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Flyers Gameday: 1/19/19 @ MTL; Phantoms Update

January 19, 2019, 4:13 AM ET [323 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Game 48 Preview: FLYERS @ CANADIENS

Interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (18-23-6) are in Quebec on Saturday to take on Claude Julien's Montreal Canadiens (27-17-5). Game time at the Belle Centre is 7:00 p.m. ET.

The game will be nationally televised on NBCSNP in Philadelphia and on the CBC in Canada. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at FlyersRadio247.com.

This is the first of three meetings this season between the teams, and the first of two in Montreal. The teams will rematch at the Belle Centre on Feb. 21 before the season series concludes in Philadelphia on March 19. Last season, the Flyers swept the three game season series against the Habs, with all three games -- 5-3 and 3-2 (OT) in Philadelphia, and 1-0 (SO) in Montreal -- taking place in Feb. 2018.

Flyers Outlook

The Flyers are 3-7-2 in their 12 games since the leaguewide Christmas break. However the team has won three of its last four games. On Wednesday, the Flyers defeated the Bruins, 4-3, at the Wells Fargo Center. Sean Couturier rattled off a hat trick while Oskar Lindblom got Philly on the board in the first period after the Bruins got off to a quick 2-0 lead. Carter Hart was stellar on goal.

Philly conducted a full practice in Voorhees on Friday before traveling to Montreal. All line combinations and defense pairings from the last two games are likely to hold to start Saturday's game. Dale Weise, who cleared waivers on Thursday, is still technically on the Flyers roster but is not with the team.

Saturday's game is the Flyers' final one before their bye week and the NHL All-Star break. The schedule will resume on Jan. 28 when the Flyers host the Winnipeg Jets at the Wells Fargo Center.

Canadiens Outlook

The Canadiens bring a four-game winning streak and a 13-9-2 home record (14-8-3 on the road) into Saturday's game. The Habs are 5-1-0 in their last six games and 7-3-0 in their last 10. Montreal's bye week will be after the NHL All-Star break. After this game, the team will next play on Wednesday.

Montreal enters this game on the second half of a road/home back-to-back. On Friday, Carey Price made 34 saves and Tomas Tatar and Joel Armia tallied two goals apiece in a 4-1 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Price carried a shutout for the first 45:17 of the game.

On Saturday, Habs forward Paul Byron will serve the second game of a three-game suspension (charging Florida defenseman MacKenzie Weeger) from the NHL.

The Habs, who went 0-for-2 on the power play in Friday's game in Columbus, have done most of their recent scoring at 5-on-5. Over the past 10 games, Montreal is just 2-for-26 on the man advantage.

Projected Lines (Subject to change)

FLYERS

25 James van Riemsdyk - 28 Claude Giroux - 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek
21 Scott Laughton - 19 Nolan Patrick -17 Wayne Simmonds
15 Jori Lehterä - 44 Phil Varone - 12 Michael Raffl

9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim
53 Shayne Gostisbehere -47 Andrew MacDonald
8 Robert Hägg - 3 Radko Gudas

79 Carter Hart
[56 Mike McKenna]

Scratches: 26 Christian Folin (healthy), 22 Dale Weise (healthy, not with team), 41 Anthony Stolarz (IR, lower body), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body), 37 Brian Elliott (IR, lower body), 10 Corban Knight (IR, collarbone), 5 Sam Morin (ACL surgery).

CANADIENS

92 Jonathan Drouin - 24 Phillip Danault - 11 Brendan Gallagher
90 Tomas Tatar - 13 Max Domi - 62 Artturi Lehkonen
54 Charles Hudon - 15 Jesperi Kotkaniemi - 40 Joel Armia
47 Kenny Agostino - 43 Michael Chaput - 20 Nicolas Deslauriers​

53 Victor Mete - 6 Shea Weber
28 Mike Reilly - 26 Jeff Petry
17 Brett Kulak - 8 Jordie Benn​

37 Antti Niemi
[31 Carey Price]

Scratches: 53 Matthew Peca (healthy), 27 Karl Alzner (healthy), 41 Paul Byron (NHL suspension), 64 Andrew Shaw (IR, neck).


******

PHANTOMS DROP 6-5 OT VERDICT IN HARTFORD

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms held leads of 1-0 and 4-3 and erased deficits of 3-2 and 5-4 before losing in overtime, 6-5, to the host Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday night. The game was decided by a carryover 4-on-3 power play in overtime.

Anthony Stolarz, activated off injured reserve by the Flyers on Thursday, made a rehab assignment start for the Phantoms and took the loss. Three or four of the six goals he allowed on 43 shots were not on the goaltender at all but there were a couple of stoppable ones along the way, too.

Newcomer Justin Bailey, acquired on Thursday in a trade for Taylor Leier, recorded a game-tying third period goal, an earlier assist and drew two penalties on Hartford while taking one penalty of his own in his Phantoms debut. He know has a combined 10 goals on the AHL season.

The Phantoms' other goals came from Mark Friedman (4th), rookie center Connor Bunnaman (5-on-3 power play goal, 11th), Greg Carey (power play, 18th) and Colin McDonald (4th, scored nine seconds after the Carey goal). Mikhail Vorobyev, Philippe Myers and McDonald had two assists apiece.

With the score tied at 5-5 at 19:18 of the third period, Phantoms center Mike Vecchione was penalized on a high-sticking double minor. Lehigh Valley nursed the game to OT on the penalty kill, ensuring one standings point, but Vinni Lettieri left-circle one-timer (second goal of the game) ended the game on the ensuing 4-on-3 advantage at the 31-second mark of OT.

The Phantoms return to action on Saturday night, hosting the Rochester Americans. The game will mark Leier and Bailey's respective first game against their longtime now-former clubs.
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