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Flyers Playoff Gameday: Game 4 vs. PIT (April 18, 2018)

April 17, 2018, 3:09 PM ET [1682 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
GAME 4 PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. PENGUINS

Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers host Mike Sullivan's Pittsburgh Penguins at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised on NBCSNP.

Game 4 is a critical swing match in the series: the difference between the series going back to Pittsburgh on Friday tied at two games apiece or the Flyers facing elimination.

In Game 3 on Sunday, the Flyers played a dominant first period only to go off trailing, 1-0. Over the next 30-plus minutes, the Flyers took a parade of penalties -- most of them needless stick fouls -- and a manageable game cratered as a result of three Pittsburgh power play goals and a backbreaking 4-on-4 goal just five seconds after the Penguins scored at 4-on-3 to open a 3-0 lead.

FLYERS OUTLOOK

The Flyers held a full practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees on Tuesday. There will be a morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Tuesday's practice saw a host of chances to the forward lineup, with no changes on the blueline or in goal. Jakub Voracek was put back on the top line with Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux for the first time since December (apart from a few in-game switches). Travis Konecny skated left wing on a line with Nolan Patrick and Wayne Simmonds. Jordan Weal (slated to make his first appearance in the series) skated right wing with Valtteri Filppula and Michael Raffl. The fourth line trio of Jori Lehterä centering Scott Laughton and Matt Read remained intact.

The forwards in blue (healthy scratches) were the struggling Oskar Lindblom along with usual scratches Taylor Leier and Dale Weise. The extra defensemen remained Robert Hägg and Johnny Oduya. Michal Neuvirth participated in practice as the third goalie to take reps but remains day-to-day per Flyers general manager Ron Hextall. Brian Elliott occupied the usual starter's net.

Early in practice, Couturier collided in open ice with defenseman Radko Gudas. Neither saw the other, per Gudas' account. Couturier went down and then left the ice with trainer Jim McCrossin. Couturier was limping as he left.


There were no updates available on Couturier later in the day. Giroux said "it didn't look too good" but said he didn't know the severity. Simmonds more confidently expressed that Couturier "will be fine." Hakstol said he had no updates and had not yet thought about an alternate lineup if Couturier misses Game 4.

It is worth noting that, after Couturier went down, Patrick stepped into his spot for the rest of practice. If Couturier is unable to go, the other centers may shift up one line in the rotation, with natural center Laughton shifting back from left wing to the middle. That may also keep Lindblom in the lineup, although it could be in the fourth line spot in which he spent the second and third periods of Game 3 rather than the second line.

PENGUINS OUTLOOK

The Penguins held a full practice on Tuesday as well. Sullivan said that Patric Hörnqvist, a nemesis all series thus far, would miss Game 4 with an upper-body injury. Defenseman Kris Letang, who also took a maintenance day prior to Game 3, took another day off on Tuesday but will play.

Matt Murray will be in goal for the Penguins, as expected.

After their three-goal power play bonanza in Game 3, the Penguins are 4-for-15 on the man advantage in the series. Pittsburgh is 11-for-13 on the penalty kill.


PROJECTED LINEUPS

FLYERS

28 Claude Giroux - 19 Nolan Patrick - 93 Jakub Voracek
11 Travis Konecny - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 17 Wayne Simmonds
12 Michael Raffl - 21 Scott Laughton - 40 Jordan Weal
54 Oskar Lindblom - 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
[30 Michal Neuvirth]

Scratches: 14 Sean Couturier (lower-body injury), 20 Taylor Leier (healthy), 22 Dale Weise (healthy), 8 Robert Hägg (healthy), 29 Johnny Oduya (healthy), 34 Petr Mrazek (healthy).

PENGUINS

59 Jake Guentzel - 87 Sidney Crosby - 12 Dominik Simon
62 Carl Hagelin - 71 Evgeni Malkin - 81 Phil Kessel
43 Conor Sheary - 19 Derick Brassard - 17 Bryan Rust
34 Tom Kuhnhackl - 15 Riley Sheahan - 46 Zach Aston-Reese

8 Brian Dumolin - 58 Kris Letang
3 Olli Määttä - 4 Justin Schultz
2 Chad Ruhwedel - 6 Jamie Oleksiak

30 Matt Murray
[1 Casey DeSmith]

Scratches: 22 Matt Hunwick (healthy), 16 Josh Jooris (healthy), 37 Carter Rowney (day-to-day, upper body), 72 Patric Hörnqvist (upper body).
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