UPDATE 12:05 PM EST

The Flyers have claimed veteran defenseman Nick Boynton off waivers from Chicago. He will be the club's seventh defenseman once Chris Pronger is healthy, and barring further injuries.

As a result of claiming Boynton (who makes the NHL minimum $500,000) , the Flyers are at the 23-man NHL roster limit. They have had to temporarily assign James van Riemsdyk to the Phantoms to get cap compliant. The situation will be rectified when Erik Gustafsson is returned to the AHL following the game.

With JVR temporarily ineligible to play for the big club, Nikolay Zherdev figures to be in the lineup tonight. I have adjusted the lineups below accordingly.

****

PREVIEW 10:15 AM EST

The Flyers (40-15-6) will match their win and point totals from last season if they defeat the Eastern Conference cellar-dwelling Ottawa Senators (20-32-9) on the road tonight. This is the third of four meetings but the first of two in Ottawa between the teams this season. The Flyers won the two games in Philly (Nov. 15 and Jan. 20) by a combined score of 11-3.

Philly is coming off a nearly disastrous game against the New York Islanders that saw the club blow a two-goal lead before rescuing the two points in overtime. In the same game, Chris Pronger took a puck off his wrist and had to leave the game. Although X-rays were negative, his hand was too swollen yesterday to grip a stick.

Pronger is considered questionable for tonight. I suspect that he won't play, because the Flyers do not play again until Thursday, which would give him a full week to heal. The Flyers have called up rookie Erik Gustafsson to make the trip. Fourth line center Blair Betts (finger laceration) is also unlikely to play tonight.

The last time the Flyers and Senators played, things turned quite chippy. I expect a calmer game tonight. Then again, I expected fights in Thursday's game against the Islanders and nothing was forthcoming, so take it with a grain of salt.

Ottawa is pretty much playing out the string at this point. They are also banged up. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar (lower body) and forwards Daniel Alfredsson (back) and Jesse Winchester (knee) are all on injured reserve. Backup goalie Pascal Leclaire (lower body) and forward Peter Regin (shoulder) are out indefinitely. Forward Chris Neil (lower body) is day-to-day.


PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)

FLYERS

Nodl - Richards - Versteeg
Hartnell - Briere - Leino
Zherdev - Giroux - Carter
Carcillo - Powe - Shelley

Coburn - Timonen
Meszaros - O'Donnell
Gustafsson - Carle

Boucher
[Bobrovsky]


SENATORS

Michalek - Spezza - Butler
Shannon - Foligno - Svatos
Greening - Smith - Condra
Lessard - Locke - Wick

Phillips - Lee
Kuba - Karlsson
Campoli - Carkner

Anderson
[Lehner]

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