Flyers

Flyers-Devils: Game 45 Preview

By
Kevin Durso
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Kevin Durso Sports Editor

I have been writing for Sports Talk Philly since 2011. Currently editor and lead writer of Philadelphia Flyers coverage. Co-host of the YWT Podcast. I also am Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN-FM in South Jersey. I graduated from Cabrini University in 2014.

All posts by Kevin Durso
Sports Editor

Published12 Jan 2019

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11-15-2018_FlyersvsDevils_2ndedit_credKateFrese-42

(Photo: Kate Frese)

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor Flyers-Devils: Game 45 Preview

The losing streak finally came to an end on Thursday night. With a sense of relief, the Flyers look to string together back-to-back wins for the first time since Dec. 18 and 20.

Saturday's opponent is the New Jersey Devils, a team that has also slipped in the standings.

Game time is at 1 p.m.

Team Leaders

Philadelphia Flyers GP G A P New Jersey Devils GP G A P
Claude Giroux 44 14 34 48 Taylor Hall 33 11 26 37
Jake Voracek 44 11 24 35 Kyle Palmieri 43 20 16 36
Sean Couturier 42 15 17 32 Nico Hischier 39 12 17 29
Travis Konecny 44 11 13 24 Travis Zajac 42 10 14 24
Wayne Simmonds 44 13 6 19 Blake Coleman 43 14 8 22
 
Player to Watch
11 Travis Konecny 21 Kyle Palmieri
Last 5 Games: 2 G, 1 A, 3 P, +1 Last 5 Games: 1 G, 1 A, 2 P, -2
 
Travis Konecny got back on the board with a goal on Thursday and has shown an extra burst of energy lately. On the top line, he's starting to look like a much more dangerous player again.
 
Early in the season, Kyle Palmieri was a scoring machine. He's cooled off a lot, but he's always had the Flyers number.
 
Goalie Matchup
79 Carter Hart 1 Keith Kinkaid
8 GP, 3-4-1, 2.46 GAA, .920 SV% 33 GP, 13-13-6, 3.07 GAA, .899 SV%

The last start for Carter Hart was arguably the best of his young career, a 37-save win that came three minutes short of a shutout. It's hard to argue with the numbers for the 20-year-old, despite the 3-4-1 record.

Keith Kinkaid has lost three straight starts and allowed three goals or more in each. His last win came on Jan. 4, making 15 saves in 49 minutes against Arizona.

Flyers Projected Lineup

Injuries: Michal Neuvirth, Andrew MacDonald, Brian Elliott, Anthony Stolarz, Corban Knight

Scratches: Jori Lehtera

Left Wing Center Right Wing
25 James van Riemsdyk 28 Claude Giroux 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom 14 Sean Couturier 93 Jake Voracek
21 Scott Laughton 19 Nolan Patrick 17 Wayne Simmonds
12 Michael Raffl 44 Phil Varone 22 Dale Weise
Defense    
9 Ivan Provorov 6 Travis Sanheim  
53 Shayne Gostisbehere 3 Radko Gudas  
8 Robert Hagg 26 Christian Folin  
Goalie    
79 Carter Hart    

Lineup Notes

Expect the same lineup for the Flyers as in the previous few games.

Devils Projected Lineup

Injuries: Taylor Hall, Cory Schneider

Scratches: Joey Anderson, John Quenneville, Mirco Mueller 

Left Wing Center Right Wing
90 Marcus Johansson 13 Nico Hischier 21 Kyle Palmieri
44 Miles Wood 19 Travis Zajac 63 Jesper Bratt
20 Blake Coleman 37 Pavel Zacha 18 Drew Stafford
11 Brian Boyle 43 Brett Seney 23 Stefan Noesen
Defense    
6 Andy Greene 28 Damon Severson  
45 Sami Vatanen 16 Steven Santini  
8 Will Butcher 12 Ben Lovejoy  
Goalie    
1 Keith Kinkaid    

Game Notes

  • Power Play: Flyers (30th, 30th on road), Devils (19th, 15th at home)
  • Penalty Kill: Flyers (T-26th, 29th on road), Devils (2nd, 5th at home) 
  • Recent History vs. Devils
    • Oct. 20, 2018 – Flyers 5, Devils 2 (at PHI)
    • Nov. 15, 2018 – Devils 3, Flyers 0 (at PHI)
  • Flyers Leaders vs. Devils
    • Claude Giroux – 46 GP, 11 G, 32 A, 43 P
    • Jake Voracek – 36 GP, 7 G, 18 A, 25 P
    • Shayne Gostisbehere – 13 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 P
  • Milestone Watch
    • Travis Konecny needs one points to reach 100 for his career.
    • Sean Couturier needs one points to reach 300 for his career.
    • Claude Giroux needs three assists to reach 500 for his career.

Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic