(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly contributor
With just a handful of games remaining in the Flyers season, they have a chance to do something that they haven't done since before the All-Star Break — win three games in a row.
They close out their season series with the New York Islanders, who remain ensconced in the race for the last wild card spot. It hasn't been an easy stretch for the Isles, though, as they've lost four of their last six games — yet still remain four points out, as opposed to the Flyers' six.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
| Flyers Leaders | GP | G | A | P | Islanders Leaders | GP | G | A | P |
| Jake Voracek | 76 | 19 | 38 | 57 | John Tavares | 75 | 28 | 37 | 65 |
| Claude Giroux | 76 | 14 | 42 | 56 | Josh Bailey | 75 | 13 | 39 | 52 |
| Brayden Schenn | 73 | 23 | 27 | 50 | Anders Lee | 74 | 28 | 17 | 45 |
| Wayne Simmonds | 76 | 29 | 20 | 49 | Nick Leddy | 74 | 11 | 30 | 41 |
| Valtteri Filppula | 73 | 9 | 29 | 38 | Brock Nelson | 74 | 17 | 23 | 40 |
| Player to Watch | |
| 40 Jordan Weal | 66 Josh Ho-Sang |
| Last 5 Games: 3 G, 1 A, 4 P, +2 | Last 5 Games: 0 G, 2 A, 2 P, E |
It just keeps getting better for the red-hot Jordan Weal. Not only did he tie Tuesday's game against Ottawa in the latter stages of the third on a heads-up goal, he delivered the lone shootout goal to seal a win for the Orange and Black. Look for him to continue his strong play.
Islanders fans have gotten a glimpse of the future over the past few weeks, with the arrival of Josh Ho-Sang. Though his NHL debut may have featured a ridiculous number controversy, he's been dazzling to watch on the ice so far, and quite productive. In 14 games with the Isles so far, the rookie has three goals and eight points.
| Goalie Matchup | |
| 35 Steve Mason | 1 Thomas Greiss |
| 24-21-7, 2.70 GAA, .907 SV% | 25-18-5, 2.64 GAA, .914 SV% |
Steve Mason figures to start for the Flyers, making his 10th start in the past 11 games. He made 26 saves on 28 Senators shots on Tuesday
Craig Anderson carries the reins for the Islanders. He made 28 saves on 30 shots in their last outing, a 3-1 loss to Nashville.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Scratches: Roman Lyubimov, Michael Del Zotto, Nick Cousins (upper-body injury, day-to-day), Michael Raffl (lower-body injury, out 6-8 weeks)
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| 24 Matt Read | 28 Claude Giroux | 93 Jake Voracek |
| 40 Jordan Weal | 51 Valtteri Filppula | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
| 10 Brayden Schenn | 14 Sean Couturier | 22 Dale Weise |
| 76 Chris VandeVelde | 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 11 Travis Konecny |
| Defense | ||
| 9 Ivan Provorov | 47 Andrew MacDonald | |
| 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | 55 Nick Schultz | |
| 23 Brandon Manning | 3 Radko Gudas | |
| Goalie | ||
| 35 Steve Mason |
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (15th, T-14th at home), Islanders (26th, 20th on road)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (22nd, T-14th at home), Islanders (12th, T-11th on road)
- Recent History vs. Islanders
- Feb. 9, 2017 – Wayne Simmonds got the Flyers out to an early 1-0 lead, but John Tavares evened the score before the first period could end. Jason Chimera and Casey Cizikas tallied from there, and the Islanders claimed a 3-1 victory. Thomas Greiss proved to be too much for the Flyers, making 33 saves on 34 shots, while Steve Mason countered with 29 saves on 32 shots.
- Jan. 22, 2017 – Nick Leddy and Alan Quine raced the Isles out to a 2-0 lead, but Simmonds struck in the second and Ivan Provorov tied the game early in the third. From there, Claude Giroux netted the game-winner in overtime, sealing two points. A peppered Greiss made 44 saves on 47 shots, while Mason stopped 36 of 38 shots.
- Nov. 3, 2016 – Travis Konecny and John Tavares traded goals in the second, and though Dennis Seidenberg put the Islanders ahead in the third, Jakub Voracek tied the game with less than a minute in regulation. From there, the Flyers claimed a 3-2 shootout win, with Claude Giroux netting the lone goal. Michal Neuvirth made 25 saves against his former team, while Jaroslav Halak made 40 saves on 42 shots.
- Milestone Watch
- Claude Giroux remains two goals away from 15th all-time in Flyers history.
Where to Watch
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
