, the team is 6-1-3 over its last 10 games. Dating back to March 1, however, the Flyers are just 7-7-4.

A win of any variety on Saturday or a regulation tie followed by an overtime or shootout loss will be enough to clinch a spot in the postseason. The team could still finish as high as third or fourth in the Metropolitan Division -- with some outside help from the Washington Capitals (vs. New Jersey Devils) and/or Nashville Predators (vs. Columbus Blue Jackets) -- and could still miss the playoffs. If the Flyers lose in regulation, they would need the Florida Panthers to lose by any means to either the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday or Boston Bruins on Sunday.

On Thursday, the Flyers earned a 4-3 home win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Claude Giroux led the way with a goal and an assist. Michael Raffl, Ivan Provorov and Jakub Voracek (game-winning goal) each scored once apiece. Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two assists.

Making his return to the Flyers lineup from core muscle surgery that shelved him for the last 25 games (dating back to Feb. 11), Brian Elliott was rusty and struggled for much of the game but got the win with 19 saves on 22 shots. A third period goal he allowed from near the left corner could have been a backbreaker. However, the veteran goaltender also made a few important stops: two deflections in close and, most importantly, a breakaway save on Brock McGinn right after the Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead on a 4-on-4 goal.

Elliott will get the start again on Saturday. The other changes employed by Hakstol in Thursday's game -- including Raffl skating on the top line right wing and Travis Konecny on third line left wing -- will likely hold over as well.

Entering Saturday's game, Flyers captain Giroux is on the brink of three significant statistical milestones. He needs one point for his first 100-point season in the National Hockey League. He'd become the sixth member of the Flyers' 100-point club, joining Bob Clarke, Rick MacLeish, Bill Barber, Mark Recchi and Eric Lindros. Giroux needs one assist on Saturday (which would be the 464th) to pass Bill Barber for third on the Flyers' all-time list. Two assists for Giroux on Saturday would give him 70 on the season; joining Clarke and Recchi as the only Flyers forwards to reach that mark in a single season.

Head-to-head against the Rangers this season, Giroux has racked up six points in three games (one goal, five assists). Konecny has five points (three goals, two assists).

Over the course of the season, the Flyers have frequently been slow starters. The team has been outscored 60-69 over 81 first periods and have held a lead at the first intermission just 17 times (11-1-5 record). The Flyers have outscored opponents 93-87 in second periods and led at the second intermission 34 times (28-1-5). In third periods, the Flyers have outscored opponents by an 82-73 margin. Philly is 9-7 in games decided in OT, 2-7 in shootouts (42-82 for franchise history).

At 5-on-5, the Flyers have outscored opponents 155-145. At 4-on-4, the Flyers have been outscored by 6-3. At 6-on-5 (delayed penalties or goaltender pulled), the Flyers have scored nine times while yielding eight empty netters. At 5-on-6, the The Flyers been scored on eight times and scored 15.

The Flyers power play enters the final game of the regular season ranked in a tie for 17th in the NHL at 20.5 percent efficiency (53-for-259). The Philly power play has actually been better on the road (30-for-129, 23.3 percent, 4th in the NHL) than at home (23-for-130, 17.7 percent, 24th in the NHL). Philadelphia has yielded 10 shorthanded goals this season (T-28th).

Philly's penalty kill comes in at 75.7 percent (29th, opponents are 54-for-222) overall. At home, the Flyers have posted only 74.3 percent success (29th, opponents are 26-for-101). On the road, the Flyers rank 23rd at 76.9 percent (opponents 28-for-121). The Flyers have scored three shorthanded goals this season: one apiece for Scott Laughton, Wayne Simmonds and Jori Lehterä.

Head-to-head with the Rangers this season, the Flyers are 0-for-6 on the power play against the Rangers with one shorthanded goal allowed. Philly is 3-for-4 on the penalty kill against the Rangers; in the second game at MSG, the Flyers did not take any penalties that left them shorthanded despite three fights in the game. Philly did not receive a power play in Thursday's game against the Hurricanes (the least-penalized team in the NHL).

Excluding the lockout-shortened 1994-95 and 2012-13 seasons (48 games), the Flyers are likely to finish the 2017-18 season within having a single player reach 100 penalty minutes for the season for the first time since 1970-71 when Gary Dornhoefer's 93 PIM led the club. For the current team, Radko Gudas tops the team with 81 PIM in 69 games played.

RANGERS OUTLOOK

The Rangers are 2-6-2 over their last 10 games and 1-3-1 over the last five. The team didn't offer much resistance to the New Jersey Devils in a 5-2 road loss on Tuesday. On Thursday, in a battle of two traditional arch-rivals who are otherwise playing out the string as non-playoff teams this season, the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over the Rangers.

Vigneault has already announced that franchise icon Lundqvist (26-25-7, 2.95 GAA, .915 SV%) will get the start in goal in the team's season finale. The 36-year-old Swede was recently named Rangers' MVP for a franchise-record ninth time in his career. Although Lundqvist was strafed by the Flyers in the teams' February meeting, Flyers wins over him and the Blueshirts have been infrequent in recent years before 2017-18.

Over Lundqvist's last 12 games against the Flyers, he has a 9-2-1 record with a 2.21 GAA and .928 save percentage. In his last 27 games against the Flyers, dating back to March 6, 2011, Lundqvist has gone 21-5-1 against Philly with a 2.02 GAA, .934 SV% and two shutouts. Of course, back on the final day of the 2009-10 regular season, the Flyers (with Brian Boucher in goal) came back from a 1-0 deficit in the third period and eventually won via shootout, 2-1, to get into the playoffs and keep the Rangers out of the playoffs. This time around, a regulation tie is good enough for Philly and New York has nothing but pride at stake.

Kevin Hayes has been the hottest offensive player for the Rangers of late. He has a five-game point streak (four goals, one assist) and has scored a goal in three straight games. For the season, Hayes has 25 goals and 44 points.

Mika Zibanejad, who had an excellent game the last time the Rangers played in Philly and scored a dazzling goal, leads the Rangers in the goal-scoring department. He has 27 goals among his 47 games. Frequently a thorn in the Flyers' side, crafty playmaking veteran Mats Zuccarello leads the Rangers offensive overall, with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 79 games.

Cody McLeod (131 hits, team-high 131 penalty minutes) has been a third in other teams' sides for different reasons. He is questionable for the season finale due to an abdominal strain.

Since coming over to the Rangers in the deal that sent Ryan McDonagh and Miller to the Lightning, Vladislav Namestnikov hasn't done much of note. He has four points (two goals and two assists) in 18 games. While playing on the loaded Tampa attack, he had 20 goals and 44 points in 62 games this season prior to the trade.

Jesper Fast has produced two goals an assist in three games against the Flyers season (13 goals, 33 points overall). As of Friday morning, he was listed as questionable for Saturday's game with a groin pull. Later on Friday, Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton announced that the team has recalled forwards Matt Beleskey and Steven Fogarty from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. Both are available to play in Philadelphia on Saturday.

From a team Corsi standpoint, the Rangers rank at the bottom of the NHL. Nevertheless, one trait the now-rebuilding current version of the Rangers have in common with their more successful predecessor teams of the recent past is that the Rangers remain a tough opponent against whom to play comeback hockey.

New York may only have taken leads into the third period in 23 of the 81 games this season, but they are 22-0-1 when doing so. The Rangers are also 24-10-2 when scoring first. By contrast, the Rangers are just 10-28-7 (the Flyers are 19-20-8) when an opponent scores first, 4-23-5 when trailing after one period and 5-32-4 (0-2-0 against the Flyers) when trailing after two frames.

The Rangers have been outscored this season all three periods: 69-86 in 1st periods, 72-85 in 2nd periods, and 80-83 in third periods. New York, however, is 7-4 in games decided in OT. They are 3-5 in shootouts.

Special teams have actually been a strength for the Blueshirts overall this season. The power play clocks in at a solid 21.3 percent overall this season (51-for-240, 12th in the NHL) with five shorthanded goals allowed. The PK comes in at 81.6 percent (200-for-245, tied for 8th in the NHL).

It's at 5-on-5 where the Rangers are deep underwater. The club has scored just 150 times while yielding 179 goals. At 4-on-4, the Rangers have scored twice and yield one goal (to the Flyers' Voracek) the entire season. In 6-on-5s, the Rangers have scored twice while giving up 14 goals. At 5-on-6, the Rangers have scored 13 empty netters, while opponents have scored nine times.

PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change, will be updated)

FLYERS

28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 12 Michael Raffl
54 Oskar Lindblom - 19 Nolan Patrick - 93 Jakub Voracek
11 Travis Konecny - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 17 Wayne Simmonds
21 Scott Laughton - 15 Jori Lehterä - 24 Matt Read

9 Ivan Provorov - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere
47 Andrew MacDonald - 6 Travis Sanheim
23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas

37 Brian Elliott
[34 Petr Mrazek]

Scratches: 20 Taylor Leier (healthy), 22 Dale Weise (healthy), 8 Robert Hägg (healthy), 29 Johnny Oduya (healthy), 40 Jordan Weal (healthy), 30 Michal Neuvirth (lower body).

RANGERS (will be updated)

Kreider-Zibanejad-Chytil
Vesey-Andersson-Zuccarello
Spooner-Hayes-Fogarty
Beleskey-Namestnikov-Buchnevich

20 Chris Kreider - 93 Mika Zibanejad - 72 Filip Chytil
26 Jimmy Vesey - 50 Lias Andersson - 36 Mats Zuccarello
23 Ryan Spooner - 13 Kevin Hayes - 38 Steven Fogarty
39 Matt Beleskey- 90 Vladislav Namestnikov - 89 Pavel Buchnevich

18 Marc Staal - 44 Neil Pionk
76 Brady Skjei - 25 Ryan Sproul​
58 John Gilmour - 46 Rob O'Gara

30 Henik Lundqvist
[31 Ondrej Pavelec​]

Scratches:61 David Desharnais (healthy), 28 Paul Carey (healthy), 12 Peter Holland (healthy), 39 Matt Beleskey (may play, recalled on Fri.), 8 Cody McLeod (abdominal strain), 17 Jesper Fast (groin), 22 Kevin Shattenkirk (left knee surgery), 47 Steve Kampfer (hand fracture), 77 Anthony DeAngelo (questionable, ankle).

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