PREVIEW: FLYERS @LIGHTNING
In the first game of a two-game Sunshine State road trip, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (31-23-11) will face Jon Cooper's Tampa Bay Lightning (39-23-5). Game time at the Amalie Arena is 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the third and final meeting this season between the teams, the second in Tampa Bay and the return match from Monday's game in Philadelphia.
On opening night, Oct. 8, the Flyers settled for one point from a generally well-played 3-2 overtime loss in Tampa. A pair of unsuccessful penalty shots -- first by Flyers captain Claude Giroux at 13:47 of the first period and then by Scott Laughton at 2:17 of overtime -- ultimately served to cost the Flyers a victory.
On March 7 in Philadelphia, the host Flyers skated to a 4-2 win. It took a 40-18 shot advantage and more than 47 minutes of hockey to finally take a lead, but the persistent Flyers prevailed.
Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere scored two goals on Monday to set a new Flyers franchise record for goals by a rookie defenseman. His first tally, scored at 16:51 of the second period, tied the game at 1-1. "Ghost" then put the Flyers ahead, 2-1, at 7:21 of the third period.The Flyers also got goals by Brayden Schenn (22nd) and Wayne Simmonds (empty net, 24th). Claude Giroux earned two assists, while Michael Raffl, Sean Couturier, Mark Streit, Simmonds and Schenn each chipped one helper apiece. Steve Mason stopped 16 of 18 shots to earn the win in goal.
Ondrej Palat (11th goal of the season) and Vladislav Namestnikov (11th) scored for Tampa. Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding, especially during a 22-shot barrage in the second period. Vasilevskiy, who denied a first-period 2-on-0 breakaway among his 37 saves, was virtually the lone reason the game did not turn into a blowout.
The Flyers have been idle for three nights since Monday's game. On Saturday, they will be in Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers. The Lightning hosted the Bruins on Tuesday. After this game, the team will travel to Ohio to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Flyers Outlook
The Flyers enjoyed a 5-1-0 homestand but things only get tougher the rest of the season. Ten of their remaining 17 games are on the road, where the Flyers currently have a 13-14-4 record as compared to their 18-9-7 home mark.
Mason, Friday's likely starter, has appeared in 39 games this season, posting a 15-15-7 record, 2.61 goals against average, .916 save percentage and four shutouts (five regulation shutouts). Michal Neuvirth has appeared in 30 games, posting a 16-8-4 record, 2.29 GAA, .925 save percentage and three shutouts.
Jakub Voracek is expected to return from a lower body injury in time for the March 15 game against the Detroit Red Wings. Top-pairing defenseman Michael Del Zotto (torn ligaments in his left wrist, suffered on Feb. 13) is out for the rest of the season. Sparingly used forward Jordan Weal (upper body) has been out since Feb. 16. Weal has resumed practicing with the team but it not ready to be cleared to play.
Gostisbehere's two goals on Monday moved him past Behn Wilson's 13-goal 1978-79 season for the top goal-scoring campaign by a rookie defenseman in franchise history. Earlier this season, Gostisbehere established a new Flyers rookie record and NHL rookie defenseman record with a 15-game point streak. Gostisbehere needs 13 points to match Wilson's franchise-record 49 points (set over 80 games). The top three in points are Wilson, Janne Niinimaa (44 points in 77 games in 1996-97) and Tom Bladon (42 points in 78 games in 1972-73). Gostisbehere is currently fourth.
Team captain Giroux leads the Flyers with 18 goals, 39 assists and 57 points in 62 games. He is followed on the Flyers' scoring leader list by Voracek (10 goals, 38 assists, 48 points), Simmonds (24 goals, 22 assists, 46 points, 129 penalty minutes), and Schenn (22 goals, 23 assists, 45 points). Gostisbehere has 14 goals (seven on the power play, four in overtime), 23 assists and 37 points in 47 games. Couturier rounds out the top six with nine goals, 18 assists and 27 points in 47 games.
The Flyers enter this game four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the higher wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Philly holds two games in hand but the Red Wings hold a tiebreaker advantage with two more regulation/overtime wins (ROW). The Flyers and Detroit also have two head-to-head games remaining. Philly is three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the lower wildcard seed with a three ROW tiebreaker disadvantage, one game in hand and three head-to-head games remaining.
Lightning Outlook
The defending Eastern Conference champion Bolts got off to a slow start this season, amid a host of distractions. The Lightning caught fire after the All-Star break, however, rattling off nine straight wins before getting bottled up by the Flyers on Monday and followed it up with a 1-0 home overtime defeat by the Boston Bruins the next night.
On Tuesday, the Lightning were unable to solve Jonas Gustavsson (42 saves) before Brad Marchand tallied the game's only goal at the 10-second mark of overtime. Ben Bishop's 32-save regulation shutout went to waste. The Lightning did not play shorthanded at all in the game and went 0-for-4 on the power play.
With the loss to the Bruins paired with Boston's 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, the Lightning have slipped one point behind Boston (84 points) for the top spot in the NHL's Atlantic Division. However, the Bolts hold two games in hand. The Lightning and Panthers each have 83 points in 67 games played but Tampa holds second place by virtue of a five ROW tiebreaker advantage.
Tampa Bay has been a strong team overall on home ice this season, despite coming up empty against Boston on Tuesday. The Lightning bring a 21-10-3.
Nikita Kucherov leads Tampa in scoring with 54 points (25 goals, 29 assists) in 65 games. He is followed by Steven Stamkos (29 goals, 23 assists, 52 points), defenseman Victor Hedman (six goals, 31 assists, 37 points, plus-15), Alex Killorn (13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points), Tyler Johnson (12 goals, 20 assists, 32 points), defenseman Anton Strà¥lman (nine goals, 22 assists, 31 points, plus-15), Vladimir Namestnikov (11 goals, 18 assists, 29 points), Ryan Callahan (10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points), Valtteri Filppula (seven goals, 21 assists, 28 points) and Palat (11 goals, 13 assists, 24 points in 47 games).
Workhorse starting goalie Bishop has appeared in 50 games, posting a 28-17-4 record, 2.04 goals against average, .927 save percentage and three shutouts (four regulation shutouts). Highly regarded young netminder Vasilevskiy has made 19 appearances (17 starts), with an 11-6-0 record, 2.67 GAA, .915 save percentage and one shutout.
Former Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn recently signed a three-year contract extension with the Lightning to pre-empt his unrestricted free agency this summer. He missed Monday and Tuesday's games with a lower body injury but has returned to practice and is likely to play. For the season, Coburn has posted 10 points (one goal, nine assists) and a plus-eight rating while dressing in all 65 games.
Fellow former Flyers blueliner Matt Carle was a frequent healthy scratch for a significant part of the season but has back as a regular in the lineup since Feb. 9. For the season, the veteran puck mover has two goals, three points and an even plus-minus rating in 51 games.
Key team stat comparisons (NHL overall ranking)
Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 2.54 (21st), Lightning 2.72 (9th) Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 2.58 (14th), Lightning 2.34 (4th) 5-on-5 Goals For/Against Ratio: Flyers 105/101, Lightning 119/99 Power play efficiency: Flyers 18.3% (16th), Lightning 16.7% (T-25th) Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 79.7% (21st), Lightning 83.7% (6th) Shots per game: Flyers 30.6 (T-9th), Lightning 29.1 (21st) Shots against per game: Flyers 31.2 (T-25th), Lightning 28.9 (8th) Faceoff percentage: Flyers 50.2% (12th), Lightning 49.4% (T-22nd)
Projected lineups (subject to change, will be updated)
Flyers
10 Brayden Schenn - 28 Claude Giroux - 17 Wayne Simmonds 12 Michael Raffl - 14 Sean Couturier - 89 Sam Gagner 21 Scott Laughton - 52 Nick Cousins - 24 Matt Read 76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 25 Ryan White
47 Andrew MacDonald - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere 55 Nick Schultz - 32 Mark Streit 23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas
35 Steve Mason [30 Michal Neuvirth]
Scratches: Evgeny Medvedev (healthy), R.J. Umberger (healthy) Jakub Voracek (out, lower body), Jordan Weal (IR, upper body), Michael Del Zotto (IR, wrist).
Lightning
17 Alex Killorn - 91 Steven Stamkos - 24 Ryan Callahan 18 Ondrej Palat - 9 Tyler Johnson - 86 Nikita Kucherov 13 Cedric Paquette - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 23 J.T. Brown 11 Brian Boyle - 90 Vladimir Namestnikov - 81 - Jonathan Marchessault
77 Victor Hedman - 6 Anton Strà¥lman 25 Matt Carle - 5 Jason Garrison 89 Nikita Nesterov - 55 Braydon Coburn
30 Ben Bishop / 88 Andrei Vasilevskiy
Scratches: Andrej Sustr (lower body, questionable), Erik Condra (healthy), Slater Koekkoek (healthy).
FLYERS ALUMNI: JA HOCKEY CHALLENGE & OFFICER HARTNETT BENEFIT
On March 12, the Flyers Alumni Team will play its eighth annual JA Hockey Challenge to raise money for Junior Achievement of Delaware. The event will be held at Fred Rust Arena at the University of Delaware, starting at 4 p.m. with the game at 7 p.m. ET.
This year, attendees will have a chance to have their photo taken with the Stanley Cup. There is also a family skate with free rentals and a host of other family-friendly activities, auctions and more.
Admission is $10, Stanley Cup photos (up to five people may pose) are $20 per pose. All proceeds go directly to Junior Achievement of Delaware.
For more information on the 2016 JA Hockey Challenge, click here.
On Sat. March 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET at the Flyers Skate Zone in Northeast Philadelphia, the Flyers Alumni Team will play the Philly's Finest team in a benefit game for Officer Jesse Hartnett and his family.
This game was not originally on the Flyers Alumni game calendar, but when the Philadelphia police officers on the Philly's Finest team contacted the Alumni about the possibility of setting up a benefit for Officer Hartnett, the Alumni acted quickly to add it to the schedule.
On January 7, 2016, Philadelphia police officer Jesse Hartnett, 33, was traveling on his police cruiser at 60th and Spruce Streets. According to reports, 30-year-old Edward Archer approached the vehicle and opened fire on the driver's side. Archer fired 11 shots, three of which struck officer Hartnett.
The story initially received widespread media attention, not only in the Delaware Valley but also on a national level because Archer claimed to be acting in the name of Islam and on behalf of ISIS. Subsequent investigation revealed that he had no direct affiliation with any terrorist group, and was acting alone. When that fact was learned -- combined with the fact that Officer Hartnett survived the senseless attempt on his life -- the story dropped out of media focus despite the ongoing hardships that the policeman faces.
Officer Hartnett has had to undergo multiple surgeries to repair severe damage to his arm. He still faces an arduous road to recovery. Thus, the Philly's Finest Hockey Team approached the Flyers Alumni Association and asked if a game could be set up to raise money for his needs as well to raise awareness of the dangers policemen face on a daily basis.
Admission is $20, with all proceeds going directly to provide assistance for Officer Hartnett's needs. The admission includes the game, beer donated by the Fraternal Order of Police and food donated by Mission BBQ. The Flyers Alumni with meet and take pictures with fans after the game. However, be aware that space is limited.
For more information on the Flyers Alumni vs. Philly's Finest benefit for Officer Hartnett, click here.