Game 77 Preview: Flyers @ Sabres
The Philadelphia Flyers (36-29-11) are in Buffalo on Friday to take on Don Granato's Buffalo Sabres (36-35-5) at KeyBank Center. Game time is 7:00 p.m. EDT.
The Flyers enter play on Friday clinging onto third place in the Metropolitan Division via tiebreaker (28 regulation wins to 25) over the New York Islanders, one point (83 to 82) over the Washington Capitals and two points over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the wildcard chase, the Flyers are also just one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Flyers are winless in their last five games (0-3-2), including a 4-3 overtime home loss to the New York Islanders on Monday. Over the last 10 games, Tortorella's team is 2-5-3. On the road this season, the Flyers have a 17-13-7 record.
The Sabres, coming off a 6-2 home win over the Capitals on Tuesday, are 3-2-0 in their last five games and 5-5-0 over the last 10. On home ice this season, the Sabres are 19-19-1.
For an in-depth game preview, see "Five Things" on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com: Click here.
Sean Couturier (upper-body injury) did not make the trip with the Flyers, and will not be available either for Friday's game in Buffalo or Saturday's match in Columbus. Officially, the Flyers' captain in day-to-day.
During Thursday's practice at the FTC in Voorhees, Flyers head coach John Tortorella was unhappy with how defenseman Egor Zamula was doing a drill. He ordered the player to skate to the bench. Cam York replaced Zamula on the second power play unit.
The Flyers will hold an 11:30 a.m. EDT morning skate at KeyBank Center. Tortorella will confirm the starting goaltender for the game. If necessary, projected lineups will be updated prior to game time.
FLYERS
71 Tyson Foerster - 48 Morgan Frost - 11 Travis Konecny 74 Owen Tippett - 21 Scott Laughton - 10 Bobby Brink 62 Olle Lycksell - 25 Ryan Poehling - 19 Garnet Hathaway 86 Joel Farabee - 27 Noah Cates - 89 Cam Atkinson
8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim 24 Nick Seeler - 9 Jamie Drysdale 18 Marc Staal - 77 Erik Johnson
82 Ivan Fedotov [33 Samuel Ersson]
Projected Scratches: 14 Sean Couturier (upper body), 15 Denis Gurianov (healthy), 44 Nicolas Deslauriers (healthy), 5 Egor Zamula (healthy), 23 Ronnie Attard (healthy), 50 Adam Ginning (healthy).
PP1: Drysdale, Konecny, Frost, Foerster, Brink PP2: York, Tippett, Cates, Laughton, Farabee
SABRES
77 JJ Peterka - 72 Tage Thompson - 89 Alex Tuch 9 Zach Benson - 24 Dylan Cozens - 22 Jack Quinn 53 Jeff Skinner - 19 Peyton Krebs - 13 Lukas Rousek 50 Eric Robinson - 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 71 Victor Olofsson
25 Owen Power - 26 Rasmus Dahlin 4 Bowen Byram - 10 Henri Jokiharju 78 Jacob Bryson - 75 Connor Clifton
1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 31 Eric Comrie