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Flyers Gameday: 1/23/21 @ BOS |
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GAME 6: FLYERS @ BRUINS
In the second game of a four-game road trip, Alain Vigneault's Philadelphia Flyers (3-1-1) are in Beantown for the second game of a two-game set with Bruce Cassidy's Boston Bruins (2-1-1) at TD Garden. Game time is 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on NBCSP.
This is the second of eight games between the teams this season. The teams will rematch on Friday. The clubs will next play each other on Feb. 3 and 5 at the Wells Fargo Center, Feb. 21 and March 7 in Boston. Finally, there will be an April 5 and 6 back-to-back set in Philadelphia to close out the season series.
On Thursday night, the Flyers were unable to protect third period leads of 2-0 and 3-2, the Philadelphia Flyers had to rally late just to get the game to overtime. Philly dominated the OT session but couldn't find a game-winning goal. Finally, the Boston Bruins prevailed via shootout, 5-4 (1-0).
James van Riemsdyk notched even strength and power play goals for the Flyers (2nd and 3rd goals of the season), while Jakub Voracek collected three assists and the 700-point mark for his NHL career. Philadelphia also got goals from Travis Konecny (power play, 5th) and Travis Sanheim (1st). Held at bay for two periods, the Bruins exploded for a 22-shot barrage in the third period that included goals by Jack Studnicka (1st NHL goal), Charlie Coyle (1st), Nick Ritchie (power play, 2nd) and Brandon Carlo (1st). Jake DeBrusk scored the lone shootout goal for either club.
Hart played an outstanding game for two periods, especially in the opening frame. By his own admission, Coyle's turnaround shot goal through the five-hole that tied the score at 2-2 was one he'd like back. Overall, though, Hart gave the Flyers a chance to win. He finished with 39 saves on 43 shots in regulation (no shots faced in OT) and two of three in the shootout.
Rask stopped 22 of 26 shots in regulation and OT. He went 3-for-3 in the shootout.
Flyers Outlook
Last season, the Flyers were the NHL's stingiest team in terms of shots allowed. They were the NHL's best faceoff team. and made major improvements in the team goals against average. So far this season, Philadelphia has taken significant backward steps in every area despite earning seven out of a possible 10 points to date.
A power play goal originally credited to Claude Giroux in Thursday's game was changed to credit Travis Konecny due being tipped near the net. Also, while Mark Friedman was removed from Thursday's game in the second period for precautionary reasons after hitting his head on the ice when he was taken down by Brad Marchand, Friedman should be fine to play in this game. Shayne Gostisbehere (now recovered after a bout with coronavirus) has been skating in Voorhees the last few days. Depending on how he feels over the next few days, he could return as soon as Tuesday or Thursday's game in Newark against the Devils.
Hart will once again get the start in goal per Vigneault. The head coach said after Saturday's morning skate that the same personnel and starting defense pairs from Thursday will be used but there might be one forward line combination tweak.
Bruins Outlook
Boston scored three goals at five-on-five plus a power play goal in the third period of Thursday's game after going their first three and 2/3 games without an even strength goal. On the flip side, after starting out perfect on the PK over the first three games, the Bruins gave up two power play goals to the Flyers.
Jaroslav Halak will get the start in goal for the Bruins after Rask started Thursday's game.
Projected lineups (Subject to chahge)
FLYERS
12 Michael Raffl - 13 Kevin Hayes - 93 Jakub Voracek
23 Oskar Lindblom - 19 Nolan Patrick - 11 Travis Konecny
25 James van Riemsdyk - 21 Scott Laughton - 28 Claude Giroux
86 Joel Farabee - 82 Connor Bunnaman - 62 Nicolas Aube-Kubel
9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim
56 Erik Gustafsson - 61 Justin Braun
8 Robert Hägg - 3 Mark Friedman
79 Carter Hart
[37 Brian Elliott]
PP1: Provorov, Giroux, Hayes, Lindblom, TK
PP2: Farabee, JVR, Patrick, Voracek, Gustafsson
Scratches: 55 Samuel Morin (healthy), 14 Sean Couturier (costochondral separation), 53 Shayne Gostisbehere (COVID-19 protocol, INR), 5 Phil Myers (rib fracture, week-to-week), 48 Morgan Frost (IR, dislocated shoulder).
BRUINS
63 Brad Marchand - 37 Patrice Bergeron - 74 Jake DeBrusk
21 Nick Ritchie - 46 David Krejci - 23 Jack Studnicka
10 Anders Bjork - 13 Charlie Coyle - 12 Craig Smith
11 Trent Frederic - 52 Sean Kuraly - 14 Chris Wagner
79 Jeremy Lauzon - 73 Charlie McAvoy
75 Connor Clifton - 25 Brandon Carlo
67 Jakub Zboril - 86 Kevan Miller
41 Jaroslav Halak
[40 Tuukka Rask]
PP1: Ritchie, Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, Grzelcyk
PP2: DeBrusk, Coyle, Smith, Zboril, McAvoy
Scratches: 26 Par Lindholm (healthy), 27 John Moore (healthy), 28 Ondrej Kase (IR, upper body),
48 Matt Grzelcyk (injury), 88 David Pastrnak (IR, hip surgery).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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