I think this orange hockey team played last night but my memory seems to be failing me. Maybe that’s a good thing! Tonight the Philadelphia Flyers take on their longtime rival, the New York Rangers. This rivalry has been mostly one-sided for the last few years, with the Rangers getting the better of the Flyers twice already this season. The Rangers seem to be firing on all cylinders this season with Panarin closing in on 90 points, Kreider potting 50 goals, and Shesterkin shapeshifting into a brick wall.
Justin Braun will return to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time since being traded to the Rangers at the trade deadline. Braun had 41 points in 176 games with the Flyers and has just one point in his first five games with the Rangers. Get your tissues ready, the video tribute for Brauner might be an emotional one!
The Flyers will be be missing a couple key contributors and some depth for tonight’s game. Goaltender Carter Hart and Cam Atkinson both left last night’s loss in Washington with injuries and did not return. Hart seemed to tweak something in his right leg and looked uncomfortable, while Atkinson was boarded by Tom Wilson and was shaken up.
Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York and forwards Patrick Brown and Nate Thompson will also be out tonight with various injuries. The Flyers have recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom, forward Tanner Laczynski, and defenseman Egor Zamula on an emergency basis from AHL Lehigh Valley. Keith Yandle enters the lineup for the first time since April 5th against Columbus and Zack MacEwen will play for the first time since April 2nd against Toronto.
After last night’s game versus the Caps, this game against the Rangers could be just as ugly. Aside from last night, the last time the Flyers let up nine goals was against the Rangers on March 17, 2021. Strap in folks, it’s Wednesday Night Rivalry! Let’s look at the matchup.
PHI Record: 22-39-11, 57 pts, 8th in Metropolitan
NYR Record: 47-21-6, 100 pts, 2nd in the Metropolitan
When: 7:00PM ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
PHI Goalie: Felix Sandstrom (0-0-1) 2.79 GAA, .935 SV%, 0 SO
NYR Goalie: Alexandar Georgiev (12-9-2) 3.03 GAA, .894 SV %, 1 SO
PHI Projected Lines:
#86 Joel Farabee – #13 Kevin Hayes – #11 Travis Konecny
#49 Noah Cates – #21 Scott Laughton – #74 Owen Tippett
#25 James van Riemsdyk – #48 Morgan Frost – #46 Bobby Brink
#23 Oskar Lindblom – #58 Tanner Laczynski – #17 Zack MacEwen
#9 Ivan Provorov – #6 Travis Sanheim
#54 Egor Zamula – #8 Kevin Connauton
#3 Keith Yandle – #47 Ronnie Attard
#32 Felix Sandstrom
#35 Martin Jones
NYR Projected Lines:
#20 Chris Kreider – #93 Mika Zibanejad – #77 Frank Vatrano
#10 Artemi Panarin – #16 Ryan Strome – #18 Andrew Copp
#13 Alexis Lafreniere – #21 Barclay Goodrow – #24 Kaapo Kakko
#29 Dryden Hunt – #17 Kevin Rooney – #75 Ryan Reaves
#55 Ryan Lindgren – #23 Adam Fox
#79 K’Andre Miller – #8 Jacob Trouba
#61 Justin Braun – #45 Braden Schneider
#40 Alexandar Georgiev
#31 Igor Shesterkin
Last Game PHI: 9-2 L at WSH (4/12/22)
Last Game NYR: 4-2 L vs CAR (4/12/22)
Broadcast Info: TNT – 97.5 The Fanatic
News and Notes:
- The Flyers vs Rangers matchup is one with plenty of history. The Flyers boast and all-time record of 136-138-37 vs the Rangers with 914 GF and 923 GA. At home the Flyers are 76-66-14 with 480 GF and 432 GA.
- The Flyers have blanked the Rangers 23 times in their history. The last three shutouts against the Rangers were recorded by Anthony Stolarz (1-0W, 1/29/19), Calvin Pickard (4-0W, 11/23/18) and Brian Elliott (5-0W, 4/7/18).
- Before trading Justin Braun to the Rangers on March 21, the last trade between the Flyers and Rangers was on July 1, 2013. That “blockbuster” trade landed the Flyers Kris Newbury in exchange for Danny Syvret. That was the first trade in over 9 years between the two clubs.
- The Flyers will be honoring the late Ed Snider this evening. The former Flyers’ owner and chairman passed away six years ago, and tributes will be shown on the scoreboard along with under unannounced ways of honoring him.
Injuries:
PHI – Ryan Ellis (lower-body), Sean Couturier (back), Nick Seeler (lower-body), Carter Hart (lower-body), Cam Atkinson (lower-body)
NYR– Sammy Blais (knee), Filip Chytil (upper-body), Tyler Motte (upper-body)
