GAME 54: FLYERS vs. DEVILS
Looking to continue their winning ways, Alain Vigneault's Philadelphia Flyers (29-17-7 overall, 18-4-4 home) host Alain Nasreddine's New Jersey Devils (18-24-10 overall, 11-15-0 away) on Thursday night. Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast will be on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on the
Flyers Radio 24/7 component of the Flyers Broadcast Network.
This is the third of four meetings this season between the teams, and the second and final game in Philadelphia. The Flyers are 2-0-0 against the Devils this season. The season series will conclude with matinee at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 28.
On Oct. 9 in Philadelphia, Carter Hart earned his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 Flyers win over the Devils. Ivan Provorov (power play), Kevin Hayes (power play), Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, as Philly scored three unanswered goals in the third period to blow the game open.
On Nov. 1 in Newark, the Flyers prevailed via shootout, 4-3. The game entered the third period tied at 2-2 after Oskar Lindblom and Couturier sandwiched even strength goals in between power play tallies by longtime Flyer Wayne Simmonds and Sami Vatanen. Now an ex-Devil, Taylor Hall put New Jersey back on top midway through the third period but the Flyers quickly answered back on Joel Farabee's first NHL goal. The Flyers had several cracks at winning the game in OT before the game went to the skills competition, where Couturier converted the only successful attempt for either team. Hart (23 saves in regulation and OT) denied Kyle Palmieri, Jack Hughes and Hall in the shootout to nail down the bonus point.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
Exiting the All-Star break, the Flyers have taken five of six possible points. On Monday, the team skated to a 3-0 road win over the woeful Detroit Red Wings. A second period goal by Scott Laughton was supplemented in the third period by shorthanded tallies by Hayes (fourth SHG of the second, two in the last two games) and Matt Niskanen (empty net).
Brian Elliott saw only 16 shots for the game in recording his 40th career shutout in the NHL. He was, however, tested on several occasions and came up with some timely saves when the game was scoreless and 1-0. He also got a crucial shot block by Tyler Pitlick in the third period, guarding an open net. Elliott will get the start against the Devils on Thursday.
Coming off a 3-in-4 gauntlet and with another busy slate ahead, Vigneault prioritized rest over practice for his team. Tuesday was an off-ice day for the team. On Wednesday, the team had a skills day session with Angelo Ricci rather than a full practice day run by Vigneault. There will be a morning skate on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Through 53 games, Couturier leads the Flyers with 46 points (13g, 33a). Konecny and Hayes share the team goal-scoring lead with 17 tallies apiece.
Shayne Gostisbehere (arthoscopic knee surgery) is ready to return to the lineup after missing the last nine games. If "Ghost" dresses against the Devils, one of Robert Hägg or Phil Myers will be scratched.
Farabee was unable to participate in Wednesday's skills day due to illness. He is also unavailable for Thursday's game. The Flyers have recalled Andy Andreoff from the Phantoms.
Hart (lower right abdominal muscle strain) is close to returning but will need a few more days. It is possible that Hart could be ready for Saturday's game in Washington or to start next Monday's home game against Florida.
Nolan Patrick, who has missed the entire season to date including all of training camp, joined the team on the ice in Voorhees for Wednesday's skills work session. That is a hopeful sign but
the status quo holds for now.
DEVILS OUTLOOK
The Devils have points in seven of their last 10 games but only three wins (3-4-3). Each of the team's last three games have gone beyond regulation, and each one ultimately resulted in the opposition getting the second point: 6-5 home shootout loss to Nashville, 3-2 home overtime loss to Dallas, and a 5-4 home shootout loss to Montreal.
Neither Nico Hischier nor Sami Vatanen practiced on Wednesday. Per Amanda Stein, neither will make the trip from Newark to Philadelphia. Both players are listed as day-to-day. P.K. Subban missed Tuesday's game due to the flu, but practiced on Wednesday. He is probable to play on Thursday against the Flyers.
The Devils will hold an optional morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday at 11:30. The team's starting goalie announcement will come at that time.
Coming off a two-goal game, Palmieri is tied with Blake Coleman for the team goal-scoring lead with 19 goals apiece. Palmieri also leads the Devils in overall scoring with 35 points.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS (subject to change, will be updated)
FLYERS
25 James van Riemsdyk - 28 Claude Giroux - 11 Travis Konecny
12 Michael Raffl - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek
21 Scott Laughton - 13 Kevin Hayes - 18 Tyler Pitlick
10 Andy Andreoff - 82 Connor Bunnaman - 62 Nicolas Aube-Kubel
9 Ivan Provorov - 15 Matt Niskanen
6 Travis Sanheim -5 Phil Myers
53 Shayne Gostisbehere- 61 Justin Braun
53 Shayne Gostisbehere
37 Brian Elliott
[34 Alex Lyon]
Power Play 1: Giroux, JVR, Konecny, Hayes, Provorov.
Power Play 2: Couturier, Aube-Kubel, Voracek, Gostisbehere, Niskanen.
Scratches: 8 Robert Hägg (healthy), 49 Joel Farabee (illness), 79 Carter Hart (abdominal muscle strain).
LTIR: 55 Sam Morin (torn ACL, out for season), 23 Oskar Lindblom (Ewing sarcoma, out for season), 19 Nolan Patrick (migraines).
DEVILS
63 Jesper Bratt - 86 Jack Hughes - 21 Kyle Palmieri
20 Blake Coleman - 19 Travis Zajac - 97 Nikita Gusev
44 Miles Wood - 37 Pavel Zacha - 17 Wayne Simmonds
14 Joey Anderson - 16 Kevin Rooney - 15 John Hayden
6 Andy Greene - 28 Damon Severson
8 Will Butcher - 5 Connor Carrick
25 Mirco Mueller - 76 PK Subban
29 Mackenzie Blackwood
70 Louis Domingue
Power Play 1: Hughes, Palmieri, Simmonds. Coleman, Subban
Power Play 2: Wood, Bratt, Zacha, Gusev, Severson
Scratches: 13 Nico Hischier (undisclosed, day-to-day), 45 Sami Vatanen (undisclosed, day-to-day), one of 76 PK Subban (ilness, probable to play) or a healthy-scratch defenseman.
IR: 36 Ben Street (upper body).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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