PREVIEW 6:00 AM EDT
With wins over both 2011 Stanley Cup finalists and a divisional rival under their belts, the Flyers (3-0-0) take to the Wells Fargo Center ice tonight for a game against the Los Angeles Kings (1-1-1). Already, this game has received more pre-match hype and national attention than any past meeting with the Kings since Dave Schultz made his
return to Philadelphia early in the 1976-77 season.
Tonight, of course, marks former captain Mike Richards' first game against the Flyers since the June trade for Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn that sent shockwaves through the hockey world -- both for its own sake and also because it was announced minutes after the club traded Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek and the first-round pick that was used a few days later to select Sean Couturier.
The game starts at 7 PM and will be broadcast locally on CSN Philadelphia. In the Los Angeles area, it will air at 4 PM on Fox Sports West.
The current Flyers' players have spent the last few days -- and Richards has spent the last four months -- answering questions about the trade and the emotions tied into the first Kings-Flyers game after the trade. Further underscoring the drama is that fact that this, of course, is also Simmonds first game against his old club and that Richards' teammate, Simon Gagne, is only a season removed from making his own emotional return to Philadelphia after his
decade-long Flyers career came to an end.
Los Angeles also features ex-Flyer Justin Williams on the ice, former Flyers players and head coachs Terry Murray (Kings head coach) and John Stevens (assistant coach) behind the bench, and both Flyers Hall of fame goaltender Ron Hextall (assistant GM) and former Flyers scout Dean Lombardi (general manager) in their front office.
On Wednesday night, the Flyers played a penalty-filled game against the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks, prevailing 5-4. It was a sloppy match at times, but the Flyers used their depth (nine players on scoresheet) and strong goaltending from Ilya Bryzgalov to win the game. The Kings, who opened the season by splitting games in Stockholm (shootout win against the Rangers) and Berlin (regulation loss to the Sabres), played in New Jersey on Thursday, dropping a 2-1 decision via shootout. Gagne scored the lone Los Angeles goal.
For the Flyers, the top line of Claude Giroux (3 goals, 5 points) centering James van Riemsdyk (1 G, 1A) and Jaromir Jagr (2A) has been dynamic through the first three games. The club would like to get Danny Briere's line going a little better at five-on-five but his wingers, Simmonds (1G, 1A) and Jakub Voracek (2G) have had strong individual moments, especially emerging power forward Simmonds.
For the Kings, Anze Kopitar has come back strong from the injury that ruined his stretch drive and playoffs last year. He is off to a similar start (3G, 5PTS) to the one that had him leading the NHL in scoring through the first month of the 2009-10 season. Richards (1G, 1A) had an excellent debut for LA in Stockholm but has been quieter the last two games. Jonathan Quick has been very good in net in each of his first two starts.
So far, the Kings have not drawn many power plays compared to the Flyers. Los Angeles has only had 8 power plays through their first 3 games, cashing in on 2. Philadelphia has already had 17 man advantages, scoring 3 times. The Flyers scored a pair of power play goals in the game on Wednesday. On the flip side, Philadelphia has also taken too many penalties in the early going, killing off 14 of 17 disadvantages while the Kings have only faced 7 penalty kills, surviving 6 of them.
In 5-on-5 play, the Flyers have quickly built up a 7-2 goal advantage, while the Kings have thus far been outscored 6-4 (much of the damage came in the Berlin game). Philadelphia has scored 6 of its 10 goals so far in the first period.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)
FLYERS
JVR - Giroux - Jagr
Voracek - Briere - Simmonds
Hartnell - Couturier - Read
Nödl - Talbot - Rinaldo
Carle - Pronger
Timonen - Coburn
Meszaros - Lilja
Bryzgalov
[Bobrovsky]
KINGS
Gagne - Kopitar - Williams
Penner - Richards - Brown
Richardson - Stoll - Hunter
Clifford - Lewis - Moreau
Mitchell - Doughty
Scuderi - Johnson
Martinez - Greene
Quick
[Bernier]
*******
FARM REPORT
* The Phantoms moved to 2-0 on the season with a 6-3 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Brayden Schenn scored a hat trick and now has 5 points (3G, 2A) in his first two games with the team. The other Adirondack goals last night were scored by Tom Sestito, Harry Zolnierczyk and veteran defenseman Dan Jancevski.
* In Finland, Niko Hovinen recorded a 19-save shutout in the Lahti Pelicans' 5-0 win over HPK Hämeenlinna. It was the second shutout of the season for Hovinen, who lowered his GAA to 1.67 GAA and raised his save percentage to .936 in 12 starts.
* Brendan Ranford had a huge offensive night last night for the Kamloops Blazers, scoring four goals and adding an assist in a 5-4 win over the Portland Winter Hawks. In four games since returning from a suspension that dates back to late last season, Ranford now has 5 goals and 9 points.
* Marcel Noebels returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds lineup after being a healthy scratch the previous game. He did not post a point in last night's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Giants. Through his first 4 games of the season, he has 2 points (2G, 0A).
* Nick Cousins had a goal and an assist in the SSM Greyhounds' 6-4 win last night over the Kingston Frontenacs. Cousins now has 11 points (5G, 6A) through his first 9 games.
* Colin Suellentrop had an even plus-minus and no points in the Oshawa Generals' 3-2 shootout win last night against the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors. In 9 games to date, the defenseman has 3 points (1G, 2A) and an even plus-minus rating.
* Derek Mathers had no points and a minor penalty in the Peterborough Petes' 4-0 win over Guelph last night. The enforcer has already surpassed his goal total and matched his point total for all of last season, tallying 2 goals and 5 points through his first 9 games. He has logged 29 PIM to date.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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