The Flyers all acknowledged the magnitude of a 4-2 win against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday two days after nearly rebounding from 3-1 deficit to earn a point against the New York Islanders.
This was a demanding week for the Flyers on paper and so far, the Flyers have passed the test with two strong games. Their last comes on Friday night, as they face the NHL's current top team, the Dallas Stars.
The opening face-off from American Airlines Center is set for 8 p.m.
Flyers Leaders | GP | G | A | P | Stars Leaders | GP | G | A | P |
Claude Giroux | 29 | 11 | 16 | 27 | Jamie Benn | 28 | 19 | 20 | 39 |
Wayne Simmonds | 29 | 7 | 9 | 16 | Tyler Seguin | 28 | 15 | 24 | 39 |
Jake Voracek | 29 | 1 | 14 | 15 | John Klingberg | 28 | 5 | 25 | 30 |
Brayden Schenn | 27 | 6 | 8 | 14 | Patrick Sharp | 28 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
Scott Laughton | 29 | 3 | 6 | 9 | Jason Spezza | 28 | 11 | 8 | 19 |
Player to Watch | |
24 Matt Read | 14 Jamie Benn |
Last 5 Games: 2 G, 0 A, 2 P, +5 | Last 5 Games: 2 G, 4 A, 6 P, +3 |
Goalie Matchup | |
30 Michal Neuvirth | 1 Antti Niemi |
7-3-2, 1.99 GAA, .938 SV% | 11-4-2, 2.55 GAA, .909 SV% |
Michal Neuvirth is back in goal again after making 35 saves in the Flyers win on Thursday in St. Louis. Neuvirth has ranked among the league-leaders in GAA and save percentage this season.
The Flyers struggled to score on Antti Niemi in the first meeting between the two teams in October. Niemi has made the bulk of the starts for Dallas, but Dallas' defense is coming off a game where they allowed five goals.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Scratches: Mark Streit, Sam Gagner, Andrew MacDonald, Vincent Lecavalier, Luke Schenn
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
12 Michael Raffl | 28 Claude Giroux | 10 Brayden Schenn |
24 Matt Read | 14 Sean Couturier | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
76 Chris VandeVelde | 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 93 Jake Voracek |
20 R.J. Umberger | 21 Scott Laughton | 25 Ryan White |
Defense | ||
15 Michael Del Zotto | 3 Radko Gudas | |
55 Nick Schultz | 82 Evgeny Medvedev | |
23 Brandon Manning | 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | |
Goalie | ||
30 Michal Neuvirth |
No changes for the Flyers, who roll out the same lines and lineup as Thursday's win in St. Louis.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (25th, T-16th on road), Stars (2nd, T-2nd at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (22nd, 17th on road), Stars (T-16th, T-19th at home)
- The Flyers lost to the Stars on Oct. 20, 2-1. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn scored for the Stars, Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers. Steve Mason made 30 saves on 32 shots, while Antti Niemi made 34 saves on 35 shots.
- Flyers leaders vs. Stars
- Claude Giroux - 10 games, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points
- Wayne Simmonds - 22 games, 7 goals, 6 assists, 13 points
- Jake Voracek – 18 games, 2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points
- Michal Neuvirth - 2 games, 0-2-0, 3.54 GAA, .877 SV%
Where to Watch
TV: TCN
Radio: 93.3 WMMR
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.