Flyers-Maple Leafs: Game 50 Preview

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The Flyers are riding back-to-back wins for the first time since their winning streak ended last month and have one more game remaining before taking another break for All-Star weekend.

The opponent for the Orange and Black on Thursday night is an upstart, young team in the Toronto Maple Leafs, who despite their overall lack of experience bring a ton of talent to the ice.

The opening face-off is set for 7 p.m.

Flyers Leaders GP G A P Maple Leafs Leaders GP G A P
Jake Voracek 49 14 30 44 Auston Matthews 46 23 16 39
Claude Giroux 49 11 29 40 James van Riemsdyk 46 17 22 39
Wayne Simmonds 49 20 17 37 Mitch Marner 46 11 28 39
Brayden Schenn 46 15 18 33 Nazem Kadri 46 20 14 34
Ivan Provorov 49 4 18 22 Tyler Bozak 43 12 18 30
 
Player to Watch
93 Jake Voracek 34 Auston Matthews
Last 5 Games: 1 G, 3 A, 4 P, -1 Last 5 Games: 2 G, 0 A, 2 P, -1
 
Jake Voracek has points in two straight games and snapped an eight-game scoring drought with his goal on Wednesday. Even without a goal in eight straight games, Voracek has been setting up teammates with five assists in the eight-game drought and another assist on Wednesday as well. 
 
Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs rookie sensation, has been taking the league by storm this season with 23 goals, ranked fourth in the league. His scoring touch is tremendous and he's a threat from anywhere on the ice. Keep in mind that the Leafs struck for six goals against the Flyers in November and Matthews only factored into one of the goals with an assist.
 
Goalie Matchup
35 Steve Mason 35 Curtis McElhinney
16-15-6, 2.84 GAA, .902 SV% 3-1-2, 2.34 GAA, .928 SV%

Fresh off his shutout win on Wednesday night, Steve Mason is expected back between the pipes on Thursday against Toronto as well. Mason has been excellent in back-to-back starts, both wins for the Flyers.

Curtis McElhinney, a newcomer to the Leafs, makes his second start with Toronto and just his ninth appearance of the season on Thursday. McElhinney does have a strong record against the Flyers, going 5-2-0 with a 2.71 GAA in seven starts.

Flyers Projected Lineup

Scratches: Dale Weise, Nick Schultz, Michael Del Zotto

Left Wing Center Right Wing
12 Michael Raffl 28 Claude Giroux 93 Jake Voracek
11 Travis Konecny 10 Brayden Schenn 17 Wayne Simmonds
25 Nick Cousins 14 Sean Couturier 24 Matt Read
76 Chris VandeVelde 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare 13 Roman Lyubimov
Defense    
23 Brandon Manning 53 Shayne Gostisbehere  
9 Ivan Provorov 47 Andrew MacDonald  
32 Mark Streit 3 Radko Gudas  
Goalie    
35 Steve Mason    

Game Notes

  • Power Play: Flyers (9th, 7th at home), Maple Leafs (2nd, 1st on road)
  • Penalty Kill: Flyers (T-17th, T-11th at home), Maple Leafs (4th, 1st on road) 
  • Recent History vs. Maple Leafs
    • Nov. 11, 2016 - The Flyers fell to the Maple Leafs, 6-3, in Toronto. Nazem Kadri scored early in the first to give Toronto the lead, but goals by Wayne Simmonds and Travis Konecny put the Flyers ahead until late in the first when Morgan Rielly tied the game with a goal during a 5-on-3 power play for the Leafs. Simmonds scored again shorthanded in the second to give the Flyers a lead going to the third. But the Flyers surrendered four goals in the third, including one shorthanded and one power-play goal to give the Leafs the three-goal win.
  • Flyers leaders vs. Maple Leafs
    • Claude Giroux – 26 games, 9 goals, 17 assists, 26 points
    • Shayne Gostisbehere - 4 games, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points
    • Jake Voracek - 18 games, 4 goals, 10 assists, 14 points
    • Steve Mason - 13 games, 4-6-2, 3.43 GAA, .876 Sv%
  • Milestone Watch
    • Brayden Schenn needs one goal for 100 in his career.

Where to Watch
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

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