5 things to watch in Game 24: Flyers at Rangers
Today: Flyers at New York Rangers
Site: Madison Square Garden / New York, N.Y.
Time: 1:30 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: 97.5 FM
Records: Flyers (8-10-5), Rangers (16-5-2)
ALSO: Canadian or American, Flyers give thanks
FLYERS PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
12-Michael Raffl, 28-Claude Giroux (C), 10-Brayden Schenn
24-Matt Read, 14-Sean Couturier, 17-Wayne Simmonds (A)
76-Chris VandeVelde, 78-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, 93-Jake Voracek
21-Scott Laughton, 52-Nick Cousins, 36-Colin McDonald
Defensemen
15-Michael Del Zotto & 3-Radko Gudas
55-Nick Schultz & 22-Luke Schenn
82-Evgeny Medvedev & 53-Shayne Gostisbehere
Goalie
35-Steve Mason
Injuries
Sam Gagner — out, left eye injury
R.J. Umberger — injured reserve, left foot injury
Ryan White — injured reserve, right shoulder injury
Mark Streit — LTIR, detached pubic plate surgery
RANGERS PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
61-Rick Nash, 16-Derrick Brassard, 36-Mats Zuccarello
20-Chris Kreider, 13-Kevin Hayes, 96-Emerson Etem
25-Viktor Stalberg, 24-Oscar Lindberg, 19-Jesper Fast
28-Dominic Moore, 26-Jarret Stoll, 10-J.T. Miller
Defensemen
27-Ryan McDonagh (C) & 5-Dan Girardi (A)
18-Marc Staal (A) & 8-Kevin Klein
93-Keith Yandle & 6-Dylan McIlrath
Goalie
32-Antti Raanta
Injuries
Derek Stepan — out indefinitely, broken ribs
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1. Shayne Gostisbehere continues to have the magic touch for the Flyers. He had his second overtime winner this week Friday against the Nashville Predators. He is the first rookie in Flyers history to have multiple overtime winners in the same season, let alone in a span of three games.
“It’s a pretty fun ride right now and I have no plans of getting off it,” Gostisbehere, 22, said. “I haven’t had that many OT winners in my life. It’s a surreal moment but we’re going to keep going and look toward New York.”
2. Having lost 10 straight games at Madison Square Garden, the Flyers could use any help they can get. They are hoping they can benefit from the Rangers' misfortune. First-line center Derek Stepan is out indefinitely after multiple broken ribs stemming from a hit by Boston's Matt Beleskey in a 4-3 win for the Bruins Friday. It was back-to-back regulation losses for the Rangers for only the second time this season.
“Stuff was going our way at the start of the year, and now it’s going the other way,” defenseman Dan Girardi told the New York Daily News. “We’ve got to get it going back in the other direction.”
3. Evgeny Medvedev played in his first game Friday after sitting six straight as a healthy scratch. Right off the bat, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol had the 33-year-old Russian in a tough spot. He put him on a pair with Gostisbehere where both defensemen think offense first. So far, so good.
“I thought he quietly played well tonight,” Hakstol said of Medvedev, who had an assist in the game. “He competed extremely hard. I thought he made the little plays that sometimes don’t show up. Little 5-, 10-foot breakout passes, plays that are popped to the middle that are difficult to make under pressure, he did a good job.”
4. A line more likely to be seen with the American Hockey League's Lehigh Valley Phantoms was effective in limited minutes Friday. Colin McDonald, in his second game after a call-up, notched his first goal in 15 career NHL games and his first with the Flyers. Natural center Scott Laughton was moved to the left wing so that Nick Cousins, the Phantoms' leading scorer, could see some action.
“This is my 12th game in the league now so I know what to expect now,” Cousins said. “I feel more and more comfortable after every game. I think our line played well tonight and we were lucky enough to get one. We have to build off that going into (Saturday).”
5. Steve Mason will be in goal for the Flyers. He has a 6-3-1 record in 11 career games against the Rangers with a 2.40 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. For the Rangers, it's going to be Antti Raanta, who has a 2-0-1 career record in three career games against Philly with a paltry 1.63 goals-against average and .949 save percentage.