Game 59 Preview: Flyers @ Penguins
Playing their second matinee of a weekend back-to-back, the Philadelphia Flyers (30-21-7) are in western Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (25-21-8). Game time at PPG Paints Arena is 3:30 p.m. ET.
Cal Petersen is expected to get the start in goal for the Flyers on Sunday. All-Star Game participant Travis Konecny, the Flyers leading scorer, is day-to-day with an upper body injury. He is not expected to play on Sunday after also missing the home game against the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
Even without Konecny's services, the Flyers outplayed the Rangers for roughly two-thirds of Saturday's game. The Flyers outshot the Rangers by a 40-24 margin and outchanced New York, 27-15. However, only Tyson Foerster (11th goal of the season) was able to solve Igor Sheshterkin (39 saves on 40 shots). For an in-depth recap, analysis, stats and more, see yesterday's Postgame 5 on the Flyers' official website: Click here.
On Saturday, Scott Laughton matched a career-best by extending his point streak to six straight games as he assisted on Foerster's goal that temporarily tied the score at 1-1 in the third period. Over his last six games, Laughton has posted seven points (2g, 5a).
The Penguins earned a 4-1 home win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday evening. Kris Letang (5th and 6th) tallied even strength and empty net goals, while Tristan Jarry turned aside 29 of 31 shots. Bryan Rust (PPG, 16th) and Drew O'Connor (8th) also scored for the Penguins. For a detailed preview of Sunday's game, see 5 Things on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com: Click here
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change, will be updated)
Flyers
86 Joel Farabee - 14 Sean Couturier - 71 Tyson Foerser 74 Owen Tippett - 48 Morgan Frost - 89 Cam Atkinson 27 Noah Cates - 25 Ryan Poehling - 19 Garnet Hathaway 44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 21 Scott Laughton - (rotation)
8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim 24 Nick Seeler - 26 Sean Walker 18 Marc Staal- 9 Jamie Drysdale 5 Egor Zamula
33 Samuel Ersson [40 Cal Petersen]
Penguins
67 Rickard Rakell - 68 Sidney Crosby - 17 Bryan Rust 10 Drew O’Connor - 71 Evgeni Malkin - 18 Valtteri Puustinen 19 Reilly Smith - 20 Lars Eller - 52 Emil Bemström 43 Jansen Harkins - 55 Noel Acciari - 77 Jeff Carter
73 Pierre-Olivier Joseph - 58 Kris Letang 65 Marcus Pettersson - 28 Erik Karlsson 27 Ryan Graves - 2 Chad Ruhwedel
35 Tristan Jarry 39 Alex Nedeljkovic
Projected scratches: 18 Jesse Puljujà¤rvi, 7 John Ludvig, 16 Matthew Phillips, 59 Jake Guentzel (upper-body injury), 83 Matt Nieto (knee surgery).
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Phantoms Earn Dramatic Win in Charlotte, Rematch on Sunday
Chasing down the final Atlantic Division playoff spot as the heart of the stretch drive approaches, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (22-19-7) rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits in the third period to defeat the Charlotte Checkers (24-21-5) at Bojangles Coliseum on Saturday afternoon by a 6-5 score in overtime.
The two teams will rematch in Charlotte on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
In Saturday's game, two goals apiece by Bobby Brink (5th and 6th) and Olle Lycksell (17th and 18th) led the way for Lehigh Valley. Lycksell and Brink also assisted on each other's latter tallies as Lycksell knotted that at 5-5 with 42 seconds left in regulation and Brink tallied with 15 seconds left in sudden death. Earlier, Brink opened the scoring to give the Phantoms a short-lived 1-0 lead in the first period. Lycksell (four-point game) picked up the primary helper.
The Phantoms trailed by a 2-1 score entering the third period and then fell behind by scores of 3-1 and 4-2. Cooper Marody (PPG, 13th) had a goal and an assist amid the comeback. Defenseman Ronnie Attard brought the Phantoms within a 4-3 deficit with a shorthanded goal at 6:30 of the third period.
Feix Sandström stopped 28 of 33 shots to earn the win in net. Evan Cormier (22 saves on 28 shots) took the OT loss for Carlotte.
Emil Andrae earned two power play assists in Saturday's game as Lehigh Valley went 2-for-7 on the man advantage. The Checkers were 1-for-6 on their power plays.
Saturday's starting lineup was as follows:
28 Olle Lycksell - 22 Rhett Gardner - 23 Bobby Brink 20 Cooper Marody - 56 Jacob Gaucher - 27 Samu Tuomaala 16 J.R. Avon - 91 Elliot Desnoyers - 19 Wade Allison 17 Garrett Wilson - 24 Adam Brooks - 13 Brendan Furry
6 Emil Andrae - 12 Ronnie Attard 37 Adam Ginning - 7 Louie Belpedio 98 Victor Mete - 2 Helge Grans
32 Felix Sandström [31 Parker Gahagen]