UPDATE 4:00 PM
The Flyers have signed UNH defenseman Jamie Fritsch to an emergency amateur tryout contract. He will take Ryan Parent's place on today's roster.
The defense pairings will be:
Timonen - Jones
Coburn - Carle
Alberts - Fritsch
PREVIEW
There are some who say that home-ice advantage is overrated. But one needs only to look at the Flyers' all-time home and road records against the Pittsburgh Penguins to realize that today's regular season finale against the New York Rangers could go a long way toward determining whether the Flyers advance past the first round of the 2009 Staney Cup playoffs.
Entering today's game, the Flyers need one point to nail down the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and gain the home-ice edge over Pittsburgh. The Rangers are already locked in to the 7th seed and a first-round meeting with the Washington Capitals.
Theoretically. this should favor the Flyers. They're playing for something important while the Rangers' main objective is to simply get through the game and try to keep their key players healthy and rested for the marathon that lies ahead. But things don't always work out that simply in hockey.
The Flyers can't afford to play not to lose today. They need to come out and establish a forecheck, finish their checks get pucks and traffic at the net, and generally make a statement that they want two points today, not just one. That's the kind of team that needs to show up on every game from here on out -- these 30-minute and 40-minute efforts will no longer get it done.
Happy Easter!
FLYERS LINES (subject to change)
Gagne - Richards- Knuble
Hartnell - Carter - Lupul
Carcillo - Giroux - Briere
Nodl - Powe - Asham
Timonen - Parent
Coburn - Carle
Alberts - Jones
Biron/Niittymaki
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