PREVIEW (8:30 AM)

The Flyers won’t have much time to savor their opening night victory in Carolina. The team is right back in action tonight, traveling to New Jersey to take on the Devils in what will be Martin Brodeur’s 1,000th NHL game.

Philly is coming off one of the best opening-night performances in team history. The club played a very strong game in shutting out Carolina 2-0 last night, receiving outstanding special teams play, excellent goaltending from Ray Emery and solid team defense in protecting the lead. The one quibble – which was something team captain Mike Richards made a point of mentioning after the game – was the fact that the team put itself shorthanded eight times last night.

Scoring first is important in any game, but it’s critical against the defensive-minded Devils. Last season, New Jersey had a staggering .841 winning percentage when scoring the first goal of the game. (Today’s Daily Drop at Versus.com looks at why scoring the first goal is so crucial in the NHL). The Devils may have a new coach, but their philosophy isn’t going to change much.

Flyers lines

Hartnell – Carter – Briere
Gagne – Richards – Pyorala
JVR – Giroux – Powe
Carcillo – Betts – Laperriere

Pronger – Carle
Timonen – Coburn
Parent – Syvret

Emery
[Backlund]

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You can order Pelle Lindbergh: Behind the White Mask online at Barnes & Noble, via Amazon or through Middle Atlantic Press.

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