UPDATE 11 AM
Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in goal tonight. Andrej Meszaros expects to play.
Henrik Lundqvist is coming off a 33-save performance in the Rangers' 3-2 win on Monday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. Brandon Dubinsky scored twice in that game and now leads the club with 7 goals. Both goals were assisted by Dubinsky's linemates Artem Anisimov and Ryan Callahan (who is riding a seven-game point streak).
The Rangers have several players who have a history of tormenting the Flyers over the course of their careers. In 21 games against the Flyers, mega pest Sean Avery has scored 8 goals and tallied 15 points. Ex-Flyer Ruslan Fedotenko has 13 regular season goals and 23 points in 32 games with his former team. At least the Flyers won't have to worry about stopping injured ex-Flyer Vaclav Prospal, who has 15 goals and 29 points in 42 games against Philly.
One of the more interesting subplots to tonight's game will be seeing how Jody Shelley fares in his almost set-in-stone fight(s) with Derek Boogaard. The Flyers signed Shelley to be a fighting upgrade on Riley Cote while also being able to skate regular shifts like Arron Asham. It's not for lack of effort, but the veteran has fallen a little bit short of those expectations in the early going. Tonight is a big game for Shelley. He wants to remain in the top 12 rotation, and needs to start adding a little more to the mix.
Projected lineups
FLYERS
JVR - Richards - Wellwood
Hartnell - Carter - Leino
Powe - Giroux - Zherdev
Shelley - Betts - Carcillo
Pronger - Carle
Coburn - Timonen
Meszaros - O'Donnell
Bobrovsky
[Boucher]
RANGERS
Dubinsky - Anisimov - Callahan
Avery - Boyle - Fedotenko
Frolov - Christensen - Prust
Boogaard - Stepan - Grachev
Staal - Rozsival
Del Zotto - Girardi
Gilroy - Eminger
Lundqvist/ Biron
MINI-PREVIEW 8:30 AM
When the Flyers (7-4-1) last saw the New York Rangers (6-4-1), the two clubs engaged in a win-and-you're-in, lose-and-you're-through pair of games in the final weekend of the 2009-10 regular season. Of course, Philadelphia prevailed via shootout in the second game to take the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and went to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers were left to answer questions about why head coach John Tortorella elected to use Olli Jokinen over Marian Gaborik in the shootout.
But then was then and this is now. The two clubs sit two points apart atop the Atlantic Division one month into the 2010-11 season. The Flyers enter the game riding a four-game winning streak, while the Blueshirts have taken two in a row.
Of late, the Flyers have been in synch, both offensively and defensively. They have been especially good on special teams of late, with both the powerplay and penalty kill in rhythm. The club will be without Danny Briere (2nd game of 3-game suspension) tonight. Meanwhile, the status of star Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is up in the air.
I will post an update later today, with more pregame commentary and projected lineups.
****
Today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com takes a look at Jonathan Matsumoto, who made his NHL debut earlier this week against the Flyers and scored his first and second NHL goals last night in Carolina's 7-2 win over the New York Islanders.
Side note: How much longer can the Islanders continue to allow DiPietro to struggle. He now has a 4.21 GAA and .854 save percentage in 7 starts. Even back in the mid-1980s to early 1990s, those would have been pedestrian numbers. Nowadays, it's disastrous.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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