Flyers-Maple Leafs: Game 77 Preview

11-24-2017_FlyersvsIslanders_wu_credKateFrese-4

(Photo: Kate Frese)

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

With back-to-back losses over the weekend, it is over for the Flyers, who will fall out of the playoff race mathematically sometime in the coming days. With that, the final days of the season will be about trying to finish strong and getting a look at players who may have not seen the ice recently.

The Flyers first opponent in the final six games is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Just 12 days earlier, Toronto delivered a blow to the Flyers playoff chances by rallying from down 5-2 for a 7-6 win.

Game time is at 7 p.m.

Team Leaders

Philadelphia Flyers GP G A P Toronto Maple Leafs GP G A P
Claude Giroux 76 20 60 80 Mitch Marner 76 25 65 90
Sean Couturier 74 31 42 73 John Tavares 76 45 41 86
Jake Voracek 72 20 44 64 Morgan Rielly 76 20 50 70
Travis Konecny 76 22 24 46 Auston Matthews 62 35 34 69
James van Riemsdyk 60 26 18 44 Kasperi Kapanen 72 19 24 43
 
Player to Watch
14 Sean Couturier     91 John Tavares
Last 5 Games: 3 G, 3 A, 6 P, -3 Last 5 Games: 6 G, 3 A, 9 P, +1
 
Sean Couturier is on his way to another career season production-wise, just three points shy of his career high for points and needing one goal to set a new career high in goals. He has six points in his last five games, but has also is a minus-3 in the last five games with a mixed bag on on-ice results. In the last two losses, Couturier is a minus-5.
 
John Tavares only scored four goals in his last game to reach 45 for the season and has an outside chance at 50 this season if he can keep his hot stretch going. In the last five games, Tavares has scored six goals to lead the Leafs top line.
 
Goalie Matchup
79 Carter Hart 31 Frederik Andersen
27 GP, 15-11-1, 2.72 GAA, .921 SV% 56 GP, 35-15-5, 2.76 GAA, .917 SV%

Carter Hart gets back in goal for what will be one of his final starts this season. Hart is putting the finishing touches on a strong rookie campaign, despite the end result on the Flyers season, with a .921 save percentage in 27 starts this season.

Frederik Andersen should be back in goal for Toronto on Wednesday night. Andersen has struggled recently. In addition to allowing six goals to the Flyers on March 15, he allowed five goals to Florida on Monday. Prior to the win over the Flyers, he had been pulled early in the previous two games. Ironically, he won the game against the Flyers while allowing six goals and against Florida on Monday, but suffered a pair of losses to the Predators and Rangers allowing just two goals in each game.

Flyers Projected Lineup

Injuries: Michal Neuvirth

Scratches: Justin Bailey, Phil Varone, Andrew MacDonald, Cam Talbot

Left Wing Center Right Wing
23 Oskar Lindblom 14 Sean Couturier 93 Jake Voracek
25 James van Riemsdyk 19 Nolan Patrick 28 Claude Giroux
11 Travis Konecny 21 Scott Laughton 38 Ryan Hartman
12 Michael Raffl 10 Corban Knight  
Defense    
9 Ivan Provorov 6 Travis Sanheim  
53 Shayne Gostisbehere 61 Phil Myers  
8 Robert Hagg 3 Radko Gudas 5 Sam Morin
Goalie    
79 Carter Hart    

Lineup Notes

Sam Morin makes his season debut and the Flyers will have seven defensemen in the lineup to ease him back into play. Justin Bailey exits the lineup for Morin.

Maple Leafs Projected Lineup

Injuries: Jake Gardiner, Travis Dermott

Scratches: Trevor Moore, Nic Petan, Justin Holl

Left Wing Center Right Wing
11 Zach Hyman 91 John Tavares  16 Mitch Marner
18 Andreas Johnsson  34 Auston Matthews 29 William Nylander
 12 Patrick Marleau 43 Nazem Kadri 24 Kasperi Kapanen
63 Tyler Ennis 33 Frederik Gauthier  28 Connor Brown
Defense    
44 Morgan Rielly 2 Ron Hainsey  
8 Jake Muzzin 22 Nikita Zaitsev  
52 Martin Marincin 92 Igor Ozhiganov  
Goalie    
31 Frederik Andersen    

Game Notes

  • Power Play: Flyers (T-21st, T-14th at home), Maple Leafs (7th, 15th on road)
  • Penalty Kill: Flyers (21st, T-19th at home), Maple Leafs (T-14th, T-9th on road) 
  • Recent History vs. Maple Leafs
    • Nov. 24, 2018 – Maple Leafs 6, Flyers 0 (at TOR)
    • March 15, 2018 – Maple Leafs 7, Flyers 6 (at TOR)
  • Flyers Leaders vs. Maple Leafs 
    • Claude Giroux – 33 GP, 11 G, 22 A, 33 P
    • Shayne Gostisbehere – 11 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 P
    • Travis Konecny – 8 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 P
    • Jake Voracek – 25 GP, 6 G, 12 A, 18 P
  • Milestone Watch
    • Jake Voracek is playing in his 600th game as a Flyer tonight.

Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

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