Game 62 Preview: FLYERS vs. PENGUINS
Weather permitting, interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (28-26-7) will host Mike Sullivan's Pittsburgh Penguins (32-22-7). Game time at the Lincoln Financial is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised nationally on NBC. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at FlyersRadio247.com.
This is the third of four meetings this season between the teams, and the second and final game in Philadelphia. The teams have split the two games to date, with the road team winning each game.
On Dec. 1 in Pittsburgh, the Flyers skated to a 4-2 road win at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. A fight between Wayne Simmonds and now-former Penguins defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was a rallying point for the Flyers, and a shorthanded goal by now-former Flyers right winger Dale Weise was a crucial strike. Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux also scored for the Flyers, while Sidney Crosby (39 seconds into the first period) and Riley Sheahan tallied for Pittsburgh. Anthony Stolarz (30 saves on 32 shots) earned the win while Casey de Smith (22 saves on 26 shots) took the loss in goal.
On Feb. 11 at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers suffered a 4-1 loss that brought the Flyers 9-0-1 point streak to an end. Philly was the better team for much of the game, especially a dominant second period in which the Penguins were hemmed in for much of the stanza and the Flyers racked up a franchise single-period record 28 shots on goal. The Flyers also got unlucky on a very hasty and erroneous whistle that cost them a slam-dunk power play goal for Nolan Patrick.
However, on this night, Matt Murray (50 saves) stole the show. Carter Hart made his share of good saves but said after the game that he'd have liked to have back the second and third Pittsburgh goals. The first was a freak bounce behind the net that no one by Sidney Crosby saw until Crosby had himself a goal into a half-open net. Crosby finished with a three-point night. A late third-period power play goal by Jakub Voracek stood as the lone Philadelphia tally.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers are 7-3-1 over their last 11 games and 13-4-1 over their last 18. However, the team is coming off back-to-back regulation loss at home to Tampa Bay (5-2) and on the road in Montreal (5-1). In both games, Hart was pulled roughly 10-and-a-half minutes into the first period after allowing three goals on nine shots. He was relieved by veteran Brian Elliott, who stopped 22 of 23 shots against Tampa and 29 of 31 against Montreal.
Gordon made a decision on Friday morning to give Elliott the start in the Stadium Series. He said that, while he sentimentally wanted to start Hart in such a big game, the decision ultimately came down to what he'd have done if it was "just a regular" game: He'd give Hart a few days to collect himself and give the goaltender who has played better the last couple games the chance to start.
On Friday night, Gordon said Hart's next start would be either on Tuesday or Thursday. There was no inkling from Hart himself of any physical issue. The Flyers announced on Saturday morning, however, that Hart would be out a minimum of 10 days with a lower-body injury. It was unclear when the injury occurred.
There was some forward line juggling at Friday's practice at the Linc, most notably with Claude Giroux moving back to left wing and Nolan Patrick moving up to center the line with Travis Konecny on the right side. Correspondingly, Scott Laughton moved from left wing to third-line center. James van Riemsdyk, who was moved down the fourth line at the outset of the game in Montreal while remaining on the top power play unit, was again on Phil Varone's line.
With Radko Gudas having to serve the second and final game of his two-game NHL suspension, the Flyers' defense personnel and pairs will be the same on Saturday as they were in Montreal.
Penguins Outlook
Pittsburgh is looking to bounce back from a subpar performance in a home shutout loss to San Jose on Thursday that saw the teams brawl and head coach Mike Sullivan get ejected from the game.
There were no surprise absences from the ice at the Penguins' practice. Defenseman Olli Mà¤à¤ttठremains on injured reserve with an upper-body injury suffered in the Feb. 11 game at the Wells Fargo Center. Everyone else was present and accounted for.
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 - 17 Wayne Simmonds 12 Michael Raffl - 44 Phil Varone - 27 Justin Bailey
9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim 8 Robert Hà¤gg - 47 Andrew MacDonald 53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 61 Philippe Myers
37 Brian Elliott [33 Cam Talbot]
Scratches: 10 Corban Knight (healthy), 3 Radko Gudas (NHL suspension, game 2 of 2), 72 Carter Hart (lower body), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body), 5 Sam Morin (AHL rehab for ACL surgery).
PENGUINS
59 Jake Guentzel - 87 Sidney Crosby - 72 Patric Hrnqvist 46 Zach Aston-Reese -71 Evgeni Malkin - 81 Phil Kessel 19 Jared McCann - 27 Nick Bjugstad - 17 Bryan Rust 14 Tanner Pearson - 7 Matt Cullen - 19 Garrett Wilson
8 Brian Dumoulin - 58 Kris Letang 73 Jack Johnson - 4 Justin Schultz 28 Marcus Pettersson - 2 Chad Ruhweder
30 Matt Murray [1 Casey de Smith]
Scratches: 12 Dominik Simon (healthy), 50 Juusi Rikola (healthy), 53 Teddy Blueger (healthy).