UPDATE 1:00 PM ET
The Flyers have signed Chris Stewart to a one-year, one-way contract for $750,000. He will be in the lineup in Calgary. Connor Bunnaman will be scratched.
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GAME 4: FLYERS @ FLAMES
Playing the second game of a three-game trip through western Canada, Alain Vigneault's Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-1) are in Alberta on Tuesday night to take on Bill Peters' Calgary Flames (2-3-1). Game time at the Scotiabank Saddledome is 9:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The radio broadcast is in on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast on
Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of two meetings this season between the interconference clubs. They will rematch at the Wells Fargo Center on the afternoon of Sat. Nov. 23.
Last season, the Flyers went 0-0-2 against Calgary, with both losses coming in overtime. Philly's 6-5 overtime loss in Calgary on Dec. 12, 2018, was one of the most disheartening defeats of last season. The Flyers were unable to protect a two-goal lead late in the third period. Still reeling from the loss, Philly got smoked in Edmonton and Vancouver to end a disastrous road trip. Head coach Dave Hakstol was dismissed the next day after the club returned from Vancouver.
On Jan. 5, 2019, with Scott Gordon now behind the bench for the Flyers, Philly was again unable to protect a late lead, as Matthew Tkachuk scored with 4:17 left. In overtime, T.J. Brodie won the game for the Flames on a 2-on-1 rush that Carter Hart had no chance of stopping.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
With the Flyers playing the front end of an Alberta back-to-back that will continue in Edmonton on Wednesday, former Flames netminder Brian Elliott will get the start in goal in Calgary. It will be the veteran's first appearance of the 2019-20 regular season and first game since relieving Hart early in the second period of the club's 4-3 exhibition game loss in Lausanne, Switzerland. Hart, who grew up in Sherwood Park, will get the start in Edmonton with a host of family and friends in the stands.
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Vancouver. Philly battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits and dominated the third period but, ultimately, went 1-for-3 in the shootout (Claude Giroux had the lone successful attempt) while the Canucks went 2-for-3.
Former Calgary Hitmen winger Carsen Twarynski scored his first career NHL goal on Saturday night in Vancouver. Oskar Lindblom (2nd, power play) tied the game in the third period off a gorgeous feed from Travis Konecny and a well-conceived zone entry by Matt Niskanen.
The hottest Flyers line in the early going of the season has been the trio of Konecny (3g, 3a), Lindblom (2g, 1a) and Sean Couturier (1g). The line of Kevin Hayes (1g), Claude Giroux (1a), and Jakub Voracek (0 pts) has created chances but struggled to finish so far. On Saturday, Voracek was moved down to the fourth line in the third period by Vigneault, with James van Riemsdyk (0 pts) moving up from the third line.
Another former Calgary Hitmen player, Travis Sanheim (1a), seems to enjoy playing against the Flames. He scored goals in each of Philly's two games against Calgary last season.
Through the first three games of the season, the Flyers are 4-for-10 on the power play. The penalty kill has gone 8-for-9, with a late second period goal by Chicago's Alex DeBrincat in the opener in Prague being the lone opposition power play marker to date.
On Monday, defenseman Andy Welinski received medical clearance to play, and was placed on waivers by the Flyers for purposes of assigning the right-handed defenseman to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. If he clears, he will officially join the Phantoms today. Center Nolan Patrick (migraine disorder) is on the western Canada trip with the Flyers team. However, he is not yet close to playing. Chris Stewart (PTO) is also on the trip with the Flyers. If general manager Chuck Fletcher so chooses, he could sign Stewart as soon as Tuesday afternoon once Welinski's $750,000 one-way salary comes off the cap.
FLAMES OUTLOOK
Off to something of a slow start, the Flames needed a respite after coming through a three-games-in-four-nights road stretch. It started well enough, with the Flames earning the bonus point from a 3-2 shootout win in Dallas on Thursday but then the Flames were on the wrong end of a 6-2 score in Las Vegas on Saturday and a 3-1 decision on San Jose the next night.
The Flames are 1-0-1 on home ice so far. Four of the team's next six games are the Saddledome, but there's a back-to-back set in LA and Anaheim along the way.
Briefly a Flyer last season, goaltender Cam Talbot made his first regular season appearance for the Flames in San Jose on Sunday. Having played very sparsely (three starts, one relief appearance) with the Flyers and having gone two weeks since a two-period preaseason outing, Talbot fared OK against the Sharks. He stopped the shots that he had a chance to save and kept the Flames in the game, but Calgary trailed for virtually the entire game.
An unstoppable deflected Logan Couture pass that went off the skate of San Jose's Timo Meier early in the first period put the Flames in a quick hole. Kevin Lebanc scored on top shelf blast that no goalie was going to stop. Tomas Hertl converted a 2-on-1 off a Tkachuk turnover. An Elias Lindholm deflection goal stood as the lone Calgary tally.
David Rittich (2-2-1, 3.16 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SO), has started five of the first six games in goal for the Flames. Johnny Gaudreau leads the team with seven points (3g, 4a) through the first six games, while Tkachuk has six points (2g, 4a) and Lindholm has three goals.
So far, the Flames are 3-for-20 on the power play, with one shorthanded goal against. The PK has gone 19-for-23.
PROJECTED LINES (Subject to change, will be updated)
FLYERS
28 Claude Giroux - 13 Kevin Hayes - 25 James van Riemsdyk
23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
18 Tyler Pitlick - 21 Scott Laughton - 93 Jakub Voracek
81 Carsen Twarynski - 12 Michael Raffl - 44 Chris Stewart
9 Ivan Provorov - 61 Justin Braun
6 Travis Sanheim - 15 Matt Niskanen
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 8 Robert Hägg
37 Brian Elliott
[79 Carter Hart]
Power Play 1: Giroux, Hayes, JVR, Voracek, Gostisbehere.
Power Play 2: Lindblom, Couturier, Konecny, Provorov, Niskanen
Scratches: 55 Sam Morin (healthy), 82 Connor Bunnaman (healthy).
Injured non-roster: 19 Nolan Patrick (migraines).
FLAMES
13 Johnny Gaudreau - 23 Sean Monahan - 28 Elias Lindholm
19 Matthew Tkachuk - 11 Mikael Backlund - 67 Michael Frolik
17 Milan Lucic - 93 Sam Bennett - 27 Austin Czarnik
88 Andrew Mangiapane -10 Derek Ryan - 16 Tobias Rieder
5 Mark Giordano - 7 TJ Brodie
55 Noah Hanifin - 24 Travis Hamonic
58 Oliver Kylington - 4 Rasmus Andersson
33 David Rittich
[39 Cam Talbot]
Power play 1: Tkachuk, Monahan, Gaudreau, Lindholm, Giordano.
Power play 2: Lucic, Backlund, Benett, Brodie, Andersson.
Scratches: 26 Michael Stone (healthy), 77 Mark Jankowski (healthy).
Injured reserve: Juuso Välimäki (offseason ACL repair surgery).
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