Flyers-Devils: Game 8 Preview

Kevin Durso

October 20 2018

(Photo: Kate Frese)

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor

Thursday night was just another example of the Flyers struggles on full display. The road to finding the consistency needed to succeed doesn't get any easier with another Metropolitan Division opponent.

The New Jersey Devils started the season with wins in four straight games before a 5-3 loss to Colorado on Thursday. The eight points is good for second in the division in the young season. Between the reigning Hart Trophy winner, the 2017 NHL Draft first-overall pick and a veteran player off to a roaring start, the Flyers are in for a challenge.

Game time is set for 1 p.m.

Team Leaders

Philadelphia Flyers	GP	G	A	P	New Jersey Devils	GP	G	A	P
Claude Giroux	7	3	7	10	Kyle Palmieri	5	7	1	8
Jake Voracek	7	2	6	8	Taylor Hall	5	1	6	7
Wayne Simmonds	7	5	1	6	Nico Hischier	5	2	2	4
Robert Hagg	7	2	3	5	Damon Severson	5	0	4	4
Radko Gudas	6	0	5	5	Jean-Sebastian Dea	5	3	0	3

Player to Watch
11 Travis Konecny	21 Kyle Palmieri
Last 5 Games: 1 G, 2 A, 3 P, -1	Last 5 Games: 7 G, 1 A, 8 P, +2

Travis Konecny finally got his first goal of the season on Thursday night and there was certainly relief on his face to finally be on the scoresheet. His line was easily the Flyers best among forwards on Thursday and looking to build momentum as the season continues Saturday.

Kyle Palmieri is already a noted Flyer killer with 10 goals in 16 career games against the Flyers. He's also off to one of the hottest starts in the NHL this season with seven goals in five games.

Goalie Matchup
37 Brian Elliott	1 Keith Kinkaid
1-3-0, 4.04 GAA, .874 SV%	4-1-0, 1.61 GAA, .941 SV%

After getting Thursday night off, Brian Elliott returns between the pipes for the Flyers looking for a bounce-back performance. Elliott was pulled in the third period of Tuesday's shootout win for the Flyers and still has just one win on the season, the season opener in Vegas.

With Cory Schneider on the shelf, Keith Kinkaid has been the starter in all five games so far for New Jersey and figures to be back in the lineup on Saturday in goal.

Flyers Projected Lineup

Injuries: James van Riemsdyk, Michal Neuvirth

Scratches: Mikhail Vorobyev, Corban Knight, Andrew MacDonald

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
28 Claude Giroux	14 Sean Couturier	17 Wayne Simmonds
23 Oskar Lindblom	40 Jordan Weal	11 Travis Konecny
21 Scott Laughton	19 Nolan Patrick	93 Jake Voracek
12 Michael Raffl	15 Jori Lehtera	22 Dale Weise
Defense
9 Ivan Provorov	53 Shayne Gostisbehere
8 Robert Hagg	26 Christian Folin
6 Travis Sanheim	3 Radko Gudas
Goalie
37 Brian Elliott

Lineup Notes

Nolan Patrick returns to the lineup after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury. Instead of returning to the second line, he will center a new-look third line that features Jake Voracek and Scott Laughton back on the left wing. Michael Raffl returns to the fourth line. Wayne Simmonds was elevated to the first line.

Devils Projected Lineup

Injuries: Travis Zajac, Ben Lovejoy, Jesper Bratt, Cory Schneider

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
9 Taylor Hall	13 Nico Hischier	21 Kyle Palmieri
90 Marcus Johansson	10 Jean-Sebastian Dea	23 Stefan Noesen
44 Miles Wood	37 Pavel Zacha	20 Blake Coleman
11 Brian Boyle	58 Kevin Rooney	18 Drew Stafford
Defense
25 Mirco Mueller	45 Sami Vatanen
6 Andy Greene	28 Damon Severson
8 Will Butcher	16 Steven Santisi
Goalie
1 Keith Kinkaid

Game Notes

Power Play: Flyers (17th), Devils (13th)
Penalty Kill: Flyers (21st), Devils (4th)
Recent History vs. Devils
- Jan. 13, 2018 – Flyers 5, Devils 3 (at NJ)
- Jan. 20, 2018 – Flyers 3, Devils 1 (at PHI)
- Feb. 1, 2018 – Devils 4, Flyers 3 (at NJ)
- Feb. 13, 2018 – Devils 5, Flyers 4 F/SO (at PHI)
Flyers Leaders vs. Devils
- Claude Giroux – 44 GP, 11 G, 31 A, 42 P
- Shayne Gostisbehere – 11 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 P
- Jake Voracek – 34 GP, 6 G, 16 A, 22 P
- Brian Elliott – 9 GP, 5-4-0, 2.69 GAA, .894 SV%
Milestone Watch
- Jake Voracek needs two assists to pass John LeClair for 12th all-time in Flyers history.