Fresh off of snapping a four-game skid that (temporarily) bounced them from a playoff spot, the Flyers have a chance to continue that momentum in a brief return home — on one of the most historic days in Philadelphia sports, at that.
They take on a Montreal Canadiens club that just snapped a four-game winless streak of their own — though that's been the least of their concerns. It's been a disappointing season for the Canadiens — a team expected to compete in the first full season of Claude Julien's new tenure — and they also have quite a bit of work to do if they want to chase down a playoff spot.
It's the first meeting of the season between the Orange and Black and le Bleu, Blanc et Rouge, and of the Flyers' next 10 games, three are against the Habs. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Team Leaders
Philadelphia Flyers | GP | G | A | P | Montreal Canadiens | GP | G | A | P |
Jake Voracek | 53 | 10 | 52 | 62 | Max Pacioretty | 53 | 16 | 17 | 33 |
Claude Giroux | 53 | 15 | 43 | 58 | Alex Galchenyuk | 53 | 12 | 19 | 31 |
Sean Couturier | 53 | 27 | 24 | 51 | Brendan Gallagher | 53 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
Shayne Gostisbehere | 49 | 10 | 27 | 37 | Jonathan Drouin | 48 | 7 | 19 | 36 |
Wayne Simmonds | 53 | 18 | 15 | 33 | Jeff Petry | 53 | 8 | 17 | 25 |
Player to Watch | |
93 Jake Voracek | 31 Carey Price |
Last 5 Games: 2 G, 5 A, 7 P, +1 | Last 5 Games: 2-3-0, 2.64 GAA, .905 SP |
Goalie Matchup | |
37 Brian Elliott | 31 Carey Price |
20-11-7, 2.71 GAA, .909 SV% | 15-19-4, 2.92 GAA, .907 SV% |
In his return from a four-game stint on the IR, Brian Elliott turned away 27 shots on 28 saves against the Hurricanes. He's won each of the last three games he's started, regaining the form he showed that earned him the NHL's Third Star of the Week in mid-December and yielding just four goals along the way.
As dominant as Price can be, he's had his share of road woes lately. He's lost his last six road starts, dating back to just before the league-mandated Christmas break on Dec. 22. In his last three games against the Flyers, he's 2-1-0, and posts a 2.57 GAA, .917 save percentage with a 13-10-0 record in 24 career games against them.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Injuries: None
Scratches: Taylor Leier, Mark Alt
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
28 Claude Giroux | 14 Sean Couturier | 11 Travis Konecny |
93 Jake Voracek | 19 Nolan Patrick | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
40 Jordan Weal | 21 Scott Laughton | 12 Michael Raffl |
15 Jori Lehtera | 51 Valtteri Filppula | 22 Dale Weise |
Defense | ||
9 Ivan Provorov | 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | |
8 Robert Hagg | 47 Andrew MacDonald | |
23 Brandon Manning | 3 Radko Gudas | |
Goalie | ||
37 Brian Elliott |
Lineup Notes
Sneaky, sneaky. On a day when the rest of the Philly sports landscape focuses on the first Super Bowl parade in its history, Dave Hakstol opts to slot Dale Weise into the lineup. It's Weise's first game since Jan. 4 (13 games), and comes against a team he's played 152 games with. Aside from that, the Flyers' lineup remains largely unchanged.
Canadiens Projected Lineup
Injuries: Phillip Danault, Andrew Shaw, Ales Hemsky, Shea Weber
Scratches: Jakub Jerabek, Jacob de la Rose, Daniel Carr
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
67 Max Pacioretty | 43 Paul Byron | 54 Charles Hudon |
62 Artturi Lehkonen | 14 Tomas Plekanec | 11 Brendan Gallagher |
27 Alex Galchenyuk | 72 Jonathan Drouin | 38 Nikita Scherbek |
20 Nicolas Deslauriers | 42 Byron Froese | 49 Logan Shaw |
Defense | ||
22 Karl Alzner | 26 Jeff Petry | |
2 Joe Morrow | 8 Jordie Benn | |
53 Victor Mete | 21 David Schlemko | |
Goalie | ||
31 Carey Price |
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (16th, 23rd at home), Senators (7th, 14th on road)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (30th, 29th at home), Senators (23rd, 29th on road)
- Recent History vs. Senators
- Feb. 2, 2017 – Flyers 3, Canadiens 1 (at PHI)
Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic