Game 53 Preview: FLYERS vs. CANUCKS
Interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (23-23-6) are home on Monday to take on Travis Green's Vancouver Canucks (24-22-6). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised locally on NBCSP. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at FlyersRadio247.com.
This is the second and final meeting of the season between the inter-conference teams and the lone game in Philadelphia. On Dec. 15, the Flyers dropped an ugly 5-1 decision in Vancouver in what proved to be the final game of the Dave Hakstol era.
Philly trailed 3-0 by the time the game was 11:12 old. Anthony Stolarz was pulled due to left knee injury (from which he recently returned to the Flyers' active roster) after being beaten for two goals on four shots in 8:14. Alex Lyon went the rest of the way, stopping 17 of 19 shots. Vancouver goalie Jacob Markström made 31 saves on 32 shots.
Chris Tanev (1st goal of the season), Loui Eriksson and Josh Leivo scored first period goals that built a quick 3-0 lead. The Flyers Scott Laughton nicely soloed for an unassisted goal to narrow the deficit to 3-1. Although the Flyers did not lack for puck pressure or looks at the net over the final 40 minutes, they never made any headway on the scoreboard. Brock Boeser made it 4-1 midway through the second period. Markus Granlund added an empty-netter in the third period.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers have gone 8-7-2 in the 17 games since the leaguewide Christmas break. However, after sustaining an eight-game winless streak (0-6-2), the team has won eight of its last nine games including their current run of seven consecutive wins.
On Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers needed four power play goals, strong goaltending from Carter Hart and a little overtime magic to stage a comeback 5-4 OT victory against the Edmonton Oilers.
In regulation, team captain Claude Giroux generated a goal (power play, 16th) and two assists (39th and 40th) on Saturday. Sean Couturier (power play, 20th) had a goal and an assist (23rd). Jakub Voracek generated three assists (32nd, 33rd and 34th) on the power play. Travis Konecny (power play, 14th) got the Flyers back to within 4-3 shortly after the first unit yielded a shorthanded breakaway goal. Wayne Simmonds (power play, 16th) knotted the game at 4-4.
In OT, Nolan Patrick (10th goal) took a great feed from James van Riemsdyk (11th assist) and flipped home the game winner. In the waning seconds of regulation, Patrick had been denied from the same spot. Travis Sanheim (13th assist) got the secondary assist after missing the net on a scoring chance moments earlier before JVR claimed the puck and sent it to Patrick.
Hart was beaten on two breakaways, an unstoppable Connor McDavid goal and a short-side shot under the crossbar from the left dot. However, the Flyers' rookie netminder was one of his team's best players in this game. He kept the game within reach in what otherwise could easily have been a blowout loss. Hart finished with 40 saves on 44 shots.
Hart is slated to get the start against the Canucks, per Gordon. Stolarz will start against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
After struggling most the season, the Flyers power play has gotten hot. The team is 6-for-7 on the man advantage over its last two games.
Amid the tumultuous season that the Flyers have had, here is something that has flown under the radar: Over his last 39 games, Couturier has posted 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists).
The Flyers, who played four games in less than six nights after the All-Star break, held a sparsely attended optional on-ice practice on Sunday. The only participants were fourth-line forwards Mikhail Vorobyev and Phil Varone, backup goaltender Stolarz, projected healthy scratch Jori Lehterठand injury-rehabbing players Samuel Morin, Corban Knight and Brian Elliott.
Canucks Outlook
The Canucks currently hold the lower wildcard spot in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. Vancouver exited the NHL All-Star break and their bye week with a 5-1 victory in Colorado on Saturday. Now the team will play three games in four nights. After playing the Flyers, the Canucks will visit the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
On Saturday in Denver, the Canucks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 6:04 of the game on tallies by Jake Virtanen (12th) and Brock Boeser (17th). The lead grew to 3-0 as Antoine Roussel (6th) was set up by Bo Horvat. After Matt Calvert got the Avs back within 3-1, Tyler Motte (7th) restored a three-goal lead. In the third period, Nikolay Goldobin (6th) added a power play goal to extend the lead. Jacob Markström (34 saves on 35 shots) took care of the rest.
Canucks center Elias Pettersson has four points (one goal, three assists) in his last three games after missing five games with a sprained knee. He had one assist against Colorado.
There is not much disparity between the Canucks home and road records this season. The team is 12-12-3 in away games and 12-10-3 at home.
Projected Lines (Subject to change)
FLYERS
25 James van Riemsdyk - 28 Claude Giroux - 11 Travis Konecny 23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek 21 Scott Laughton - 19 Nolan Patrick -17 Wayne Simmonds 44 Phil Varone - 20 Mikhail Vorobyev - 12 Michael Raffl
9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim 8 Robert Hà¤gg - 3 Radko Gudas 47 Andrew MacDonald - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere
79 Carter Hart [41 Anthony Stolarz]
Scratches: 15 Jori Lehterठ(healthy), 26 Christian Folin (healthy), 56 Mike McKenna (AHL conditioning assignment), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body), 37 Brian Elliott (IR, lower body), 10 Corban Knight (IR, collarbone), 5 Sam Morin (ACL surgery).
CANUCKS
77 Nikolay Goldobin - 40 Elias Pettersson - 6 Brock Boeser 47 Sven Baertschi - 53 Bo Horvat - 17 Josh Leivo 26 Antoine Roussel - 20 Brandon Sutter - 18 Jake Virtanen 21 Loui Eriksson - 83 Jay Beagle - 64 Tyler Motte
23 Alexander Edler - 8 Christopher Tanev 27 Ben Hutton - 51 Troy Stecher 5 Derrick Pouliot - 44 Erik Gudbranson
25 Jacob Markström [35 Thatcher Demko]
Scratches: 55 Alex Biega (healthy), 60 Markus Granlund (healthy), 59 Tim Schaller (healthy).