Game 39 Preview: FLYERS @ PREDATORS
Interim head coach Scott Gordon's Philadelphia Flyers (15-18-5) are in Tennessee on New Year's Day to play Peter Laviolette's Nashville Predators (23-15-2). Game time at Bridgestone Arena is 8:30 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast can be found on 97.5 FM The Fanatic with an online simulcast at
FlyersRadio247.com.
This is the second and final meeting of the season series between the teams and the lone game in Nashville. At the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 20, the Flyers earned a 2-1 win. Six successful penalty kills over the final 27 minutes of the game, including extensive 5-on-3 time with only three available defensemen, 24 blocked shots and a 31-save performance by Carter Hart were just enough to win. Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux scored for the Flyers.
Flyers Outlook
Tuesday's game is the final installment of the four-game southern portion of Philly's five-game road trip on either side of the NHL's Christmas break. It's also the second half of a back-to-back set and the final game of a three-in-four. The Flyers are 0-2-1 since Christmas.
On Monday in Raleigh, the Flyers lost a dreadful 3-1 game to the Carolina Hurricanes (a full recap
is here).
A relatively sleepy first period from both teams resulted in a lot of perimeter play and a 1-0 Flyers deficit at the first intermission. The wheels fell off for the Flyers at the drop of the puck for the second period, and the deficit quickly grew to 3-0. A goalie change from Hart (3 GA on 10 shots) to Michal Neuvirth (23 saves on 23 shots) helped keep Carolina at bay the rest of the game. Nevertheless, the Flyers drew no closer than 3-1 after a sharp angle goal by Voracek (10th) early in the third period.
Philly was outshot by a 25-12 margin over the final 40 minutes of play. According to the official scorers, the Flyers were guilty of 46 turnovers (29 giveaways charged to Flyers, 17 takeaways credited to Carolina) to 18 by Carolina (13 Canes giveaways, 5 Flyers takeaways). While these numbers are inflated, it nevertheless speaks to what an awful game Monday's match was for the Flyers.
Predators Outlook
The Predators, like the Flyers, are playing the second half of a back-to-back, for the third time in four nights and fourth in six nights. Thus, "fatigue factor" cannot be cited by either team.
The Predators, who have dealt with numerous injuries this season, have not been at their best of late. After the 2-1 loss in Philadelphia (Nashville's first regulation loss to an Eastern Conference opponents after a 10-0-1 start), the Predators suffered a 5-2 road loss in Boston in the final game before the NHL's holiday break. Since the break, the Predators fell on home ice, 2-0, to the Dallas Stars and then, on Saturday, sustained a 4-3 home setback at the hands of the New York Rangers.
However, Nashville stepped up on New Year's Eve, earning a 6-3 road win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals after falling into early 2-0 and 3-1 deficits. Rocco Grimaldi (2nd), Miikka Salomäki (3rd), Ryan Johansen (7th), Frederick Gaudreau (3rd), Ryan Ellis (4th), and Viktor Arvidsson (power play, 9th) scored for the Predators, who exploded for three unaswered goals in the second period and added two more in the third. Pekka Rinne stopped 22 of 25 shots to earn the win. The victory snapped a six-game road winless skid for Laviolette's team.
Defending Vezina Trophy winner Rinne, who stopped 28 of 30 shots against Dallas and 18 of 22 shots against the Rangers, might get a rest on Tuesday rather than playing for the fourth time in six nights. The Predators backup is Juuse Saros (12 stars and three relief appearances, 8-5-1 record, 3.05 GAA, .894 save percentage, one shutout).
The Predators could be without two key forwards: Kyle Turris is officially day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Filip Forsberg is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Projected Lines (Subject to change)
FLYERS
25 James van Riemsdyk - 28 Claude Giroux - 11 Travis Konecny
17 Wayne Simmonds - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek
21 Scott Laughton - 40 Jordan Weal - 12 Michael Raffl
23 Oskar Lindblom - 44 Phil Varone - 22 Dale Weise
9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 8 Robert Hägg
47 Andrew MacDonald - 3 Radko Gudas
30 Michal Neuvirth
[79 Carter Hart]
Scratches: 15 Jori Lehterä (healthy), 19 Nolan Patrick (upper body), 26 Christian Folin (healthy), 41 Anthony Stolarz (IR, lower body), 37 Brian Elliott (IR, lower body), 10 Corban Knight (IR, collarbone), 5 Sam Morin (ACL surgery).
PREDATORS
38 Ryan Hartman - 92 Ryan Johansen - 33 Viktor Arvidsson
22 Kevin Fiala - 19 Calle Järnkrok - 15 Craig Smith
20 Miikka Salomäki - 13 Nick Bonino - 51 Austin Watson
36 Zac Rinaldo - 89 Frederick Gaudreau - 23 Rocco Grimaldi
59 Roman Josi - 4 Ryan Ellis
14 Mattias Ekholm - 76 P.K. Subban
5 Dan Hamhuis - 2 Anthony Bitetto
74 Jusse Saros / 35 Pekka Rinne
Scratches: 52 Matt Irwin (healthy), 8 Kyle Turris (day-to-day, lower body), 9 Filip Forsberg (IR, upper body), 10 Colton Sissons (IR, ankle), 7 Yannick Weber (IR).
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WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS: MEDAL ROUND SET
The 2018-19 World Junior championship medal round quarterfinal matchups are set, and will take place on Jan. 2: Sweden vs. Switzerland, Russia vs. Slovakia, Canada vs. Finland and USA vs. Czech Republic. On Monday, Canada dropped a 2-1 decision to Russia while USA handled Finland, 4-1, and Sweden clinched Group B with a 4-1 win over Kazahkstan. Denmark will play Kazahkstan in order to avoid relegation.
Joel Farabee had an assist in the Americans' win over the Finns. Noah Cates had two shots on goal and continued his quietly steady play across 17:08 of ice time (Farabee played 17:10), while Jay O'Brien barely saw the ice at all (two shifts totally 1:04) while Jack St. Ivany played his tournament highest 20 shifts (14:18) and was minus-one.
Morgan Frost was tagged with a costly checking from behind minor (which also carries an automatic 10-minute misconduct after IIHF rules) in the first period of the game against Russia. The Russians scored on the power play, knotting the game at 1-1, and Frost was unavailable for most of the opening period. The Russians went ahead with nine minutes left in the third period and held on the rest of the way. Frost finished with one shot on goal and 13:09 of ice time in 20 shifts. Team USA's Ryan Poehling overtook Frost for the tournament scoring lead with his eighth point through four games.
Neither defenseman Adam Ginning (illness) nor goaltender Samuel Ersson (backup goalie after starting the first three games) were in Sweden's lineup on Monday.
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