IPDATE 10:45 AM EDT
Nicklas Grossmann is not skating this morning with the Flyers, so the defenseman is unlikely to play tonight.
PREVIEW 9:00 AM EDT
In the first game of a five-game homestand that in many ways represents a last-ditch effort to become a playoff race factor in the April stretch drive, the Philadelphia Flyers (13-16-2) take on the archrival New York Rangers (15-13-3). Tonight's game starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
This is the fourth of five meetings between the teams this season and the second of three in Philadelphia. On. Jan 24 at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers captured a 2-1 regulation win. The Rangers returned the favor with a 2-1 regulation win at Madison Square Garden five nights later. On March 5, the Rangers won a 4-2 game on home ice after the game entered the third period tied.
Overall, the Rangers and controversial head coach John Tortorella have more or less owned Peter Laviolette's Flyers in recent seasons. Over the last 11 games between the teams, the Flyers have a 1-9-1 record against the Blueshirts.
The 2013 season has been of frequent disappointments for the Flyers. In their most recent letdown, the Flyers were unable to protect a third-period lead against the Eastern Conference leading Pittsburgh Penguins, going down to a 2-1 overtime defeat. Team captain Claude Giroux scored the lone Philadelphia goal.
The Rangers, who are coming off a shootout loss in their last game, have also underachieved this season. The team is 4-5-1 in its last 10 games and is barely clinging to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Whenever a team plays the Rangers, the biggest challenge is to make sure not to put itself in the position of trying to play third period comeback hockey. While that is true against any team in the league, it's especially crucial against the Rangers. Dating back to 2010-11, the Rangers are 67-0-3 in games they've led after two periods. This season, New York has only led after two periods in eight games this year but they sport a perfect 8-0-0 record.
On the injury front, the Flyers revealed yesterday that Danny Briere has a concussion and will be out indefinitely. Defensive defenseman Nicklas Grossmann is day-to-day with an upper torso injury. For the Rangers, defensemen Marc Staal (eye injury) and Michael Sauer (concussion) remain out of the lineup.
The Flyers have recalled forward Tye McGinn from Adirondack. He will be in the starting lineup tonight.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)
FLYERS
24 Matt Read 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
12 Simon Gagne - 10 Brayden Schenn - 17 Wayne Simmonds
19 Scott Hartnell - 25 Max Talbot - 36 Zac Rinaldo
26 - Ruslan Fedotenko - 14 Sean Couturier - 15 Tye McGinn
4 Kimmo Timonen - 22 Luke Schenn
5 Braydon Coburn - 27 Bruno Gervais
41 Andrej Meszaros - 3 Kurtis Foster
30 Ilya Bryzgalov
[49 Michael Leighton]
RANGERS
61 Rick Nash - 19 Brad Richards - 20 Chris Kreider
62 Carl Hagelin - 21 Derek Stepan - 24 Ryan Callahan
14 Taylor Pyatt - 22 Brian Boyle - 10 Marian Gaborik
45 Arron Asham - 28 Kris Newbury - 8 Darroll Powe
27 Ryan McDonagh - 5 Dan Girardi
4 Michael Del Zotto - 44 Steve Eminger
40 Roman Hamrlik - 6 Anton Strålman
30 Henrik Lundqvist
[43 Martin Biron]
**********
Kindle users: Please sign up for Flyers Buzz. For more information
click here.
Click below to follow me on Twitter:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»