Flyers-Capitals: Game 35 Preview

4-20-16_FlyersvsCaps_2nd_credKateFrese-8

(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

It was nearly eight months ago that the Washington Capitals put an end to the Flyers 2015-16 season with a win in Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The two teams meet again for the first time in the 2016-17 season on Wednesday night, with the Flyers looking to return to the win column after back-to-back losses.

The opening face-off is set for 8 p.m.

Flyers Leaders GP G A P Capitals Leaders GP G A P
Jake Voracek 34 11 23 34 Nicklas Backstrom 30 9 18 27
Claude Giroux 34 9 21 30 Alex Ovechkin 30 14 9 23
Wayne Simmonds 34 16 13 29 Marcus Johansson 30 12 10 22
Brayden Schenn 31 9 12 21 Evgeny Kuznetsov 30 3 14 17
Travis Konecny 34 4 12 16 T.J. Oshie 23 10 5 15
 
Player to Watch
11 Travis Konecny 8 Alex Ovechkin
Last 5 Games: 0 G, 1 A, 1 P, +2 Last 5 Games: 2 G, 2 A, 4 P, E
 
He hasn't scored in 19 games, but Travis Konecny has been all around the net and nearly snapped his scoring drought on Monday. Given his recent performances, buzzing around the net, this could be Konecny's night to get back on the score sheet.
 
It's been a bit of a quiet season for Alex Ovechkin. While he has 14 goals this season, the halfway point of the season is nearing and Ovechkin is only on pace for 35 goals this season, far from the 50-goal production he has had in each of the last three seasons. But that can all change quickly, especially if Washington's power play gets into a rhythm.
 
Goalie Matchup
35 Steve Mason 70 Braden Holtby
13-9-3, 2.68 GAA, .908 SV% 14-7-2, 2.08 GAA, .925 SV%

Steve Mason played well on Monday, making 30 saves and stopping one more chance in the shootout. Mason should be in goal for the Flyers again for what will be his 17th start in 19 games.

Braden Holtby is not having the outrageous success he had a season ago in terms of wins, but he is still working on an excellent season with numbers even better than last season. His goals against average is 2.08, 12 points lower than a season ago, and his save percentage is .925, three points higher than a season ago. Holtby last started for the Capitals on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Montreal, making 23 saves on 25 shots.

Flyers Projected Lineup

Scratches: Boyd Gordon, Nick Schultz, Sean Couturier, Michal Neuvirth, Matt Read, Mark Streit

Left Wing Center Right Wing
12 Michael Raffl 28 Claude Giroux 93 Jake Voracek
11 Travis Konecny 10 Brayden Schenn 17 Wayne Simmonds
76 Chris VandeVelde 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare 13 Roman Lyubimov
58 Taylor Leier 25 Nick Cousins 22 Dale Weise
Defense    
3 Radko Gudas 15 Michael Del Zotto  
47 Andrew MacDonald 9 Ivan Provorov  
53 Shayne Gostisbehere 23 Brandon Manning  
Goalie    
35 Steve Mason    

Game Notes

  • Power Play: Flyers (T-4th, 7th at home), Capitals (11th, 11th on road)
  • Penalty Kill: Flyers (T-11th, 14th at home), Capitals (7th, 15th on road) 
  • Recent History vs. Capitals
    • 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs - The two teams met in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Washington rolled to a 3-0 series lead behind a 2-0 win in Game 1, a 4-1 win in Game 2 and a 6-1 win in Game 3. The Flyers rallied for wins in Game 4, 2-1, and Game 5, 2-0, before falling in Game 6, 1-0, to lose the series four games to two.
    • March 30, 3016 – In their final regular-season meeting of 2016, the Flyers came away with a 2-1 win in a shootout. A power-play goal by Alex Ovechkin at 1:28 of the third period broke a scoreless tie. Brayden Schenn knotted the game at one with a power-play goal with 5:28 remaining in regulation. Nick Cousins and Sam Gagner scored in the shootout while Steve Mason made saves on both shootout attempts he faced to give the Flyers a crucial victory.
  • Flyers leaders vs. Capitals
    • Claude Giroux – 29 games, 15 goals, 16 assists, 31 points
    • Jake Voracek - 25 games, 11 goals, 7 assists, 18 points
    • Shayne Gostisbehere - 3 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 3 points
    • Steve Mason - 16 games, 8-5-2, 2.71 GAA, .908 Sv%
  • Milestone Watch
    • Wayne Simmonds will play in his 400th game as a Flyer on Wednesday night.

Where to Watch
TV: NBCSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

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