UPDATE 2:30 PM EDT
The Flyers have made two roster moves today:
* They claimed checking line forward Adam Hall off waivers from Tampa Bay. With the loss of Max Talbot for the rest of the season, there was a need for a player like Hall. He's a solid faceoff man and a good penalty killer. Hall's cap hit this season is $650,000 and he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
* The Flyers traded backup goaltender Michael Leighton and a 3rd round pick in 2015 to the Columbus Blue Jackets for goaltender Steve Mason. The 24-year-old Mason had a tremendous rookie season in 2008-09 but has struggled ever since. He is a reclamation project at this point, but should see more playing time behind Ilya Bryzgalov the rest of this season than either Leighton or Brian Boucher would have received . Mason, who carries a $3.2 million cap hit ($2.9 million salary) this season, will be a restricted free agent in the summer.
PREVIEW 4:05 AM EDT
Looking to build their first three-game winning streak of the 2013 season and finish their homestand with a 3-1-1 record, the Philadelphia Flyers (15-17-3) take on the Montreal Canadiens (23-7-5) at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast locally on CSN Philadelphia and nationally throughout Canada in English on TSN and in French on RDS.
This is the second of three meetings between the teams this season, and the lone game in Philadelphia. On Feb. 16, the hosting Habs had little trouble dispatching the Flyers by a 4-1 count despite the unavailability of flu-riddled starting goaltender Carey Price.
In that game, backup Peter Budaj made 18 inartistic saves when called upon for a stop. In the meantime, the team in front of him skated circles around the Flyers and methodically picked apart Brian Boucher. David Desharnais, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec and Rene Bourque scored for the Canadiens. Danny Briere got the lone tally for Philly.
The Flyers enter tonight's game coming off a 3-1 win over Boston and a 5-4 late comeback victory against Washington. The Canadiens, who sport a stellar 12-3-2 record on the road, bring a three-game winning streak into this tilt. Montreal knocked off Carolina, 4-1, in its last game and has won seven of its last 10 (7-2-1) heading into tonight.
The Flyers have lived and died by their special teams this season. The Flyers enter tonight ranked number one in the NHL on the power play (24.8 percent) and eighth on the penalty kill (83.9 percent). Unfortunately, they are 28th of 30 teams in the NHL in their even-strength goal differential.
Conversely, the Canadiens are third in the NHL at even strength. Montreal is ranked ninth
in NHL on the power play (21.3 percent) and 16th (81.1 percent) on the penalty kill.
On the injury front, the Flyers remain severely depleted on the blueline. Nicklas Grossmann (upper body) has returned to practice but sported a no-contact jersey yesterday. He is unlikely to play tonight. Braydon Coburn (separated left shoulder) and Andrej Meszaros (torn left rotator cuff) are lost for the remainder of the season.
The Flyers also have two significant injuries up front. Max Talbot (broken left leg) is out for the rest of the season, while Danny Briere (concussion) remains sidelined indefinitely.
Yesterday, the Flyers placed defenseman Kurtis Foster on waivers. If he goes unclaimed today, he will still be available to the team if needed for tonight. However, with the recent acquisition of Kent Huskins and callup of Oliver Lauridsen, Foster is a spare player even with all the other injuries on defense.
Acquired on Sunday from Anaheim, enforcer Jay Rosehill is now with the Flyers. He will wear uniform number 37. Rosehill is available for tonight's game but is not currently expected to dress for the game.
For Montreal, Rene Bourque and Raphael Diaz are both sidelined with concussions, while Yannick Weber is on injured reserve with a knee injury and Ryan White (lower body) is also on the IR list. Colby Armstrong was placed on IR yesterday. Defenseman Davis Drewiske, acquired yesterday in trade, will join the team in Philadelphia but may not be in the lineup.
PROJECTED LINEUPS (Subject to change)
FLYERS
24 Matt Read - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
19 Scott Hartnell - 10 Brayden Schenn - 17 Wayne Simmonds
15 Tye McGinn - 14 Sean Couturier - 36 Zac Rinaldo
12 Simon Gagne - 26 Ruslan Fedotenko - 9 Mike Knuble
44 Kimmo Timonen - 27 Bruno Gervais/ 22 Luke Schenn
38 Oliver Lauridsen - 22 Luke Schenn / 27 Bruno Gervais
23 Kent Huskins - 29 Erik Gustafsson
30 Ilya Bryzgalov
[49 Michael Leighton]
CANADIENS
73 Michael Ryder - 14 Tomas Plekanec - 21 Brian Gionta
67 Max Pacioretty - 51 David Desharnais - 11 Brendan Gallagher
27 Alex Galchenyuk - 81 Lars Eller - 8 Brandon Prust
32 Travis Moen - 24 Jeff Halpern - 45 Mike Blunden
79 Andrei Markov - 74 Alexei Emelin
26 Josh Gorges - 76 P.K. Subban
55 Francis Bouillon - Davis Drewiske (?)/ 40 Nathan Beaulieu (?)
31 Carey Price
[30 Peter Budaj]
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FLYERS TRADE DEADLINE TRACKER
Today is the National Hockey League's trading deadline. The Flyers are not expected to acquire any current NHL players unless it is a defenseman available for the long haul as well as for this season. With the team on the outermost playoff bubble. they are not likely to add any rental players.
The team has a few veteran forwards who are impending unrestricted free agents and have significant past playoff experience including Stanley Cup rings: Simon Gagne (LA in 2012), Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay in 1994, Pittsburgh in 2009) and Mike Knuble (Detroit in 1998).
Of the three, defensive specialist Fedotenko appears the most likely candidate to be moved today in exchange for a draft pick. However, with the season-ending broken leg suffered by Talbot, the Flyers' own need to retain the veteran forward has increased.
If and when the Flyers make any moves today, I will update the blog with the information plus brief commentary on the trade.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERNIE!
Arguably the most beloved Flyers player of all time, Hall of Fame goaltender Bernie Parent celebrates his 68th birthday today. Originally a native of the Rosemont section of Montreal, Parent has made his permanent (on-land) home in the greater Philadelphia area ever since his playing days.
In honor of Parent's birthday, here is the two-part biographical Heroes of the Past piece I wrote for the Flyers' official website in 2007:
Heroes of the Past: Bernie Parent (Part I) (Early years, Bruins days, first Flyers stint, Toronto, Philadelphia Blazers)
Heroes of the Past: Bernie Parent (Part II) (Flyers' Cup years and beyond, career ending injury, dark years and redemption, coaching mentorship and friendship with Pelle Lindbergh and more)
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