UPDATE 1:30 PM EST
Sergei Bobrovsky gets the start tonight, as expected.
UPDATE 10 AM EST
One of more interesting debates going on right now is whether the Flyers should continue to play Claude Giroux on a line with Jeff Carter and, if so, whether Carter should be moved to center and Giroux to right wing.
Giroux is coming off a subpar weekend. He appeared be banged up late in the game against Montreal and perhaps he was trying to force the play a little bit in the New Jersey game. But he is having such a strong season in general that I would be very hesitant to change a thing with him. I think he's earned the right to stay at center for now.
Carter, meanwhile, has had his characteristic ice-cold and red-hot stretches through the first quarter of the season. He appears to be adapting to the wing, although his size and faceoff ability (which has gotten better and better with each passing season) are probably better utilized in the middle.
Carter and Giroux have not shown especially good chemistry so far, but they have done better together than Carter did with Mike Richards. The biggest issue seems to be that Carter and Giroux both are at their most effective when they have the puck on their stick. Although Giroux excels in creating scoring chances for his linemates, Carter is not typically the type of player who looks for seams to receive passes. Rather, he tends to carry the mail himself and then fire off a shot.
Consequently, over the course of his Flyers career, Carter has not had chemistry with too many linemates. The big exception came two seasons ago when he clicked with Scott Hartnell and Joffrey Lupul. But Hartnell and Carter (with Danny Briere at right wing) underachieved together last season relative to their preseason expectations. Earlier this season, when Briere was suspended for three games, Carter played well with Hartnell and Ville Leino.
Right now, I don't see Peter Laviolette breaking up the Hartnell - Briere - Leino line, which has been the club's most consistent unit since the playoffs last season. We already have seen that Carter and Richards don't click especially well together. So that leaves the current arrangement with Giroux centering Carter. Left alone, I do think some chemistry will emerge beyond the strong individual games both have had while playing on the same line.
The only real change the line may need is its third member. Darroll Powe has often been effective in the role of creating turnovers and havoc with his speed and physical play. He has not been as good lately, and he will always be a modest scorer. Andreas Nodl has clicked with Richards, but could be a candidate to play on the line at some point.
James van Riemsdyk finally broke through his scoring slump -- and had a three-game goal streak -- because he got more involved in the play. We've seen plenty of JVR and Giroux together over the last year and their level of effectiveness together has depended on how much JVR has pulled his own weight on the line. When he works down low, Giroux (or Richards) will find him. When he's content to play the perimeter, he's ineffective no matter whom he plays with.
Meanwhile, Nikolay Zherdev certainly has the skill to play with Giroux and Carter. But he's another player who is at his best carrying the puck himself, plus he will never be the guy to dig pucks from corners, support the puck and cover up high defensively as needed. When Dan Carcillo returns from injury, he could help complete the line if he plays under control. But Carcillo is not as good defensively as either Powe or Nodl.
Assuming that the Briere line stays as is and Carter and Giroux stay together, we could see Laviolette start experimenting with different wingers to try to complete the unit. By the way, I have never bought into the idea of forward "pairs" with interchangeable third members. A line is three people, not two.
Just as the Legion of Doom line truly hummed when Mikael Renberg and, later, Keith Jones, were at the top of their games and the three members of the Hartnell - Briere - Leino line each need to bring their particular strengths to the unit's effectiveness. You never know when three particular players will click together, but when they do, each one makes his other two linemates that much better.
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PREVIEW 7:45 AM EST
After back-to-back shootout losses over the Thanksgiving weekend, the Flyers (15-6-4) return to action tonight to take on the Boston Bruins (12-8-2) for the first time since completing a comeback from both a series and Game 7 deficit of 3-0 to defeat Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.
Having had three days off since their last game, including a practice-free day, the Flyers should have their batteries recharged but still have to guard against a slow start. With the club having struggled on the power play in the games heading into the break, there's nowhere to go but up on that front.
The Bruins, who have faced a packed schedule after playing an extremely light slate of games after their initial return from Europe following the NHL Premiere, have lost 6 of their last 10 games (4-5-1) and are coming off a 4-1 thrashing in Atlanta. But Boston goalie Tim Thomas has been incredible this season, posting a 11-2-1 with a 1.56 GAA and .951 save percentage and reclaiming his starting job from Tuukka Rask. In addition to Thomas' strong goaltending, the Bruins defense blocks a lot of shots and top defenseman Zdeno Chara is never easy to play against.
Meanwhile, Marc Savard has begun practicing with the team but is not yet ready to return from post-concussion syndrome. The Bruins also remain without Marco Sturm (knee surgery). After a red hot start, Nathan Horton has cooled off but he still remains second on the team in scoring with 8 goals and 18 points. Highly touted rookie Tyler Seguin has posted 4 goals and 8 points, dressing in every game but often receiving limited ice time.
Projected starting lineups (subject to change)
FLYERS
JVR - Richards - Nodl
Hartnell - Briere - Leino
Zherdev - Giroux - Carter
Shelley - Betts - Powe
Pronger - Carle
Coburn - Timonen
Meszaros - O’Donnell
Bobrovsky
[Boucher]
BRUINS
Lucic - Krejci - Horton
Recchi - Bergeron - Wheeler
Caron - Campbell - Thornton
Marchand - Seguin - Ryder
Chara - Ference
Seidenberg - Boychuk
Stuart - McQuaid
Thomas
[Rask]
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This week's
Across the Pond at NHL.com looks at the challenges faced by longtime NHL goalie Tommy Salo in recently accepting the GM post of Leksands IF. Salo will become the team's sixth GM since 2000. The club is also on its 11th full-time or interim head coach in that time period, with the post currently being held by former Flyers prospect and longtime Leksand player Niklas Eriksson.
The current
at Versus.com looks at the tough decision the Dallas Stars face in either trading impending unrestricted free agent Brad Richards. Should the first place club in the Pacific Division hang onto to their top offensive player to take their best shot at making the playoffs this season and try to hang in until their financial situation improves? Or should they deal him rather than risk losing him for nothing after the season? 
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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