GAME 24: FLYERS vs. CANUCKS
Completing a two-game homestand, Alain Vigneault's Philadelphia Flyers (11-7-5) host Travis Green's Vancouver Canucks (12-8-4) on Monday evening. Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast will be on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the second and final meeting of the season series between the teams, and the lone game in Philadelphia. The Flyers are 0-0-1 against the Canucks.
On Oct. 12 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, the Flyers erased a pair of one-goal deficits and got the game to overtime before losing 3-2 (2-1) vial shootout. The Flyers' performance was inconsistent in the first and second periods but dominant in the third period.
Carsen Twarynski (1st NHL goal) and Oskar Lindblom (power play) scored in regulation for the Flyers, answering goals by deflection goals by Brock Boeser and Tanner Pearson.
Carter Hart played well, stopping 22 of 24 shots, including a vital penalty killing save in overtime among five stops in the extra frame. However, Jacob Markström played just a little better, denying 29 of 31 Flyers shots.
In the shootout, Hart went 1-for-3, getting beaten by Elias Pettersson and Pearson. Markström went, 2-for-3, denying Kevin Hayes to end the game after Claude Giroux scored in the second round.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
Glass half-full: The Flyers have posted at least one point in 10 of 11 home games to date. The downside: Four of the games have ended in shootout losses. The team is 6-1-4 at home.
On Saturday, the Flyers controlled the play for the majority of the game against the Calgary Flames -- especially in an utterly dominant second period -- but were unable to protect leads of 1-0 and 2-1 as a turnover (Morgan Frost on the first goal) and two bad bounces -- one off defenseman Phil Myers and one off the end boards on a late regulation 6-on-5 -- sent the game to overtime and eventually a shootout.
Ultimately, the Flyers fell 3-2 (1-0) via shootout.
Jakub Voracek (5th) and Kevin Hayes scored in regulation for the Flyers. Andrew Mangiapane and Elias Lindholm answered for Calgary. Matthew Tkachuk's bottom of the second round goal was the lone tally of the skills competition. Hart stopped 22 of 24 shots in regulation, and one more in overtime. He was 1-for-2 in the shootout.
Shayne Gostisbehere was a healthy scratch on Saturday; the first time since his second NHL season that he sat out a game by coach's decision. The team took a complete off-day on Saturday. The starting lineups for Monday, follow below. They are identical to Saturday, based on the morning skate. Hart will start again in goal, as well.
Entering Monday, the Flyers have averaged 2.91 goals per game with allowing 2.87 per game. The power play is at 20.0 percent and the penalty kill at 85.5 percent with two shorthanded goals. The team has won faceoffs at a 53.8 percent clip.
CANUCKS OUTLOOK
Monday's game is the fourth of a six-game road trip for Vancouver. The team, 2-1-0 so far on the trip, at least does not have to face any back-to-back games during the trip; there has been one off-day between each game. Overall, the Canucks are 7-6-1 away from Rogers Arena.
On Saturday, the Canucks took the President's Trophy race leading Washington Capitals to overtime and then a shootout, ultimately earning a 2-1 (1-0) win in a seven-round shootout. Markström shined against the Capitals as he did against Philly last month, stopping 32 of 33 shots in regulation (29 of 30) and OT (3 of 3) and then going 7-for-7 in shootout saves. Elias Pettersson (power play, 10th) scored midway through the first period to erase an early 1-0 deficit. Bo Horvat tallied the lone shootout goal for either side. Vancouver went 1-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Veteran defenseman Alex Edler left the game after being banged on a check. His availability for Monday is questionable but the injury is not believed to be serious.
Before the back-to-back wins, the Canucks were seemingly in a tail spin. They had only won a single game in the previous eight (1-5-2) and the current road trip began with a 6-1 blowout loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars last Tuesday.
Entering this game, the Canucks have averaged 3.13 goals per game and allowed 2.83 per game. The power play comes in at 26.7 percent and the penalty kill at 83.5 percent. The Canucks have won 53.2 percent of their faceoffs.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS (subject to change, will be updated)
FLYERS
28 Claude Giroux - 48 Morgan Frost - 11 Travis Konecny 23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek 21 Scott Laughton - 13 Kevin Hayes - 49 Joel Farabee 25 James van Riemsdyk - 12 Michael Raffl -18 Tyler Pitlick
9 Ivan Provorov - 15 Matt Niskanen 6 Travis Sanheim - 61 Justin Braun 8 Robert Hà¤gg - 5 Phil Myers
79 Carter Hart [37 Brian Elliott]
Power Play 1: Giroux, JVR, Frost, Konecny, Provorov Power Play 2: Couturier, Lindblom, Voracek, Sanheim, Niskanen
Scratches: 8 Robert Hà¤gg (healthy), 44 Chris Stewart (healthy), 55 Sam Morin (torn ACL) LTIR: 19 Nolan Patrick (migraines)
Canucks
70 Tanner Pearson - 40 Elias Pettersson - 6 Brock Boeser 9 J.T. Miller - 53 Bo Horvat - 71 Zack MacEwen 17 Josh Leivo - 88 Adam Gaudette - 18 Jake Virtanen 59 Tim Schaller - 21 Loui Eriksson - 44 Tyler Graovac…‹
23 Alex Edler - 51 Troy Stecher 43 Quinn Hughes - 8 Chris Tanev 4 Jordie Benn - 57 Tyler Myers…‹
35 Thatcher Demko [25 Jacob Markström]
Scratches: 5 Oskar Fantenberg (healthy), 47 Sven Baertschi (healthy), 83 Jay Beagle (hip, day-to-day), 23 Alex Edler (banged up in Washington game, questionable). Injured reserve: 20 Brandon Sutter (groin), 26 Antoine Roussel (March 2019 ACL surgery), 79 Micheal Ferland (concussion).
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HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER NIGHT AT WELLS FARGO CENTER
November is Hockey Fights Cancer month throughout the NHL, with every team hosting its own Hockey Fights Cancer night. The Flyers' night is on Monday when the team plays Vancouver. Toyota is the presenting sponsor, as it was for Military Appreciation Night on Nov. 16.
Below is information on the night's details, courtesy of the Flyers:
Around the arena and on the ice, NHL staff, coaches, and front office executives will don special Hockey Fights Cancer ties and pins while the Flyers roster will take the ice in lavender warm-up jerseys, special helmet decals and sticks wrapped using lavender tape. All lavender-wrapped sticks are available for auction on behalf of Flyers Charities following the game.
Additionally, all fans entering the building will receive a lavender “I Fight For… rally towel, courtesy of Toyota. Lavender ice-level dasher boards will complete the building’s lavender take over.
Prior to Monday evening’s game, the club distributed “I Fight for… posters to its charitable partners, players, coaches, and front office. Each filled “I Fight for… poster will be hung along the walls of the Flyers player tunnel for the duration of the game. Participating partners for the evening include the American Cancer Society, Movember, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
The evening will feature a ceremonial Hockey Fights Cancer-themed puck drop with eight-year-old Cameron Wakely, of Quakertown, Pa. Cameron is currently battling Ewing Sarcoma, a bone cancer, at CHOP.
Prior to first puck drop, 14-year-old Zach Steward of West Deptford, N.J. will be recognized as an honorary coach for the night and present the team’s starting lineup inside the locker room alongside head coach Alain Vigneault. Zach is currently battling CNS Leukemia for the second time and was welcomed at Friday’s team practice by his favorite player, Travis Konecny, who presented him with a signed jersey inside the team’s locker room.
During the game, Dawn Zucca, President of the Peter Powerhouse Cancer Group, will be recognized as the recipient of a $5,000 donation on behalf of Toyota in support of the group’s mission to support families of pediatric cancer patients.
Additionally, a special Hockey Fights Cancer Community Teammate recognition is set for Bill Petersohn of Lafayette Hill, Pa. Petersohn, a long-standing member of the youth hockey community and current coach of the Wissahickon Warrior Youth Hockey Program, is battling urothelial carcinoma, a rare type of kidney cancer, through a clinical trial at NYU. He previously battled, and beat, a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnoses 30 years ago. Today, between weekly chemotherapy treatments, Petersohn has continued to attend twice-a-week team practices and weekend games.
Flyers center Kevin Hayes will use the night as an opportunity to honor his parents, Kevin Sr. and Shelah, both of whom are cancer survivors. Kevin Hayes Sr. was diagnosed with throat cancer eight years ago, while Shelah Hayes was diagnosed with colon cancer 15 years ago. Kevin Sr. is now 64 years old, Shelah is 56, and both are well.
The younger Hayes will arrive at the arena wearing a blue suit jacket with a purple Hockey Fights Cancer "I fight for" lining on the inside. For more, read Adam Kimelman's on NHL.com.