(Kate Frese/SB Nation)
By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor
It took nine games, but the Flyers finally had a forgettable effort and performance on Tuesday night, closing out a five-game homestand with a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Now the schedule turns to the road, as the Flyers will play four of their next five games on opposing ice. The first game comes Thursday night, as the Flyers take on the Ottawa Senators.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Team Leaders
Philadelphia Flyers | GP | G | A | P | Ottawa Senators | GP | G | A | P |
Jake Voracek | 9 | 0 | 12 | 12 | Derick Brassard | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
Claude Giroux | 9 | 5 | 6 | 11 | Mark Stone | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
Shayne Gostisbehere | 9 | 1 | 10 | 11 | Mike Hoffman | 9 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Sean Couturier | 9 | 6 | 3 | 9 | Erik Karlsson | 4 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Wayne Simmonds | 9 | 6 | 3 | 9 | Chris Wideman | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Player to Watch | |
93 Jake Voracek | 65 Erik Karlsson |
Last 5 Games: 0 G, 6 A, 6 P, +5 | Last 5 Games: 0 G, 6 A, 6 P, -1 |
Goalie Matchup | |
30 Michal Neuvirth | 41 Craig Anderson |
1-2-0, 1.36 GAA, .957 SV% | 3-1-3, 2.48 GAA, .915 SV% |
The record doesn't justify the performance for Michal Neuvirth. Neuvirth has played extremely well in three starts this season, but two of those games were shutout losses for the Flyers, including a 1-0 goalie duel against Nashville last Thursday.
Craig Anderson is off to a good start on his season, with three wins and three overtime losses in the first seven starts of his season. Anderson's last start came in a convincing 6-3 Ottawa win over Toronto last Saturday.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Injuries: Andrew MacDonald (lower-body, 4-6 weeks)
Scratches: Taylor Leier, Matt Read
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
28 Claude Giroux | 14 Sean Couturier | 93 Jake Voracek |
40 Jordan Weal | 51 Valtteri Filppula | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
15 Jori Lehtera | 19 Nolan Patrick | 11 Travis Konecny |
22 Dale Weise | 21 Scott Laughton | 12 Michael Raffl |
Defense | ||
9 Ivan Provorov | 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | |
6 Travis Sanheim | 8 Robert Hagg | |
23 Brandon Manning | 3 Radko Gudas | |
Goalie | ||
30 Michal Neuvirth |
Lineup Notes
The Flyers have once again shuffled defensive pairs. Shayne Gostisbehere will play alongside Ivan Provorov on the top pairing. Travis Sanheim remains on the left side with Robert Hagg on a new-look pairing. Radko Gudas and Brandon Manning will also play together.
The Flyers forward lines appear to be the same as the previous game. The most notable player in the lineup is Nolan Patrick, who left Tuesday's game early after taking a hit in the corner where his head hit the glass. Patrick was back in practice on Wednesday and is good to go for Thursday, a great sign for the Flyers.
Senators Projected Lineup
Injuries: Bobby Ryan (finger), Kyle Turris (illness), Zack Smith (upper-body)
Scratches: Jack Rodewald
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
14 Alex Burrows | 19 Derick Brassard | 61 Mark Stone |
17 Nate Thompson | 44 Jean-Gabriel Pageau | 18 Ryan Dzingel |
68 Mike Hoffman | 78 Filip Chlapik | 10 Tom Pyatt |
89 Max McCormick | 49 Chris DiDomenico | |
Defense | ||
29 Johnny Oduya | 65 Erik Karlsson | 74 Mark Borowiecki |
2 Dion Phaneuf | 5 Cody Ceci | |
33 Fredrik Claesson | 6 Chris Wideman | |
Goalie | ||
41 Craig Anderson |
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (11th, T-9th on road), Senators (15th, T-26th at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (19nd, 29th on road), Senators (1st, 10th at home)
- Recent History vs. Senators
- Nov. 15, 2016 – Senators 3, Flyers 2 (SO)
- Dec. 1, 2016 – Flyers 3, Senators 2 (OT)
- March 28, 2017 – Flyers 3, Senators 2 (SO)
- Flyers Leaders vs. Senators
- Jake Voracek – 22 GP, 8 G, 9 A, 17 P
- Wayne Simmonds – 21 GP, 9 G, 7 A, 16 P
- Jordan Weal – 1 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 P
- Michal Neuvirth – 7 GP, 4-1-1, 1.85 GAA
- Milestone Watch
- Wayne Simmonds needs one assist to reach 200 for his career.
- Shayne Gostisbehere needs four points to reach 100 for his career.
Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic