Game 14 Preview: Flyers vs. Senators
John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (7-4-2) are home on Saturday to take on D.J. Smith's Ottawa Senators (4-8-1). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 1:00 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP and NHL Network. The radio broadcast is on 93.3 WMMR with an online simulcast on
Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the second of three meetings this season between the teams. Last Saturday (Nov. 5) in Ottawa, the Flyers skated to a 2-1 victory. The season series concludes back in Ottawa on March 30.
Today's game marks Claude Giroux's first game back in Philadelphia since he was traded to the Florida Panthers as a 2022 deadline rental. It will be his only game at the Wells Fargo Center during the 2022-23 season. Last Saturday, Giroux's early first period tally -- the 300th goal of his NHL career -- served as the only goal that Ottawa would get.
A few minutes after Giroux scored, Kevin Hayes knotted the score on a power play deflection. Late in the second period, Zack MacEwen put the Flyers ahead with what proved to be the game-winning goal, Carter Hart stopped 31 of 32 shots and the team in front of him blocked an additional 29 shot attempts. Former Flyers goalie Cam Talbot took the loss, saving 26 of 28 shots. The Flyers went 1-for-3 on the power play. Ottawa was 0-for-5.
Prior to the start of today's game, the Flyers will present a special video tribute to Giroux, highlighting his career in Philadelphia. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats early. The video tribute will begin right after Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan introduces the starting lineups and invites fans to welcome "G" back to Philadelphia.
For an in-depth game preview, see
Five Things on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com
Flyers lineup (confirmed by Tortorella)
74 Owen Tippett - 13 Kevin Hayes - 11 Travis Konecny
86 Joel Farabee - 21 Scott Laughton - 57 Wade Allison
49 Noah Cates - 23 Lukas Sedlak - 17 Zack MacEwen
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 48 Morgan Frost - 58 Tanner Laczynski
9 Ivan Provorov - 77 Tony DeAngelo
6 Travis Sanheim - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
24 Nick Seeler - 61 Justin Braun
79 Carter Hart
[32 Felix Sandström]
Senators lineup (Thursday's starting lines, subject to change)
7 Brady Tkachuk - 18 Tim Stützle - 28 Claude Giroux
12 Alex DeBrincat - 61 Brassard - 19 Drake Batherson
14 Tyler Motte - 57 Shane Pinto- 21 Mathieu Joseph
21 Parker Kelly - 47 Mark Kastelic - 16 Auston Watson
27 Thomas Chabot - 24 Jacob Bernard-Docker
85 Jake Sanderson - 23 Travis Hamonic
26 Erik Brannström - 5 Nick Holden
31 Anton Forsberg/ 33 Cam Talbot
********
Phantoms Defeat Springfield, Host Laval
Ian Laperriere's Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-5-1) will host the Laval Rocket (3-6-3) at the PPL Center on Saturday evening. Game time is 7:05 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on AHL TV (subscription required).
Both teams were in action on Friday night. Laval skated to a 5-4 overtime road win over the Utica Comets. Xavier Simoneau forced overtime with a tying goal at 18:57 of the third period before Anthony Richard ended sudden death OT as he scored the game-winning goal with exactly 1:00 left on the clock.
The Phantoms, who claimed an overtime road win in Laval last weekend, defeated the visiting Springfield Thunderbirds, 2-1, on Friday night. Just back from injury, Cooper Marody notched a first-period goal and a third-period assist to lead the way offensively for the Phantoms. Defenseman Louie Belpedio netted the game-winner at 5:41 of the third period. Cal O'Reilly and Adam Ginning earned assists on the Marody goal, while Marody and Cam York assisted on Belpedio's tally.
Samuel Ersson made his third straight start in goal. He made 21 saves on 22 shots to pick up the victory. The only puck that got past him was on a fluky play where a Nathan Todd shot bounced off the end boards, went off Ersson and into the net.
The Phantoms had a territorial edge for most of Friday's game; their best game this season from a puck possession standpoint. Lehigh Valley outshot Springfield by a 10-4 margin in a scoreless second period. The Phantoms also staged a strong closeout with a one-goal lead in the third period and Joel Hofer (24 saves on 26 shots) pulled for an extra attacker.
Phantoms lineup on Friday:
20 Max Willman - 9 Cal O'Reilly - 25 Cooper Marody
17 Garrett Wilson - 91 Elliot Desnoyers 71 Tyson Foerster
28 Olle Lycksell -18 Jackson Cates - 14 Zayde Wisdom
19 Isaac Ratcliffe - 15 Jordy Bellerive - 48 Alex Kile
45 Cam York - 47 Louie Belpedio
44 Kevin Connauton - 12 Ronnie Attard
37 Adam Ginning - 3 Adam Karashik
30 Samuel Ersson
[73 Nolan Maier]
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»