UPDATE 4:30 PM
The Flyers recalled Sandström, Tanner Laczynski and Egor Zamula on an emergency basis for this game. The team is riddled with a slew of injuries: Carter Hart (lower body), Cam Atkinson (lower body), Can York (lower body), Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body), Patrick Brown (upper body), and Nate Thompson (upper body) all sustained injuries in Tuesday's game in Washington. Interim head coach Mike Yeo indicated before the game that Brown is likely to miss the rest of the season, and Hart may as well.
86 Joel Farabee- 13 Kevin Hayes - 11 Travis Konecny 49 Noah Cates 21 Scott Laughton - 74 Owen Tippett 21 James van Riemsdyk - 48 Morgan Frost - 46 Bobby Brink 23 Oskar Lindblom - 58 Tanner Laczynski - 17 Zack MacEwen
9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim 54 Egor Zamula - 8 Kevin Connauton 3 Keith Yandle - 47 Ronnie Attard
32 Felix Sandström [35 Martin Jones]
Game 74 Preview: Flyers vs. Rangers
Interim head coach Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (23-39-11) return home on Wednesday to take on Gerard Gallant's New York Rangers (41-22-10). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. EDT (TNT, 97.5 The Fanatic).
This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the teams this season, and the second and final game in Philadelphia. The Flyers are 1-2-0 against the Rangers this season. Philly lost by scores of 4-1 (road, Dec. 1) and 3-2 (home, Jan. 15) before salvaging a 4-3 (1-0) shootout win on April 3 after seeing a 3-0 lead in the third period slip away.
Both the Flyers and Rangers are playing the second half of back-to-back games on the schedule.
On Wednesday, the Flyers were whipped upon mercilessly, 9-2, by the host Washington Capitals in a game that was every bit as lopsided as its score. James van Riemsdyk (19th and 20th goals of the season) scored even-strength and power play goals. Bobby Brink notched an assist in his NHL debut. Travis Sanheim played a solid game on the blueline. That's the extent of the Philadelphia highlights from a night in which all but two Washington starters recorded at least one point. Washington dominated on both sides of the puck.
The Rangers enter this game coming off a 4-2 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. K'Andre Miller (7th) opened the scoring early in the second period but the game went to the third period tied at 1-1. In the final stanza, the Hurricanes struck twice to establish a 3-1 lead. Late in the game, Chris Kreider notched his 50th goal of the season but the Canes tacked on an empty net goal to re-establish a final two-goal margin of victory. Igor Sheshterkin stopped 21 of 24 Carolina shots in a losing cause.
Neither team will hold a morning skate on Wednesday. The Flyers lost Cam Atkinson and Carter Hart to respective lower-body injuries. The Flyers are likely to recall goalie Felix Sandström on Wednesday, as Hart is doubtful to be available. Likewise, the availability of Atkinson (who has dressed in every game this season) is also quite doubtful.
For an in-depth preview, see Five Things on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.
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Phantoms vs. Hershey
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms' chances at making a late-season surge that pushes them into the sixth and final playoff spot in the AHL's Atlantic Division took a major hit with back-to-back regulation road losses on Sunday and Monday against the Bridgeport Islanders and Providence Bruins.
On Wednesday, the Phantoms (26-30-11) will be back in action for the third time in four nights, hosting the Hershey Bears (33-27-9) at the PPL Center. The Phantoms have excelled on home ice against Hershey this season while struggling against them on the road.
Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast nationally on NHL Network.