Game 26 Preview: Flyers @ Coyotes
Interim head coach Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (9-12-4) are in Glendale on Saturday to take on André Tourigny's Arizona Coyotes (5-19-2). Game time at Gila River Arena is 9:00 p.m. ET (NBCSP, 93.3 WMMR).
This is the second and final meeting of the season between the teams, and the lone game in Arizona. On Nov. 2 at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers skated to a 3-0 victory. The game was tougher than the Flyers would have ideally wanted it to be but the team stepped up in the third period. Carter Hart recorded a 29-save shutout.
On Friday night, the Flyers put an end to a 10-game winless streak (0- 7-3) with a 4-3 road victory against the Vegas Golden Knights. Special teams and spectacular goaltending from Carter Hart (41 saves) were the keys to victory. The Flyers went 2-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
In Vegas, the Flyers received a 4-on-4 first period goal by Kevin Hayes (2nd of the season), a second period 5-on-5 tally by Max Willman (1st NHL) and third period power play goals by Sean Couturier (6th) and James van Riemsdyk (3rd). For an in-depth recap, analysis and highlights from Friday's game, see Postgame 5: Winless Streak Ends with 4-3 Victory in Vegas.
The Coyotes, who are 2-8-1 on home ice this season, have lost four games in a row in regulation. Arizona has dropped six of their last seven games and seven of their last 10 (3-6-1). The team is coming off a 3-1 home loss on Friday night to the Florida Panthers.
Neither the Flyers nor Coyotes will hold morning skates on Saturday. Lineups will not be available until a couple hours before gametime. The most likely goaltending match, with both teams in the second game of back-to-back, is Martin Jones vs. Karel Vejmelka. Hart started on Wednesday in New Jersey and then on Friday in Vegas. Scott Wedgewood was in net for the Coyotes against Florida.
For a five-point preview and analysis of the Flyers vs. Coyotes matchup, see Five Things: Flyers @ Coyotes on the Flyers' official website.
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Phantoms vs. Monsters
After a series of Covid-related postponements related to other teams having excessive numbers of players in protocol, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-11-5) return to action on Saturday evening as they host the Cleveland Monsters (10-7-5). Game time at the PPL Center in Allentown is 7:05 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on AHLTV (subscription required).
The Phantoms, who are winless in their last eight games, expect to have Wade Allison in the lineup for the first time this season after he suffered a right high ankle sprain in a Rookies Game in September. The team also expects to have defenseman Cam York back in the lineup after returning from a bout with coronavirus. German Rubtsov returned to the lineup on the Dec. 3 home loss (5-3) to the Charlotte Checkers after missing several games due to injury.
With Morgan Frost, Max Willman and Jackson Cates on NHL recall to the Flyers and Tyson Foerster (shoulder surgery) likely lost for the season, the Phantoms still face an uphill climb while waiting on other players -- Ryan Fitzgerald, Linus Sandin and others -- to be ready to return from injury.