PREVIEW: FLYERS @ MAPLE LEAFS
In the third game of a four-game road trip, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (31-26-8) are in Ontario on Thursday night to take on Mike Babcock's Toronto Maple Leafs (29-22-14). Game time at Air Canada Centre is 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the clubs, and the second and final game in Toronto. The Maple Leafs swamped the Flyers, 6-3, at ACC on Nov. 11. The Flyers bounced back for a 2-1 home win on Jan. 26.
Thursday's game is a must-win for both teams. If Toronto wins by any means and the New York Islanders lose in regulation on the road against the Vancouver Canucks, the Maple Leafs will take over possession of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. If the Flyers win in regulation, they will tie Toronto with 72 points and could move within one point of the Islanders if New York loses in regulation or two points if the Islanders lose via OT or shootout.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers are 3-0-1 over their last four games. For the season, the team is 12-16-4 on the road, but Philadelphia enters this game coming off a 6-3 road win against the Buffalo Sabres.
On Tuesday in Buffalo, the Flyers scored a season-high six regulation goals. Matt Read (8th goal of the season), Radko Gudas (4th), Jordan Weal (2nd), Claude Giroux (13th), Chris VandeVelde (6th) and Travis Konecny (8th). The Sabres battled back from a 1-0 deficit in the first period and a 2-1 deficit in the second period before the Flyers pulled away by scoring the next four goals. Steve Mason earned the win with 31 saves on 34 shots.
According to a report in the Camden Courier Post, Michal Neuvirth is the likely starter for the game in Toronto. If so, that is a very bold hunch for Hakstol to play.
Apart from Mason's recent hot stretch over the last four games, Neuvirth enters thus game with the league's poorest save percentage this season among all goalies who have played at least 15 games (52nd of 52) this season. In his last four starts, the streaky Neuvirth has been ice cold with a 1-3-0 record, 4.00 GAA and .845 save percentage. Of the 16 goals he allowed during the stretch, five or six were arguably stoppable chances.
On the injury front, Michael Raffl (lower-body injury) remains on injured reserve and could miss the rest of the regular season.
Maple Leafs Outlook
The Leafs are just 3-4-3 over their last 10 games but are coming off a 3-2 regulation home win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. For the season, Toronto is 16-10-6 on home ice.
On Tuesday night, an early goal by ex-Red Wing Alexey Marchenko was supplemented by James van Riemsdyk's 20th goal of the season and Nazem Kadri's 27th as the Leafs built a 3-0 lead and then hung on to win by one goal. Frederik Andersen earned the win in goal, stopping 22 of 24 shots. Andersen, who is 5-0-0 lifetime against the Flyers with .917 SV%, is expected to get the start against Philly.
The Leafs' inability to win shootouts -- a problem that has more commonly plagued the Flyers over the years -- has cost the team significantly in the Eastern Conference standings. Toronto has played in nine shootouts this season, winning just one. Both the Flyers and Maple Leafs have had 20 games go past regulation this season, ranking near the top. However, the Flyers are 12-8 overall (6-4 in shootouts), while the Leafs are 6-14.
A significant part of Toronto's overall improvement this season can be placed on the impact the club's dynamic trio of rookies -- Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander -- has had on the club. Along with Winnipeg Jets wunderkind Patrik Laine, the Leafs have three of the top four in the rookie scoring race this year. Matthews also leads the Maple Leafs in scoring this season.
Second line center Tyler Bozak is officially a game-time decision, but is expected to be able to play.
Projected lineups (Subject to change)
FLYERS
40 Jordan Weal - 28 Claude Giroux - 17 Wayne Simmonds 10 Brayden Schenn - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 93 Jakub Voracek 25 Nick Cousins - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read 76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 Pierre-à‰douard Bellemare - 11 Travis Konecny
9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Andrew MacDonald 23 Brandon Manning - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere 15 Michael Del Zotto - 3 Radko Gudas
30 Michal Neuvirth [35 Steve Mason]
Scratches: Roman Lyubimov (healthy), Dale Weise (healthy), Nick Schultz (healthy), Michael Raffl (IR, lower body).
MAPLE LEAFS 25 James van Riemsdyk - 42 Tyler Bozak - 16 Mitch Marner 11 Zach Hyman - 34 Auston Matthews - 12 Connor Brown 47 Leo Komarov - 43 Nazem Kadri - 29 William Nylander 15 Matt Martin - 24 Brian Boyle - 26 Nikita Soshnikov
44 Morgan Rielly - 22 Nikita Zaitsev 51 Jake Gardiner - 3 Alexey Marchenko 2 Matt Hunwick - 46 Roman Polak
31 Frederik Andersen [35 Curtis McElhinney]
Scratches: Eric Fehr (healthy), Josh Leivo (healthy), Martin Marincin (healthy), Connor Carrick (IR, upper body), Ben Smith (questionable, hand).