Preseason Game 4 Preview: Flyers hit road, face Rangers

With the roster down to 26, the Flyers are preparing for final cuts as the Opening Night roster takes shape. So far, it's been a successful preseason.

Not only do the Flyers have a 3-1-0 record in the four nights they have played, but they have received contributions across the board from veterans and prospects alike. 

The Flyers close out that preseason with three more games this week, starting with another meeting against the New York Rangers. The opening face-off from Madison Square Garden is set for 7 p.m.

With only three preseason games remaining, you can expect to see a lot of the bubble players fighting for roster spots. Despite that, players fighting for roster spots such as Chris Porter and Colin McDonald are out of the lineup on Monday night. Scott Laughton is in the lineup.

It is still uncertain which veterans and star players will get to be in the lineup. However, expect Steve Mason in goal after Michal Neuvirth went the distance on Friday. Also expect Sean Couturier to be out of the lineup after he missed practice on Sunday and is reportedly "banged up."

Being a home game for the Rangers, expect more of the regulars the Flyers didn't see when the Rangers made the trip to Philadelphia on Tuesday. Despite that, Antti Raanta will start in goal and play the entire game. Key players like Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi could certainly make appearances.

The Flyers beat the Rangers last Tuesday, 5-3, with goals coming from Yevgeni Medvedev, Brayden Schenn, Sam Gagner and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers were 3-for-6 on the power play. Goals for the Rangers were scored by Mat Bodie and Oscar Lindberg.

The Rangers are 2-1-1 in four preseason games so far. They have two games remaining in the preseason. 

Projected Lineup

Line 1: Michael Raffl-Claude Giroux-Jake Voracek
Line 2: R.J. Umberger-Sam Gagner-Wayne Simmonds
Line 3: Matt Read-Vincent Lecavalier-Brayden Schenn
Line 4: Chris VandeVelde-Scott Laughton-Ryan White

D-Pair 1: Nick Schultz-Mark Streit
D-Pair 2: Andrew MacDonald-Radko Gudas
D-Pair 3: Brandon Manning-Luke Schenn
Goalie: Steve Mason

Scratches: Sean Couturier, Michael Del Zotto, Yevgeni Medvedev, Chris Porter, Colin McDonald, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Where to Watch
TV: NHL Network
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.

Go to top button