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Flyers Gameday: 3/21/19 @ CHI

March 21, 2019, 11:21 AM ET [133 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Game 74 Preview: FLYERS @ BLACKHAWKS

Interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (35-30-8) are in Illinois on Thursday to take on Jeremy Colliton's Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-10). Game time at the United Center is 8:30 p.m. ET.

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

This is the second and final game of the season series between the teams and the lone meeting of the season in Chicago. The Flyers are 1-0-0 to date.

On Nov. 10 at the Wells Fargo Center, Brian Elliott recorded a 33-save shutout in a 4-0 win at the Wells Fargo Center. Sean Couturier (two goals, one assist) and Claude Giroux (one goal, two assists) each enjoyed three-point afternoons. Nolan Patrick (empty-net goal) rounded out the goal scoring.

Flyers Outlook

The Flyers are 20-8-2 over their last 30 games. Unfortunately, the team has lost three of its last four games. While mathematically alive in the playoff race, their chances are remote. The gap between the Flyers and the playoff cutoff line is a cavernous seven points (six standings points and a ROW disadvantage) with 10 games left to play.

On Tuesday, the Flyers sustained a 3-1 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Couturier (power play, 30th) notched the lone Flyers' goal. James van Riemsdyk (18th) and Claude Giroux (58th) assisted. Carter Hart stopped 33 of 35 shots in a losing cause. Brendan Gallagher (31st), Shea Weber (12th) and Max Domi (empty net, 25th) scored for the Habs.

The Flyers held an optional practice in Voorhees on Wednesday. Rookie defenseman Phil Myers, who missed Tuesday's game with the flu, participated in practice. Right winger Justin Bailey was yo-yoed back down to the Phantoms on Wednesday.

Blackhawks Outlook

With 10 games left, the Blackhawks are five points (four standings points, plus a ROW tiebreaker disadvantage) below the Arizona Coyotes in the race for the lower Western Conference wildcard spot. Chicago holds one game in hand.

The Blackhawks are coming off a 3-2 overtime home loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. However, the team extended its current point streak to six straight games (5-0-1). Jonathan Toews scored a power play goal (31st) in a losing cause, while Erik Gustafsson tallied his 14th goal of the season (tied for fourth among NHL defensemen).

Duncan Keith hit the 30-assist mark for the 10th time in his career, with a helper against Vancouver. Patrick Kane's two-point effort gave him his 100th and 101st points of the season (41 goals, 60 assists); the time time in his career and first since 2015-16 that he has hit the 100-point milestone.

Chicago got shut out by the Flyers early this season but has been a high-scoring team overall, averaging 3.35 goals (8th) in the NHL with a 20.9 percent power play (T-11th). However, the team's 3.64 GAA ranks 30th and a 73.1 percent penalty kill ranks 31st. The Flyers enter averaging 3.03 goals per game (T-12th) with a 3.33 GAA (27th). The power play comes in at 16.7 percent (23rd) and the PK is at 78.8 percent (25th).


Projected Lines (Subject to change, will be updated)

FLYERS

25 James van Riemsdyk - 19 Nolan Patrick - 28 Claude Giroux
23 Oskar Lindblom - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jake Voracek
38 Ryan Hartman - 21 Scott Laughton - 11 Travis Konecny
44 Phil Varone - 10 Corban Knight - 27 Justin Bailey

9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 61 Phil Myers
8 Robert Hägg - 3 Radko Gudas​

79 Carter Hart
[37 Brian Elliott]

Scratches: 12 Michael Raffl (flu), 47 Andrew MacDonald (healthy), 33 Cam Talbot (healthy), 5 Sam Morin (healthy), 30 Michal Neuvirth (IR, lower body).

BLACKHAWKS

95 Dylan Sikura - 19 Jonathan Toews - 88 Patrick Kane
12 Alex DeBrincat - 17 Dylan Strome - 11 Brendan Perlini
20 Brandon Saad - 15 Artem Anisimov - 24 Dominik Kahun
14 Chris Kunitz - 64 David Kampf - 16 Marcus Kruger​

2 Duncan Keith - 56 Erik Gustafsson
68 Slater Koekkoek - 5 Connor Murphy
42 Gustav Forsling - 7 Brent Seabrook ​

50 Corey Crawford
[30 Cam Ward​]

Scratches: 40 John Hayden (healthy), 63 Carl Dahlström (healthy) 91 Drake Caggiula (concussion).
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