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Flyers Gameday: 1/26/23 @ MIN; Phantoms Update

January 26, 2023, 3:20 PM ET [198 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Game 50 Preview: Flyers @ Wild

John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (20-21-8) are in Saint Paul on Thursday to take on Dean Evason's Minnesota Wild (25-17-4). Game time at xCel Energy Center is 8:00 p.m. ET.

This is the first of two meetings this season between the inter-conference teams and the lone game in Minnesota. The Flyers and Wild will rematch at the Wells Fargo Center on February 23.

The Flyers enter this game coming off a 4-3 home overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. James van Riemsdyk (8th goal of the season), Wade Allison (7th) and Rasmus Ristolainen (2nd) scored for Philadelphia. Carter Hart stopped 34 of 38 shots.

The Wild, who have lost three straight games in regulation and are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, are coming off a 4-2 road loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Joel Eriksson Ek (SHG, 17th goal of the season) and Kirill Kaprizov (PPG, 27th) scored second period goals. Eriksson Ek also assisted on the Kaprizov goal. Tampa forged ahead in the third period. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 of 38 shots.

For an in-depth preview, including post-Christmas and 21-game trends for the Flyers, key matchups and more, see today's Five Things on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.

Potential Lineups (subject to change)

FLYERS

86 Joel Farabee - 49 Noah Cates - 11 Travis Konecny
25 James van Riemsdyk - 48 Morgan Frost - 74 Owen Tippett
13 Kevin Hayes - 21 Scott Laughton - 57 Wade Allison
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 38 Patrick Brown - 17 Zack MacEwen

9 Ivan Provorov - 45 Cam York
6 Travis Sanheim - 77 Tony DeAngelo
24 Nick Seeler - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

79 Carter Hart
[32 Felix Sandström]

WILD

97 Kirill Kaprizov - 13 Sam Steel - 36 Mats Zuccarello
18 Jordan Greenway - 14 Joel Eriksson Ek - 17 Marcus Foligno
21 Brandon Duhaime - 89 Frederick Gaudreau - 12 Matthew Boldy
15 Mason Shaw - 26 Connor Dewar - 75 Ryan Reaves

5 Jacob Middleton - 46 Jared Spurgeon
25 Jonas Brodin - 24 Matt Dumba
4 Jon Merrill - 2 Calen Addison

29 Marc-Andre Fleury
[32 Filip Gustavsson]

********

Phantoms Update

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (19-15-5) lost a 5-2 home decision to the Atlantic Division leading Hershey Bears (27-8-5) at the PPL Center on Wednesday night. The game was tied at 2-2 entering the third period but the Bears pulled away with three unanswered goals in a lopsided third period. Hershey outshot the Phantoms in the final stanza, 10-2, after Lehigh Valley held a 20-17 shot on goal edge through two periods.

Hershey went 2-for-5 on the power play, only took one penalty themselves that resulted in being shorthanded (the Phantoms were 0-for-1 on the power play). Joe Snively notched power play and even-strength goals plus an assist for a three-point game. Mason Morelli scored a pair of third periods. Connor McMichael opened the scoring just 1:15 into the first period.

Samuel Ersson took the loss in goal, allowing five goals on 27 shots. Zach Fucale made 20 saves on 22 shots to earn the win for Hershey.

At 3:23 of the first period, Elliot Desnoyers received a Jordy Bellerive centering pass in the slot. Desnoyers was unable to get off a shot on an initial attempt but scored his 14th goal of the season on a second effort to tie the game at 1-1. Max Willman got the secondary assist. After Hershey retook the lead at 2-1 early in the second period, Hodgson tallied on a short-distance semi-breakaway at 13:44 of the middle frame to forge a 2-2 deadlock. Adam Brooks and Kevin Connauton were credited with assists on the goal. For Hodgson, it was his second goal of the season and first since opening night.

The Phantoms return to action on Friday, hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (19-15-5) at the PPL Center.

Phantoms Lineup vs. Hershey

28 Olle Lycksell - 51 Artem Anisimov - 23 Bobby Brink
17 Garrett Wilson - 91 Elliot Desnoyers - 71 Tyson Foerster
24 Adam Brooks - 9 Cal O'Reilly - 42 Hayden Hodgson
20 Max Willman - 18 Jason Cates - 15 Jordy Bellerive

4 Egor Zamula - 47 Louie Belpedio
37 Adam Ginning - 12 Ronnie Attard
44 Kevin Connauton - 29 Wyatte Wylie

30 Samuel Ersson
[35 Pat Nagle]

Scratches: 1 Troy Grosenick (injury), 3 Adam Karashik (healthy), 6 Linus Högberg (healthy), 13 Ryan Fitzgerald (healthy), 14 Zayde Wisdom (healthy), 19 Isaac Ratcliffe (healthy, 10th straight game), 25 Cooper Marody (injury).
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