Game Day Preview: Flyers vs. Lightning
The Flyers will be looking to shake off a disappointing weekend before a brief trip to Detroit.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports - Game Day Preview: Flyers vs. LightningThe Flyers host the Tampa Bay Lightning—the first time of three times these teams will meet this season—in the hopes that they'll be able to get back to winning ways after frustrating losses against the Colorado Avalanche and the Ottawa Senators.
There's been some shuffling around in the lineup since their 5-3 loss to the Senators on Jan. 21, with young forward Bobby Brink being loaned out to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Olle Lycksell being called up to the Flyers. During morning skate, John Tortorella confirmed that Lycksell would be playing against the Lightning, and in practice, he was skating on the third line with Morgan Frost and Cam Atkinson (Joel Farabee was bumped back up to the first line with Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier).
Tortorella also confirmed that Sam Ersson will get another start in net tonight, however, Carter Hart did not participate in morning skate for unknown reasons. Tortorella confirmed that Hart was healthy, but did not elaborate any further.
The 11F/7D system will still be in effect, much to the chagrin of fans that are slowly becoming disillusioned with the setup. Arguments that players are starting to look exhausted to the point where their game is severely negatively impacted are flying across social media, and while Tortorella himself admitted that he's "never really liked the 11/7...I think it's been productive for me on the forward end," specifically naming Tyson Foerster, Cam Atkinson, and Owen Tippett (who is still day-to-day with a lower body injury) as forwards who have benefitted from it.
The Lightning are coming off a loss of their own, falling 2-1 to the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 21, where head coach Jon Cooper said his team made it "an easy night" for the Red Wings.
One thing that won't be easy for the Flyers to face is Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who boasts a 6-2 record against the Flyers, with 2 shutouts, a 1.68 GAA, and a .948 save percentage. With a team that's struggling to finish the numerous great shots they get on net, it could very well look to be another night where the orange and black will have to get creative on offense.
Flyers Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Farabee.- Couturier - Konecny
Foerster - Laughton - Hathaway
Lycksell - Frost - Atkinson
Cates - Poehling
Defense:
Sanheim - Drysdale
Seeler - Walker
York - Ristolainen
Zamula
Ersson
Lightning Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Stamkos - Point - Kucherov
Hagel - Cirelli - Paul
Eyssimont - Motte - Sheary
Watson - Glendening - Merela
Defense:
Hedman - Raddysh
de Haan - Perbix
Lilleberg - Crozier
Vasilevskiy