(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly contributor
After a homestand that saw the Flyers go 2-3 punctuated by a spirited 2-1 win over a top Western Conference team, the Flyers are packing up their game and heading out West.
They begin a three-game road trip with a back-to-back set in Alberta, visiting the Calgary Flames to cap off their two-game season series. The Flames just returned from their bye week on Monday, and should have stayed on that bye — as they were blanked by basement-dwelling Arizona, 5-0.
Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. That's right, #FlyersAfterDark makes its noble return.
Flyers Leaders | GP | G | A | P | Flames Leaders | GP | G | A | P |
Jake Voracek | 56 | 14 | 33 | 47 | Mikael Backlund | 57 | 15 | 23 | 38 |
Claude Giroux | 56 | 12 | 29 | 41 | Sean Monahan | 57 | 19 | 16 | 35 |
Wayne Simmonds | 56 | 23 | 17 | 40 | Johnny Gaudreau | 47 | 11 | 24 | 35 |
Brayden Schenn | 53 | 16 | 19 | 35 | Matthew Tkachuk | 53 | 10 | 24 | 34 |
Ivan Provorov | 56 | 5 | 18 | 23 | Dougie Hamilton | 56 | 8 | 25 | 33 |
Player to Watch | |
17 Wayne Simmonds | 23 Sean Monahan |
Last 5 Games: 2 G, 0 A, 2 P, +1 | Last 5 Games: 3 G, 1 A, 4 P, E |
During the Flyers' 3-on-3 stretch with San Jose on Saturday, Wayne Simmonds made up his mind that the Flyers were leaving with two points, and did so with a brilliant solo effort. He's got goals in his last two games, scoring the lone Flyer tally on Thursday against the New York Islanders. In 19 games against the Flames, the 'Wayne Train' has four goals and 12 points.
One of the game's sharper, yet underrated young talents, Sean Monahan enters tonight's game on the doorstep of a trio of big milestones. The 22-year-old pivot is one goal away from 100 in his career, five assists away from 100 and six points away from 200. He's got four goals in seven games against the Orange and Black, so he's always a threat to find the scoresheet.
Goalie Matchup | |
30 Michal Neuvirth |
1 Brian Elliott |
9-5-1, 2.67 GAA, .897 SV% | 11-13-2, 2.85 GAA, .895 SV% |
Michal Neuvirth returns in goal for the Flyers. He was stellar in his last outing on Saturday, stopping 23 of 24 shots he faced.
Brian Elliott will handle the reins for the Flames. He stopped eight of nine shots in relief of Chad Johnson during Monday's shellacking.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Scratches: Nick Schultz, Michael Del Zotto, Travis Konecny, Roman Lyubimov
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
10 Brayden Schenn | 28 Claude Giroux | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
40 Jordan Weal | 14 Sean Couturier | 93 Jakub Voracek |
12 Michael Raffl | 25 Nick Cousins | 24 Matt Read |
76 Chris VandeVelde | 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 22 Dale Weise |
Defense | ||
9 Ivan Provorov | 47 Andrew MacDonald | |
32 Mark Streit | 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | |
3 Radko Gudas | 23 Brandon Manning | |
Goalie | ||
30 Steve Mason |
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (10th, 8th on road), Flames (11th, 8th at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (18th, 23rd on road), Flames (19th, 24th at home)
- Milestone Watch:
- Matt Read remains four assists away from 100 in his career.
- Mark Streit remains five goals away from 100 in his career.
- Flames' Alex Chiasson is three points away from 200.
- Recent History vs. the Flames
- Nov. 27, 2016 – In something that seems like it hasn't happened in too long, five Flyers found the scoresheet in a 5-3 win. T.J. Brodie opened the scoring early in the first period, but Michael Raffl evened the score before it could end. Jakub Voracek, Chris VandeVelde and Wayne Simmonds all tallied in the second period, while Roman Lyubimov scored in the third. Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves in his NHL debut.
- Feb. 29, 2016 — In yet another 5-3 win for the Orange and Black, Brayden Schenn potted the first hat trick of his career. Wayne Simmonds countered with two goals, and Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves on 32 shots. Sean Monahan, Micheal Ferland and Michael Frolik all scored for the Flames.
Where to Watch
TV: TCN
Radio: 93.3 WMMR