Game 78 Preview: Flyers @ Canadiens
Interim head coach Mike Yeo's Philadelphia Flyers (23-43-11) are in Quebec on Thursday to take on interim head coach Martin St. Louis' Montreal Canadiens (20-46-11). Game time at the Bell Centre is 7:00 p.m. EDT (NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic).
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the teams, and the second in Montreal. The Flyers are 0-0-2 against the Habs this season, twice failing to protect leads in the latter portion of the third period and going on to settle for one point.
On Dec. 16 at the Bell Centre, Laurent Dauphin tied the game with 5:39 remaining in the third period. The Flyers failed to score on an overtime 4-on-3 power play and went on to lose via shootout, 3-2 (1-0). On March 13 at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers had a lead and a power play in the final minute of regulation but proceeded to cough up a shorthanded goal to Rem Pitlick and then, after a turnover on a breakout, gave up an overtime goal to Cole Caufield to lose, 4-3.
The Flyers enter this game having lost six matches in a row, all in regulation. The club is coming off a 5-2 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday evening. James van Riemsdyk (21st goal of the season) and rookie defenseman Ronnie Attard (2nd) scored in a losing cause. Philadelphia is 10-23-5 in away games this season.
On Wednesday, the Flyers recalled puck-moving defenseman Linus Högberg on an emergency basis from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 24-year-old will make his NHL debut in Montreal. Högberg has dealt with injury issues this season with the Phantoms but recently returned to their lineup and dressed in 57 of the farm team's 70 games played this season (0g, 7a, 14 penalty minutes).
The Flyers did not practice on Wednesday but will hold a morning skate on Thursday. Martin Jones is the starter in goal.
The Canadiens have also lost six games in a row in regulation including two home shutout losses in that span. On Tuesday, the Habs were shut out on home ice, 2-0, by the Minnesota Wild. Cam Talbot recorded a 26-save shutout for Minnesota while Carey Price stopped 28 of 30 shots in his second game since returning to the Canadiens from a season-long leave to deal with personal issues.
For an in-depth look at Thursday's matchups, statistical trends and players to watch, see the
"Five Things" preview on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com. Projected starting lineups will be added to this blog later today.
PROJECTED LINEUP
FLYERS
21 Scott Laughton - 13 Kevin Hayes - 11 Travis Konecny
25 James van Riemsdyk - 86 Joel Farabee - 46 Bobby Brink
49 Noah Cates - 48 Morgan Frost - 74 Owen Tippett
23 Oskar Lindblom - 44 Nate Thompson - 17 Zack MacEwen
9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Ronnie Attard
84 Linus Högberg - 6 Travis Sanheim
3 Keith Yandle - 54 Egor Zamula
35 Martin Jones
[32 Felix Sandström]
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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