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Flyers Gameday: 2/12/2022 @ DET

February 12, 2022, 6:20 AM ET [470 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Game 47 Preview: Flyers @ Red Wings

Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (15-23-8) are in the Motown on Saturday to take on Jeff Blashill's Detroit Red Wings (21-21-6) in a matinee game. Gametime at Little Caesars Arena is noon Eastern time (NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic).

On Wednesday, the Red Wings skated to a 6-3 victory over the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. The bright spot for the Flyers was that the team scored on the very next shift three times in response to Detroit tallies.

Carter Hart will get the start in goal for the Flyers on Saturday. The team recalled Jackson Cates on an emergency basis on late Friday afternoon. There was no word on Flyers which Flyers forward was unavailable or at least potentially unavailable for Saturday's game. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who got banged up in Wednesday's game, will not play. Kevin Connauton will re-enter the starting lineup for the first time since January 8.

The Flyers practiced with the following combinations:

23 Oskar Lindblom - 28 Claude Giroux - 89 Cam Atkinson
25 James van Riemsdyk - 21 Scott Laughton - 11 Travis Konecny
20 Gerry Mayhew - 19 Derick Brassard - 71 Max Willman
76 Isaac Ratcliffe - 82 Connor Bunnaman - 17 Zack MacEwen

9 Ivan Provorov - 61 Justin Braun
6 Travis Sanheim - 8 Kevin Connauton
3 Keith Yandle - 24 Nick Seeler

79 Carter Hart
[35 Martin Jones]

For Detroit, Troy Stecher is a game-day decision for Saturday. Stecher underwent wrist surgery in late November but is now practicing with the team. Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy is day-to-day but practiced in a non-contact jersey on Friday. Jakub Vrana remains on IR but is practicing in a non-contact jersey. Filip Hronek is in COVID-19 protocol.

Potential starting lineup if Stecher plays:

11 Filip Zadina - 71 Dylan Larkin - 23 Lucas Raymond
59 Tyler Bertuzzi - 24 Pius Suter - 14 Robby Fabbri
92 Vladislav Namestnikov - 27 Michael Rasmussen - 73 Adam Erne
48 Givani Smith - 90 Joe Veleno - 89 Sam Gagner

65 Dan DeKeyser - 53 Moritz Seider
18 Marc Staal - 70 Troy Stecher
82 Jordan Oesterle - 28 Gustav Lindström

39 Alex Nedeljkovic
29 Thomas Greiss

**********

Phantoms Earn Costly 6-3 Win vs. Hershey

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms generated only 14 shots on goal but nevertheless dispatched the Hershey Bears, 6-3, at the PPL Center on Friday night in the first game of a three-in-three gauntlet for the Phantoms. The Phantoms forged ahead just 1:21 into the game, led 3-1 by the end of the first period, and never looked back despite a third period push by the Bears.

Matthew Strome notched a goal and two assists in the game; all in the first period. Brennan Saulnier opened the scoring early in the first period. The Phantoms also received a power play goal and an assist from team captain Cal O'Reilly. Alex Kile, Logan Day and Garrett Wilson (empty net goal) rounded out the scoring. Felix Sandström stopped 17 of 20 shots to earn the win in goal for the Phantoms.

The win was a costly one for the Phantoms, who had to rotate only nine forwards in the third period. Defenseman Cam York had to leave the game after he was hi near the Hershey bench in the latter stages of the first period. York returned for one shift but did not come back for the final 40 minutes of the game. Later, Linus Sandin (one assist) was on the receiving end of a hit in the corner and was unable to return for the third period.

Additionally, Morgan Frost missed the game due to a non-COVID illness. With Jackson Cates on emergency recall to the Flyers, the Phantoms started the game with defenseman Cooper Zech playing up front. However, when York went down, Zech switched back to playing defense. Sandin's apparent injury left the Phantoms with only nine forwards for the rest of the game.

The Phantoms will host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday. Hershey will return to Allentown for another game on Sunday.
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