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Flyers Gameday: 11/10/18 vs. CHI; Phantoms Update

November 10, 2018, 8:29 AM ET [371 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Game 17 Preview: Flyers vs. Blackhawks

Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (8-7-1) are at home on Saturday afternoon to take on Jeremy Colliton's Chicago Blackhawks (7-6-0). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 1:00 p.m. ET.

The game will be televised on NBCSNP. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at FlyersRadio247.com.

This is the first of two meetings this season between the inter-conference clubs. The teams will rematch in Chicago on March 21. Last season, the teams met twice in November with the Blackhawks' Corey Crawford posting a home shutout in a 3-0 win on Nov. 1, 2017 and the Flyers earning a 3-1 win at the Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 9.

The Flyers will look on Saturday to extend a 14-game regular season home winning streak against the Chicago. The streak dates back to the Blackhawks' 4-1 win on Nov. 9, 1996, in their first-ever visit to the Wells Fargo Center (then CoreStates Center). Chicago's only win in Philadelphia since that time was Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.

Flyers Outlook

The Flyers are 4-0-1 in their last five games, pulling above the statistical .500 mark for the first time this season since their opening-night road win over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Philly started a five-game homestand on Thursday with a bizarre 5-4 overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes that saw Philly build a quick 2-0 lead, the Coyotes score four straight goals to take a 4-2 edge to the second intermission and then the Flyers rally to tie the game and then prevail in OT. The game marked the first time in the Flyers' 52-season franchise history that the team has yielded two shorthanded goals on a single power play but went on to win the game.

Scott Laughton (5th and 6th goals of the season) took first-star honors in Thursday's game. Dale Weise (1st goal of the season, 5th assist) scored a latter third period breakaway goal to force OT. Shayne Gostisbehere (3rd goal of the season, primary assist to spring Weise on the tying goal) scored the winner in OT to convert a great setup by Jakub Voracek (12th assist). Oskar Lindblom (5th assist) increased his personal point streak to five straight games. Claude Giroux earned his 12th and 13th assists of the season. Travis Konecny (3rd goal) opened the scoring.

Brian Elliott, who was strong in relief of Calvin Pickard in Thursday's game, has played quite well as of late. The veteran goaltender is 4-2-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .924 save percentage over his last outings.

Entering Saturday's game, Giroux has 696 career points. His next goal or assist will tie him with Flyers Hall of Fame member Rick MacLeish for fourth on the franchise's all-time points list. With
476 career assists, Giroux is four away from tying Flyers Hall of Fame member Brian Propp for second in franchise history.

Through 16 games, the Flyers have averaged 3.25 goals scored per game (tied for 11th in the NHL) with a team 3.75 goals against average (T-26th). The power play has struggled after a 5-for-20 start and is now at 14.5 percent (T-26th) with four shorthanded goals allowed (T-30th). The penalty kill is at 68.4 pct (30th). The Flyers have yet to score a shorthanded goal.

James van Riemsdyk, who suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of the season's second regular season game, is about a week away from being cleared to play. He has gone from skating alone to being on the ice with the team although he is not yet taking contact.

Blackhawks Outlook

It is strange to see anyone other than the iconic Joel Quenneville, who steered Chicago to three Stanley Cups in a six-year period, behind their bench. Differences with Stan Bowman, an aging core group, a fallow recent stretch (back-to-back first-round playoff exits followed by missing the playoffs last year) and a so-so start to this season brought about the end of the Quenneville era. Former Flyers captain Kevin Dineen was dismissed as an assistant coach.

The Hawks are 0-5-1 in their last six games. On Thursday, followed a four-night schedule break and the semi-shocking news of Quenneville's dismissal, the Blackhawks dropped a 4-3 home decision to Rod Brind'Amour's Carolina Hurricanes in Colliton's NHL head coaching debut.

Although he is in the "late prime" stage of his NHL career, veteran superstar Patrick Kane is still one of the NHL's most dynamic and dangerous offensive players. He enters Saturday's game with 12 goals and 21 points. Pint-sized puck wizard Alex DeBrincat is second on the team with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists), followed by veteran captain Jonathan Toews' 13 points (eight goals, five assists). Crawford brings a 3-5-0 record and 3.07 GAA into this game.

Brandon Saad has four goals and six points over his last eight games. Nick Schmaltz broke his goal-scoring mini drought (dating back to Oct. 21) with a goal in the game against Carolina. He has points in each of his last five games against Eastern Conference opponents.

Defenseman Connor Murphy, the son of Flyers' assistant coach Gord Murphy, is shelved for Chicago with a back injury. The team is also missing Marcus Krueger (leg), who went down in Thursday's game.

Chicago enters Saturday's match averaging 3.06 goals per game (tied for 20th), with an identical team 3.75 (T-29th) to the Flyers. The Chicago power play has scuffled all season, coming in at 13.5 percent (30th) and the penalty kill is at 75.5 percent (24th).

PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)

FLYERS

28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom - 19 Nolan Patrick - 93 Jakub Voracek
22 Dale Weise - 40 Jordan Weal - 17 Wayne Simmonds
21 Scott Laughton - 15 Jori Lehterä - 62 Nicolas Aube-Kubel

9 Ivan Provorov - 8 Robert Hägg
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 26 Christian Folin
6 Travis Sanheim - 3 Radko Gudas

37 Brian Elliott
[33 Cal Pickard]

Scratches: 47 Andrew MacDonald (healthy), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body), 12 Michael Raffl (IR, lower body), 10 Corban Knight (IR, collarbone), 25 James van Riemsdyk (IR, lower body), 5 Sam Morin (ACL surgery).

BLACKHAWKS

12 Alex DeBrincat - 19 Jonathan Toews - 24 Dominik Kahun
8 Nick Schmaltz - 15 Artem Anisimov - 88 Patrick Kane
20 Brandon Saad - 64 David Kampf - 84 Alexandre Fortin
14 Chris Kunitz - 40 John Hayden or 62 Luke Johnson - 29 Andreas Martinsen​

2 Duncan Keith - 28 Henri Jokiharju
56 Erik Gustafsson - 7 Brent Seabrook
23 Brandon Manning - 44 Jan Rutta​

50 Corey Crawford
[30 Cam Ward​]

Scratches:22 Brandon Davidson (healthy), 40 John Hayden (healthy), 62 Luke Johnson (healthy), 16 Marcus Kruger (leg), 5 Connor Murphy (IR, back).

*****************

Phantoms Crush Springfield, 8-2

Several weeks ago, the Springfield Thunderbirds came into the PPL Center in Allentown and laid a 7-0 whipping on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Springfield went 5-for-7 on the power play that night, and chased highly touted Phantoms rookie goalie Carter Hart from the net midway through the second period.

Since that time, the Phantoms have gained a measure of revenge. The night after the humiliating blowout, Lehigh Valley visited Springfield and staged a dramatic two-goal late third period comeback to force OT and then prevail via shootout. Last night, the Thunderbirds returned to Allentown and were overpowered in an 8-2 thrashing at the hands of the Phantoms.

The Phantoms generated all sorts of chances in the first period but could not solve former NHL netminder Michael Hutchinson on 13 shots. On perhaps the most notable opportunity, Hutchinson denied Carsen Twarynski on a blueline-in breakaway. The Thunderbirds took a 1-0 lead to the first intermission after a strange backhanded goal by Paul Thompson -- not quite a wraparound, nor a jam-in at the short-side post -- that got past Hart.

Undaunted, the Phantoms kept on rolling. The floodgates opened in the second period, as Lehigh Valley enjoyed multiple breakaways -- scoring every time -- and generating both power play and shorthanded (Cole Bardreau) goals plus three even strength tallies along the way to a five-goal explosion. Hutchinson was relieved in the third period by Samuel Montembeault, who was beaten for three additional goals in eight shots in the third period.

By the end of the night, Taylor Leier (1st and 2nd goals in his return game from an injury), Greg Carey (6th and 7th goals), German Rubtsov (6th goal, 4th assist), Chris Conner (5th goal, 3rd and 4th assists) and David Kase (3rd and 4th assists) all had multi-point games. Bardreau (3rd) and Mike Vecchione (4th) rounded out the goal scoring.

Additionally, Tyrell Goulbourne (3rd assist), T.J. Brennan (11th assist), Phil Varone (12th assist), Philippe Myers (6th assist), Mikhail Vorobyev (2nd assist) and Reece Willcox (1st assist) chipped in a helper apiece to complete the point-getting feast for the Phantoms.

Hart was not tested much in goal. He had no chance on the Thunderbird's second goal, a snipe scored from prime real estate in the slot by Dryden Hunt. Overall, Hart finished with 16 saves on 18 shots but only a couple were non-routine stops.

On Saturday evening, the Phantoms are right back in action. The Atlantic Division leading Charlotte Checkers (10-2-0) come to the PPL Center to pay the Phantoms (7-3-2) a visit. Game time is 7:05 p.m. ET. Alex Lyon is expected to get the start in goal for Scott Gordon's team.

Below is the Phantoms' lineup from Friday's game

10 Greg Carey - 26 Phil Varone - 9 Cole Bardreau
24 Carsen Twarynski - 21 Mike Vecchione - 22 Chris Conner
12 Tyrell Goulbourne - 17 German Rubtsov - 38 David Kase
23 Taylor Leier- 15 Mikhail Vorobyev - 13 Colin McDonald

6 Philip Samuelsson - 5 Philippe Myers
43 T.J. Brennan - 37 Mark Friedman
7 Zach Palmquist - 44 Reece Willcox

31 Carter Hart
[34 Alex Lyon]

Scratches: 41 Anthony Stolarz (healthy), 19 Radel Fazleev (healthy), 25 Connor Bunnaman (healthy), 2 James de Haas (healthy).
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