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Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (22-15-8) will try to snap a four-game winless stretch on Thursday when they are in western Pennsylvania to take on Dan Muse’s Pittsburgh Penguins (21-14-10). This is the third of four meetings this season between the Metro Division archrivals.
The Flyers are 0-3-1 in their last four games and have dropped out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference.The team has been outscored by a combined 19-6 margin including a 5-2 loss in Buffalo on Wednesday evening.
The Penguins are 0-2-1 in their last three games. The team has done a better job than the Flyers lately at keeping the puck out of their net. However, just like the Flyers, Pittsburgh has been having trouble scoring goals over the past week. In the last three games, Pittsburgh has allowed just four goals but has only scored two. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Penguins via shootout, 2-1 (2-1).
Where to watch
Time and broadcast: 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Listen online: FlyersRadio 24/7
RAV4 keys to the game for Philadelphia: click here
In-game watch party (Maher Media): click here
Leading scorers: Flyers (through 45 games)
Trevor Zegras — 42 points (18g, 24a)
Travis Konecny — 39 points (14g, 25a)
Christian Dvorak — 29 points (10g, 19a)
Owen Tippett — 28 points (15g, 13a)
Noah Cates — 25 points (10g, 15a)
Sean Couturier — 24 points (5g, 19a)
Matvei Michkov — 23 points (9g, 14a)
Bobby Brink — 20 points (11g, 9a)
Travis Sanheim — 19 points (5, 14a)
Cam York — 18 points (3g, 15a) in 37 games
Jamie Drysdale — 18 points (3g, 15a)
Goaltender stats
Dan Vladar — 28 GP, 16-7-4, 2.46 GAA, .905 SV%
Samuel Ersson — 17 GP, 6-6-4, 3.32 GAA, .855 SV%
Aleksei Kolosov — 2 GP, 0-1-0, 1.62 GAA, .929 SV%
Injury report: Flyers
- Tyson Foerster (right arm surgery) is likely out for the rest of the season. He has a five-month estimated timetable from December.
- Dan Vladar left Wednesday’s game after the first period due to injury. He will be re-evaluated on Thursday. If need be, the team will recall Aleksei Kolosov from the Phantons.
- Bobby Brink (upper body) missed the last three four but practiced in full on Sunday and Tuesday. The Flyers placed him on IR on Thursday, retroactive to Jan. 6.
- Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) missed Wednesday’s game. He is day to day.
Projected Flyers Lineup
The Flyers will not hold a morning skate on Thursday. The lineup below reflects Wednesday’s lineup in Buffalo.
Trevor Zegras – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konencny
Matvei Michkov – Sean Couturier – Carl Grundstrom
Nikita Grebenkin – Noah Cates – Owen Tippett
Nicolas Deslauriers – Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway
Cam York — Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae — Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler — Noah Juulsen
Samuel Ersson
Aleksei Kolosov
Wednesday’s Scratches: Denver Barkey (healthy), Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body), Bobby Brink (upper body, now on IR)
Flyers Opponent: Pittsburgh Penguins
Leading scorers (through 45 games)
Sidney Crosby — 49 points (24g, 25a)
Bryan Rust — 36 points (16g, 20a)
Erik Karlsson — 33 points (4g, 29a)
Evgeni Malkin — 32 points (10g, 22a) in 30 games
Anthony Mantha — 29 points (14g, 15a)
Kris Letang — 23 points (3g, 20a)
Tommy Novak — 21 points (8g, 13a)
Justin Brazeau — 20 points (12g, 8a) in 31 games
Ben Kindel — 19 points (8g, 11a)
Rickard Rakell — 17 points (6g, 11a) in 25 games
Connor Dewar — 16 points (8g, 8a)
Goaltender stats
Stuart Skinner — 30 GP, 14-12-4, 2.71 GAA, .893 SV%
Arturs Silovs — 21 GP, 8-6-7, 3.06 GAA, .892 SV%
Sergei Murashov — 5 GP, 1-1-2, 2.56 GAA, .897 SV%
Injury report: Sabres
- Erik Karlsson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The veteran offensive defenseman was placed on IR on Tuesday.
- Filip Hallander (blood clot) is on IR.
- Caleb Jones (lower body) is on IR. He recently began a conditioning loan to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Projected lineup: Penguins
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
Brett Kulak – Kris Letang
Ryan Shea – Connor Clifton
Parker Wotherspoon – Jack St. Ivany
Stuart Skinner
Arturs Silovs
