Game 63 Preview: FLYERS vs. SABRES
Interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (29-26-7) are home on Tuesday to host Phil Housley's Buffalo Sabres (29-24-8). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSNP. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at FlyersRadio247.com.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams, and the lone game in Philadelphia. The teams split the two games in Buffalo.
In a nationally televised game on Nov. 21, an atrocious first period that produced a 4-0 deficit proved to be too much to overcome as the Flyers dropped a 5-2 road decision to the Sabres. Nothing went right for the Flyers in the opening 20 minutes. The Sabres imposed their will with tenacious puck pressure and by attacking with speed.
Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, Evan Rodrigues and Johan Larsson scored during a first period Sabres deluge of goals. Sam Reinhart (empty net) added a late third period goal. Carter Hutton earned the win in goal, coming up with key saves over the final 40 minutes among his 23 saves on 25 shots. Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds scored for the Flyers during the second period.
On Dec. 8, the Flyers trailed 2-0 in the first period and were tied 2-2 in the third when going to their first and only penalty kill of the game. Philly went to turn an up-for-grabs game into a rout as they went on to defeat the host Sabres, 6-2.
A shorthanded goal by Claude Giroux put the Flyers ahead, 3-2, in the third period and opened the floodgates for Philly. Giroux finished the game with four points (one goal, three assists). With Sean Couturier missing the game with a lower-body injury, Giroux moved from left wing to center for the first time this season. James van Riemsdyk (one goal, one assist) was moved up to the top line with along with Giroux and Travis Konecny (one goal).
Ivan Provorov knotted the game at 2-2 midway through regulation. Michael Raffl collected a pair of assists in the game. Wayne Simmonds (10th) benefited from some self-made puck luck on a goal that opened a 4-2 lead.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers are 8-3-1 over their last 12 games and 14-4-1 over their last 19. However, the team is still seven points (six standings points plus a 32-27 ROW tiebreaker disadvantage) behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as the stretch drive of the 2018-19 regular season begins after the passage of the NHL trade deadline on Monday. Philly is also six standings points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and one behind Buffalo.
It has been a rollercoaster of emotions for the Flyers over the past four days. The team staged an exhilarating late-game comeback at the 2019 Stadium Series against Pittsburgh to earn a 4-3 victory. After a well-deserved off day on Sunday, the team practiced on Monday morning in Voorhees and, shortly after 3 p.m. ET, had to officially say goodbye to beloved teammate and longtime fan favorite Wayne Simmonds.
At 2:57 p.m. ET, the Flyers traded Simmonds to the Nashville Predators in exchange for feisty right winger Ryan Hartman and a conditional 2020 draft pick (3rd rounder if Nashville wins a playoff round this spring, 4th rounder if they lose in the first round). Hartman is expected to be on the ice for Tuesday's morning skate in Voorhees and to start in the game. He will likely be slotted into Simmonds' right wing spot on the third line, either right away or after a couple games. Couturier moved back onto the first power play unit at Monday's practice, while Travis Sanheim returned to PP duty on Unit 2.
Hartman has 20 points this season (10 goals, 10 assists), all of which have come at 5-on-5. He had eight goals and 14 points by the 30th game of this season -- ahead of his career-best pace of 19 goals and 30 points from his rookie year with Chicago in 2016-17 -- but then he went through a long goal drought that lasted 27 games before he recently hit the double-digit goal mark on the season. Simmonds had 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) prior to the trade, with 19 points at even strength and eight on the power play.
The Flyers made no additional trades at the deadline. Impending unrestricted free agent goaltender Brian Elliott is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Sabres and then split the Thursday/Friday back-to-back set in Columbus and New Jersey with recently acquired goaltender Cam Talbot. Impending UFA winger Michael Raffl skated on the third line at Monday's practice but may move down to the fourth line against Buffalo unless Gordon opts to start Hartman out on the fourth line until he's more familiar with his teammates and the system.
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher did not sound optimistic on Monday that the projected 10-day return timetable announced on Saturday for standout rookie goaltender Carter Hart (believed to be dealing with a high ankle sprain) would be his actual return date. Noting that Hart's type of injury is a dicey one that can take on a life of its own, Fletcher said the team would be cautious and will wait until Hart feels 100 percent again before he's ramped up to practice and prepare for his next start.
Because Flyers does not want Hart to feel any time pressure for his return, the Flyers did not make an on-paper move on Monday (AHL assignment then immediate NHL recall) to make Hart eligible to play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the Calder Cup playoffs. Such moves were made for rookie defenseman Philippe Myers and veteran forward Corban Knight. The Flyers will have two non-emergency recalls remaining from the Phantoms for the rest of the regular season. The Flyers returned forward Justin Bailey to the Phantoms on Monday.
Lastly, the Flyers recalled defenseman Samuel Morin on Monday from his conditioning assignment to the Phantoms after rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs last season. At Monday's practice, Morin skated on the "fourth pairing" with Myers.
However, Gordon said after practice that he had not yet determined his team's defense pairs against Buffalo; specifically whether Myers (whose play the last two games was very solid and praised by the coach) or another defenseman would be scratched on Tuesday. There was a coaches' meeting in the afternoon to discuss the plan for Tuesday. Morin is unlikely to dress yet for the Flyers but, if Myers stays in the lineup with Radko Gudas returning from a two-game NHL suspension, Andrew MacDonald or perhaps even Robert Hà¤gg might be a scratch.
Sabres Outlook
Buffalo survived a scare on Saturday, when it looked like key forward Jeff Skinner would be lost to a scary-looking injury. Instead, he returned for the third period of a 5-2 home win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.
Prior to the deadline, the Sabres acquired defenseman Brandon Montour from the Anaheim Ducks, paying a high price for the skilled righthanded blueliner. The Sabres parted with a 2019 first-round pick and blueline prospect Brendan Guhle. Buffalo subtracted depth defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets, acquiring a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Monday evening saw the Sabres play the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The Sabres led first and Jack Eichel scored a pair of goals but it wasn't enough, as Buffalo fell by a 5-3 score. Toronto exploded for four unanswered goals in the second period, with three coming in a span of 2:04 to completely change the complexion of the hockey game.
On Tuesday in Philadelphia, the Sabres will complete their back-to-back road games and three-in-four gauntlet of games. They will not have a morning skate on Tuesday. The team will then have two nights off before hosting Pittsburgh on Friday.
The Ducks were in Edmonton on Saturday and then headed to Vancouver. Montour or may not be available to the Sabres. Young forward Casey Mittelstadt has missed the last two games due to illness. He is day-to-day.
Projected Lines (Subject to change)
FLYERS
28 Claude Giroux - 19 Nolan Patrick - 11 Travis Konecny 23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek 25 James van Riemsdyk - 21 Scott Laughton - 12 Michael Raffl xxx -10 Corban Knight - 38 Ryan Hartman
9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim 53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 3 Radko Gudas 8 Robert Hà¤gg - 47 Andrew MacDonald 61 Philippe Myers
37 Brian Elliott [33 Cam Talbot]
Scratches: 5 Sam Morin (healthy), 44 Phil Varone (healthy), 72 Carter Hart (lower body), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body).
SABRES
53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 71 Evan Rodrigues 43 Conor Sheary - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 23 Sam Reinhart 20 Scott Wilson - 17 Vladimir Sobotka - 29 Jason Pominville 28 Zegmus Girgensons …‹ - 22 Johan Larsson - 21 Kyle Okposo
19 Jake McCabe - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 26 Rasmus Dahlin - 4 Zach Bogosian 6 Marco Scandella - 62 Brandon Montour
40 Carter Hutton [35 Linus Ullmark]
Scratches: 8 Casey Nelson (healthy), 72 Tage Thompson (healthy), 48 Matt Hunwick (healthy).