PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. SABRES
In the second match of a four-game homestand, Craig Berube's Philadelphia Flyers (24-23-10) play host to Ted Nolan's Buffalo Sabres (16-37-4) on Thursday night. Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 8:00 p.m. EST. The ceremony for Eric Desjardins' induction into the Flyers Hall of Fame starts at 7:00 p.m. EST. The event will be televised locally on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the two teams, and the lone game in Philadelphia. The Flyers own a pair of regulation wins against the Sabres this season. However, both games were struggles at times for the Flyers. Philly prevailed, 4-3, on Jan. 17 and 2-1 on Feb. 15.
The Flyers were last in action on Tuesday, opening the homestand against Columbus. After this game, the Flyers have back-to-back weekend day games. The Nashville Predators come to town on Saturday, followed by the Washington Capitals the next day.
The Sabres are playing the front end of a back-to-back and the middle segment of a three-in-four. On Tuesday, the Sabres had a game in Newark. After the game in Philadelphia, the team returns home to host the New York Rangers on Friday.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
The Flyers had a nine-game point streak snapped in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Columbus. Overall, the Flyers are 15-10-5 in their last 30 games. The club is 15-8-4 on home ice this season.
In Tuesday's game, the Flyers paid the price for a mistake-filled first period and a couple of fatal breakdowns in the third period. However, the team played a dominant second period in all facets of the game and battled back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game by intermission on the strength of goals by Wayne Simmonds and Michael Del Zotto.
From the second period onward of Tuesday's game, Michael Raffl returned to the top-line left wing spot. Brayden Schenn moved from top-line left wing to third-line center. The point drought for the Flyers' top line continued against Columbus but Jakub Voracek in particular had the best jump and the most scoring chances he's had in awhile.
Del Zotto took a maintenance day from practice on Wednesday. Steve Mason (arthroscopic right knee surgery) resumed skating and workouts with goaltending coach Jeff Reese. Kimmo Timonen (blood clot) participated in a practice for the first time this season.
Andrew MacDonald has been scratched the last three games by the club, twice as a healthy scratch. Zac Rinaldo was a healthy scratch against Columbus after completing his eight-game NHL suspension.
SABRES OUTLOOK
Buffalo had been 6-1 in shootouts this season before dropping Tuesday's 2-1 final (2-0 in the shootout) to the New Jersey Devils. Apart from that outcome, winning shootouts had been just about the only thing the NHL cellar-dwelling Sabres have done well this season.
Michal Neuvirth deserved a better fate in Tuesday's game. The goaltender stopped 34 of 35 shots in regulation and overtime, including a penalty shot by Adam Henrique with the score tied at 1-1 and 3:27 left in the game. Tyler Ennis' goal on the opening shift of the third period stood as the lone Buffalo goal.
The Sabres are 2-4-1 thus far in February, and 3-18-1 since the Christmas break. The club is 5-20-2 on the road this season.
Defenseman Josh Gorges is doubtful for this game with a lower-body injury. Fourth-line agitator Patrick Kaleta is out four to six after undergoing surgery. Recently acquired Evander Kane is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery prior to his trade from Winnipeg to Buffalo. Cody McCormick is on injured reserve with a blood clot in his calf.
Key team stat comparisons (NHL overall ranking)
Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 2.65 (20th), Sabres 1.74 (30th) Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 2.82 (24th), Sabres 3.39 (30th) Even strength Goals For/Against Ratio: Flyers 1.02 (17th), Sabres 0.59 (30th) Power play efficiency: Flyers 23.2% (4th), Sabres 12.0% (30th) Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 75.3% (28th), Sabres 73.8% (30th) Faceoff percentage: Flyers 51.3% (9th), Sabres 45.4% (30TH)
Projected lineups (Subject to change, will be updated)
FLYERS
12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek 24 Matt Read - 14 Sean Couturier - 17 Wayne Simmonds 25 Ryan White - 10 Brayden Schenn - 18 R.J. Umberger 76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 40 Vincent Lecavalier
55 Nick Schultz - 32 Mark Streit 15 Michael Del Zotto - 22 Luke Schenn 8 Nicklas Grossmann 5 Braydon Coburn
29 Ray Emery [72 Rob Zepp]
Scratches: Andrew MacDonald (healthy), Zac Rinaldo (healthy), Steve Mason (arthroscopic right knee surgery), Kimmo Timonen (LTIR, blood clot).
SABRES
80 Chris Stewart - 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 63 Tyler Ennis 26 Matt Moulson - 17 Torrey Mitchell - 12 Brian Gionta 82 Marcus Foligno - 65 Brian Flynn - 44 Nicolas Deslauriers 22 Johan Larsson - 37 Matt Ellis - 19 Cody Hodgson
61 Andre Benoit - 47 Zach Bogosian 51 Nikita Zadorov - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen 6 Mike Weber - 41 Andrej Meszaros
34 Michal Neuvirth [35 Anders Lindback]
Scratches: Tyson Strachan (healthy), Josh Gorges (doubtful, lower-body injury), Patrick Kaleta (lower-body surgery), Evander Kane (IR, shoulder surgery), Cody McCormick (IR, blood clot).
**********
FLYERS HALL OF FAME: DESJARDINS HONORED FOR 11 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
On Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center, Eric Desjardins will finally get his chance to bask in an individual spotlight as he is inducted in the Flyers Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Focusing on his own contributions is unfamiliar territory for Desjardins, who was unfailingly team-oriented and modest about his personal accomplishments. On hand to help "Rico" celebrate will be the likes of John LeClair, Eric Lindros, longtime Flyers defense partner Chris Therien, Shjon Podein and Keith Primeau.
During the course of his 10-plus season career with the Philadelphia Flyers, Desjardins was one of the most under-appreciated sports stars in the city. He just went about his business in a quiet, graceful and dignified way and it was easy for even many Flyers fans to take his play for granted. "Rico" was a model of consistency, game after game and year after year.
While fans may have underestimated Desjardins, his teammates and coaches fully recognized his critical importance to the team. Perhaps Terry Murray, who coached Desjardins with the Flyers from 1995 through the 1996-97 season, said it best.
"What stood out the most for me was the professionalism that he brought every day," said Murray. " He did things right, with concentration, with focus, whether it was a game against a premier team or a bottom place team or the first day of training camp.I'm sure he played mistake-free games many times in is career."
During his career, Desjardins may not quite have been a Norris Trophy candidate at the very top of the NHL heap, but he was in the category a half-step down: perennial All-Star caliber two-way defensemen. While there is temptation to compare Desjardins to other top Flyers defensemen such as Mark Howe or Kimmo Timonen, the best comparison player may be someone who never played for the Flyers: Teppo Numminen. They played a similar style, both shot righthanded and had similar temperaments.
An often over-looked part of Desjardins' career is the way he adjusted his game over the years as major injuries set in. A turning point season for him was the 1998-99 campaign, when he valiantly played through an 80 percent tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament (wearing a brace while essentially playing on one leg). Subsequently, he had a pair of serious shoulder separations and a shattered forearm that required a titanium plate to be inserted for stability. "Rico always handled whatever came his way very professionally," recalls Therien, now a Flyers television commentator. "He was just a consummate pro."
Desjardins adjusted his game accordingly over the years. For example, he employed a six-day-per-week workout regimen to add strength after the ACL tear -- which affected his skating for a couple of seasons -- caused him to lose a step. Previously, Desjardins had been one of the smoothest skating defensemen in the NHL. He coped without missing a beat.
"Rico" always played a highly intelligent and structured game. Perhaps it was no coincidence, then, that he played the best hockey of his Flyers career under the structured approaches implemented by Murray, Roger Neilson and Ken Hitchcock. It was under Hitchcock that Desjardins experienced a latter-career revival after a couple of uneven seasons both for the team and for himself.
Today on the Flyers Alumni official website, we have an in-depth Flyers career retrospective on Desjardins and a look at what he's doing now.