GAME 50 PREVIEW: FLYERS @ CAPITALS
Exiting the NHL All-Star break, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (24-17-8) return to action on Wednesday night, visiting Barry Trotz's Washington Capitals (29-15-5) at the Capital One Center. Game time is 8:00 p.m. ET. The game will be nationally televised on NBCSN.
This is the third of four meetings this season between the Metropolitan Division teams, and the second and final game in DC. The season series concludes in Philadelphia on March 18. The Flyers are 2-0-0 to date against the Capitals this season.
On Oct. 14, a rested Flyers team blew out a tired Capitals team by an 8-2 count in the season home opener at the Wells Fargo Center. On Jan. 21 in Washington, a Flyers team that was playing for the third time in four days, scratched out a point in regulation and then skated off with a 2-1 win in overtime on a Travis Konecny goal.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
The Flyers are about to become an extremely busy hockey team again. The club will play its final 33 games of the regular season over a span of 67 nights. There will be no more four-night breaks in the schedule and only one more three-night break.
Wednesday's game begins a tough gauntlet over the rest of this week: a road-road-home three-in-four set that will see the Flyers back in action on Thursday in Newark against a New Jersey Devils team that is idle on Wednesday. Then, after a likely off-day from practice on Friday, the Flyers host the Ottawa Senators in a Saturday matinee in Philly.
Entering play on Wednesday, the Flyers are in a dogfight to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Through 49 games, the Flyers have 56 points and 24 regulation or overtime wins (ROW), and occupy the lower wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference.
On one hand, the Flyers grip on a playoff spot is as tenuous as it gets. A Flyers regulation loss to the Capitals paired with a New York Islanders' win in Toronto would knock the Flyers back below the playoff cutoff line. The Flyers would still hold one game in hand.
On the other hand, the Flyers can quickly catapult themselves if they take care of their own business. A win in Washington would put in the Flyers in the higher wildcard spot (via the ROW tiebreaker) over the Columbus Blue Jackets and tied in points with the New Jersey Devils in points for third place in the Metro Division. Philly also holds a ROW edge on the Devils if the teams are tied in points once the games played column evens out. Lastly, the Flyers would move within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins -- with two games still in hand -- in the battle for second place (automatic first-round home ice advantage) in the Metro.
Prior to the All-Star break, the Flyers went 5-2-0 after their bye week and 16-6-1 in the 23 games since their 0-5-5 swoon of November to early December. Now things essentially reset with lots of short turnarounds between games and lots of divisional games remaining on the docket. For better or worse, the Flyers' fate in their own hands.
Konecny, who has thrived since being promoted to the Flyers' top line at 5-on-5 and entrusted as a regular in 3-on-3 overtimes, brings a four-game goal streak and five-game point streak into Wednesday's tilt. Over his last 12 games, Konecny has collected six goals, six assists and 12 points. For the season, the 20-year-old forward is up to 10 goals, 12 assists and 22 points while dressing in all 49 games to date.
The Flyers' lineup will feature two adjusted line combinations come Wednesday night. Rookie center Nolan Patrick will be part of a new line with Jakub Voracek (moving from right wing to left wing) and Wayne Simmonds. Valterri Filppula will center a line with Jordan Weal and Michael Raffl (moving from left wing to right wing).
Exiting the All-Star break, Flyers captain Claude Giroux (14 goals, 43 assists, 57 points) is tied for fifth in the NHL's Art Ross Trophy race. He is tied for second in the league in assists. The leaguewide assist leader is Voracek, with 47 helpers. With 56 points, Voracek is tied for 7th in the Art Ross Trophy race.
Sean Couturier, who placed second in the Selke Trophy ballot in the PWHA's midseason awards voting, is tied for fifth in the Rocket Richard Trophy race with 26 goals. He has gone four games in a row without a goal entering the All-Star break. With 49 points in 49 games, Couturier is tied for 20th in the Art Ross Trophy race.
Top-pairing Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (nine goals, 33 points in 45 games) ranks tied for fifth in scoring among NHL defensemen this season. His partner, Ivan Provorov (nine goals, 24 points in 49 games) is tied for 30th in blueline scoring, is 9th overall in blocked shots with 109 and 50th overall with 100 credited hits. Flyers rookie defenseman Robert Hà¤gg leads all NHL players with 171 credited hits.
Veteran power forward Wayne Simmonds (16 goals, 29 points) ranks in a tie for 7th in the NHL with eight power play goals to date. Overall, 12 of his 29 points have come on the man advantage.
Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott (19-11-7, 2.77 GAA, .908 save percentage) was a workhorse in the first half of the season but has recently been battling a lower-body injury. He was placed on the injured reserve list, retroactive to Jan. 24. While eligible to come off IR at any time and not expected to miss much more time, Elliott is unavailable for Wednesday's game in Washington.
Michal Neuvirth (5-6-1, 2.46 GAA, .918 SV%, 1 SO) had been on a very effective run in January. However, he produced a clunker against Tampa Bay in the final game before the All-Star break and missed practice on Monday due to illness. Neuvirth will get the start in Washington, backed up by rookie NHLer/second year pro Alex Lyon.
For the season, the Flyers have scored 2.88 goals per game (T-16th in the NHL) and have a team 2.62 GAA (T-15th). At five-on-five, the Flyers have scored 85 goals (tied for 22nd) and yielded 76 (tied for 3rd fewest in the league).
On the power play, the Flyers rank tied for 9th at 20.7 percent (35-for-169) with eight shorthanded goals yielded (tied for second most). On the penalty kill, the Flyers rank tied for 28th (113-for-150, 75.3 percent). The Flyers have scored two shorthanded goals; one apiece for Scott Laughton and Simmonds.
CAPITALS OUTLOOK
The Caps sit atop the Metropolitan Division with a four-point lead and three games in hand over idle Pittsburgh. The club brings an 18-7-1 home record into Wednesday's game; the lone OT loss coming at the Flyers' hands. Entering the All-Star break, the Caps racked up points in eight of their last 10 games (6-2-2).
Veteran superstar Alex Ovechkin, who played a dominant game the last time the Capitals played the Flyers, leads the Rocket Richard Trophy race with 30 goals. He is tied for 14th in the Art Ross Trophy race with 53 points. Among Ovechkin's 53 points, 20 (nine goals, 11 assists) have come on the power play.
Following Ovechkin on the team's offensive charts is a slew of familiar names: Evgeny Kuznetsov (13 goals, 32 assists, 45 points), Nicklas Bà¤ckström (10 goals, 28 assists, 38 points), John Carlson (third among NHL defenseman with 38 points; seven goals, 31 assists), T.J. Oshie (11 goals, 29 points) and Lars Eller (10 goals, 23 points). Rounding out the Caps' roll call of double-digit goal scorers are Jakub Vrana (10 goals, 17 points) and Brett Connolly (13 goals, 16 points in 40 games).
Second in the NHL in penalty minutes with 118 PIM, oft-controversial Capitals winger Tom Wilson also has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) this season; one goal and three points away from tying his full-season career highs to date.
Braden Holtby has made 36 starts to date this season, posting a 13-4-6 record, 2.66 GAA, and .917 save percentage. Backup Philipp Grubauer has made 13 starts and three relief appearances. He has posted a 4-6-3 record, 2.56 GAA, .917 SV% and one shutout.
Entering Wednesday game, the Capitals have averaged 3.00 goals per game (tied for 8th) and have a team 2.80 GAA (tied for 14th). At five-on-five, Washington has scored 96 goals (12th most) and given up 84 (8th fewest).
The Capitals power play clocks in 20 percent (31-for-155) and is tied for 13th in the NHL. The team has yielded six opposition shorthanded goals. On the penalty kill, Washington ranks 18th at 80.2 percent (144-for-167) and has scored three shorthanded goals; one apiece for Wilson, Jay Beagle and Alex Chiasson.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
FLYERS
28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny 93 Jakub Voracek - 19 Nolan Patrick - 17 Wayne Simmonds 40 Jordan Weal - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 12 Michael Raffl 56 Tyrell Goulbourne - 21 Scott Laughton - 15 Jori Lehterà¤
9 Ivan Provorov - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere 47 Andrew MacDonald -3 Robert Hà¤gg 23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas
30 Michal Neuvirth [49 Alex Lyon]
Scratches: 20 Taylor Leier (healthy), 22 Dale Weise (healthy), 39 Mark Alt (healthy), 37 Brian Elliott (IR, day-to-day).
CAPITALS
8 Alex Ovechkin - 92 Evgeny Kuznetsov - 43 Tom Wilson 65 Andre Burakovsky - 19 Nicklas Backstrom - 77 T.J. Oshie 13 Jakub Vrana - 20 Lars Eller - 10 Brett Connolly 39 Alex Chiasson - 83 Jay Beagle - 25 Devante Smith-Pelly …‹
29 Christian Djoos - 74 John Carlson 2 Matt Niskanen - 9 Dmitri Orlov 44 Brooks Orpik - 22 Madison Bowey …‹
70 Braden Holtby [31 Philipp Grubauer] …‹ Scratches: 4 Taylor Chorney (healthy), 18 Chandler Stephenson (healthy).