Game #13 - Flyers (4) at Canadiens (5) - Nov 5, 2016 @ 7:00 ET

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

DelZotto returns tonight.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill-Meltzer/Flyers-Gameday-11516--MTL/45/80442

 

Preview: Flyers @ Canadiens

Playing for the ninth time in 15 nights and the third time in four nights, Dave Hakstol's Philadelphia Flyers (6-5-1) are back in Quebec to take on Michel Therrrien's Montreal Canadiens (9-1-1) on Saturday night. Game time at the Bell Centre is 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CSN Philadelphia.

This is the second of three meetings between the clubs this season, and the second of two in Montreal.

On Oct. 24, the visiting Flyers played the Canadiens fairly evenly for most of the night but came away empty as the Habs stepped up in crunch time to convert a latter third period power play before adding an empty-net goal to seal a 3-1 final. Jakub Voracek scored the lone Flyers' goal while Steve Mason stopped 31 of 33 shots. Shea Weber, Brendan Gallagher (power play) and Alexander Radulov (empty net) scored for the Canadiens. Carey Price turned back 31 of 32 Philadelphia shots.


Flyers Outlook

The Flyers have led or been tied within the third period of all 12 games they've played to date, yet have only played a single game this season (opening night in Los Angeles) in which they have not trailed at any point of the game.

The team's latest comeback victory was on Thursday night, as the Flyers prevailed in overtime, 3-2, against the host New York Islanders.

Travis Konecny and Matt Read (power play) scored in regulation for Philly. Read's goal in the final minute of the third period forced OT. Claude Giroux's round-two goal in the shootout proved to be the game-winner.

Starting for the third consecutive game, Michal Neuvirth turned back 25 of 27 shots in regulation and overtime and then stopped Cal Clutterbuck, Josh Bailey and John Taveres in the shootout. Neuvirth shook off a stoppable goal on the Islanders' go-ahead tally midway through the third period.

With the return of Michael Raffl to the Flyers' lineup, the Austrian left winger was reinstated onto the top line with Giroux and Wayne Simmonds at even strength t start the game in Brooklyn. Brayden Schenn switched from first-line left wing to centering a line with Chris VandeVelde and Nick Cousins. Dale Weise sat out as a healthy scratch for the first time this season.

Entering Saturday's game, the Flyers have six players with eight or more points on the season, led by Giroux's 13 tallies (two goals, 11 assists). Three players -- Jakub Voracek, Simmonds and Read -- have six goals through the 12 games to date.

Canadiens Outlook

Until Friday night, the Canadiens were the only NHL team that had yet to be defeated in regulation. That run came a resounding end on Friday as the Habs were pulverized by the Columbus Blue Jackets, 10-0.

With Montreal on the second game of a three-in-four and the front end of a back-to-back set, backup goaltender Al Montoya got the start and took one -- or more accurately, 10 -- for for the team on a night where Habs just didn't it. Trailing 3-0 by the end of the first period, the third period was a mere formality after the Blue Jackets added five more goals in the middle stanza. Montoya managed 30 saves and still got strafed for double-digit goals.

Over the previous 10 games, the Habs had allowed just 13 goals.



Projected Lineups (subject to change, will be updated)

FLYERS

12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 17 Wayne Simmonds
11 Travis Konecny - 14 Sean Couturier - 92 Jakub Voracek
24 Matt Read - 78 P-E Bellemare - 13 Roman Lyubimov
76 Chris VandeVelde - 10 Brayden Schenn - 25 Nick Cousins

23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas
9 Ivan Provorov - 32 Mark Streit
15 Michael Del Zotto - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere

30 Michal Neuvirth / 35 Steve Mason

Scratches:Scott Laughton (conditioning assignment), Andrew MacDonald (lower body), Boyd Gordon (LTIR, upper body), Nick Schultz (healthy).

Canadiens

47 Alexander Radulov - 27 Alex Galchenyuk - 11 Brendan Gallagher
62 Arturri Lehkonen - 14 Tomas Plekanec - 41 Paul Byron
67 Max Pacioretty- 51 David Desharnais - 65 Andrew Shaw
24 Phillip Danault - 17 Torrey Mitchell - 32 Bryan Flynn

74 Alexei Emelin - 6 Shea Weber
79 Andrei Markov - 26 Jeff Petry
28 Nathan Beaulieu - 8 Greg Pateryn

31 Carey Price
[35 Al Montoya]

Scratches: Daniel Carr (healthy), Zach Redmond (healthy), Joel Hanley (healthy).

 

[brelic]

Lol Weise isn't in the lineup or the scratches. That's how forgettable he has been. 

 

Schenn on the 4th line is a bit silly. That's just a huge slap in the face imo. Raffl is not a top line winger in the NHL. 

 

Nice to see MDZ back!

 

11-0 Flyers. Voracek with two hat tricks. Price immediately asks for a trade to Colorado. 

 

 

 

 

[ruxpin]

Whither Mason?

[mkscrewy]

hope the flyers are ready. i expect the canadiens to be *****' pissed after last night's thrashing. a slow start and we could be on the other side of that avalanche haha.

[intheslot]

They have to play the same way they played here last time ..

Tight checking and hit on their Pp if they get any ..

 good game to win ,Habs will come out flying ..

 Go Flyers 

 

[flyers4040]

was hoping to see provy with mdz and why do they keep putting raffle on the first line.what a waste. GO FLYERS!!!!!!

[Howie58]

2-2 after 1..Our D is a turnover machine.  We are lucky to be tied. By the way--I can't figure out Neuvy....another softee. 

 

 

[intheslot]

V V with 2 goal in three games .

 

[Podein25]

10 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

2-2 after 1..Our D is a turnover machine.  We are lucky to be tied. By the way--I can't figure out Neuvy....another softee. 

 

Which one? The 2nd? I don't think he could see that. Can't stop what you can't see

[icehole]

Hi.  Just checking in.  Couts with a hell of a game huh?

[fishbulb]

I really hope Hextall doesn't stick with these 2 all season... I've had enough of both our goalies.  My final straw with Mason was the red-liner in last year's playoffs... now Neuvirth finally gets a real shot and being a #1 and he's channeling Bryzgalov.

 

Edit:  JESUS H neuvirth.... at least they're both free agents.  Frankly, I hope they both walk or sent packing earlier.

[Howie58]

The shortie was a good but not great shot   It has to be really, really deflating.  But would Mase be any better?  This is a strange team to watch.  The '06-'07 squad had limited talent.  This one does. But it can't seem to put it together. And the goalies are really poor.  

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

8 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

The shortie was a good but not great shot   It has to be really, really deflating.  But would Mase be any better?  This is a strange team to watch.  The '06-'07 squad had limited talent.  This one does. But it can't seem to put it together. And the goalies are really poor.  

 

This team is scoring goals.  They just need to outscore their goaltending. Tough to do on a consistent basis. 

[Howie58]

4 minutes ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

 

This team is scoring goals.  They just need to outscore their goaltending. Tough to do on a consistent basis. 

Good observation.  If one of these guys doesn't get his bleep together, I have to wonder if we see a call up.  Even with the porous D, one or two semi-clutch saves might have changed the game.  

[intheslot]

V V with 2 goal in three games .

 

[fishbulb]

4 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

Good observation.  If one of these guys doesn't get his bleep together, I have to wonder if we see a call up.  Even with the porous D, one or two semi-clutch saves might have changed the game.  

 

I'd wager on a trade before a call-up...

 

Stolarz isn't ready (and frankly, I'm not sure he ever will be)

and Lyons is just a kid too.

 

 

[flyerrod]

It is just so frustrating to watch the rest of the team play well enough to score 4 goals against Price only to have MN leave in 5. Hextall needs to teach him how to handle the stick when he comes out of the net. He was definitely channeling Bryz tonight.....

[canoli]

tough to do is right when it's a 1-goal game and Neuvirth lets in a shortie. Just a back-breaking soul-crushing goal. No screen...he just didn't have his stick down on the ice. That's twice in as many games...

[Howie58]

2 minutes ago, fishbulb said:

 

I'd wager on a trade before a call-up...

 

Stolarz isn't ready (and frankly, I'm not sure he ever will be)

and Lyons is just a kid too.

 

 

Well, I wonder where the Zepper is?  He couldn't be any worse than our Not-so-Dynamic Duo!  Another thought:  Would have waive Neuvirth reckoning there would be no pickup?

[Samifan]

Score 4 goals against Price and outshoot them almost 2 to 1 and we lose. SHAMEFUL! 

[Howie58]

Inquirer article is pretty painful--note the title:

 

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20161106_Neuvirth_shaky_as_Flyers_fall_to_Canadiens.html

 

I can't remember when we had this bad a duo.  I remember Nitty losing 11 (I think) in a row but the team was awful and he was probably injured.  

[ruxpin]

21 minutes ago, canoli said:

tough to do is right when it's a 1-goal game and Neuvirth lets in a shortie. Just a back-breaking soul-crushing goal. No screen...he just didn't have his stick down on the ice. That's twice in as many games...

 

You didn't happen to be watching on the Philly feed, did you?   They were defending Neuvirth on that play that is was so difficult because the puck was on edge when shot...blah blah blah.  It was nauseating.

 

First we have a head coach puffing Neuvirth up saying he's played really good in this stretch and has earned his starts--which would be a lie even if it weren't 3 games in 4 nights--and now Flyer employees making excuses for just crap goals.  It's every game.  It's Bryzgalov all over again (minus several $M).

 

 

[ruxpin]

26 minutes ago, fishbulb said:

 

I'd wager on a trade before a call-up...

 

Stolarz isn't ready (and frankly, I'm not sure he ever will be)

and Lyons is just a kid too.

 

 

 

Maybe.  I wonder.  

Goaltending is lousy across the league right now with some starters out, other starters not playing well (looking at you Ben Bishop), and just a dearth at the position at the moment (odd that I'm saying that because I was just asking earlier if shutouts were up so far this year).   I don't know what you get in a trade.  

 

It may be play ying and yang or try your luck with a kid.  I don't think trade is an option. 

[ruxpin]

9 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

I can't remember when we had this bad a duo.

 

Really?   Because I've been thinking most of the season, "here we go again."

 

Even year:  Goalie.

[Howie58]

Just now, ruxpin said:

 

Really?   Because I've been thinking most of the season, "here we go again."

 

Even year:  Goalie.

Rux:  Well, at least one of this duo was functional.  I thought goal was one of our strengths...and this is the Neuvy who looked brilliant against Washington.  I want the Zepper.....