3 Storylines: Flyers @ Ducks, January 4
Philadelphia Flyers celebrate a goal by left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
The 13-13-6 Flyers wrap up a four-game West Coast trip Tuesday night as they play the 17-11-7 Anaheim Ducks.
Here’s three storylines and projected lineups as the Flyers look to come out of the trip with a sub-.500 record:
Wrapping up the trip
Tuesday night’s game in Southern California will be the Flyers’ fourth and final of their West Coast trip, where they’ve posted a 1-1-1 record.
With a 6-3 loss Saturday to the Los Angeles Kings, the Flyers are coming off their first regulation defeat since December 8.
A win Tuesday would give the team at least a point in three of their four games on the trip. A loss Tuesday would give them three defeats and no momentum following a season-best seven-game point streak.
No doubt, it’s a big game for the Flyers’ trip.
“I think it’s a very important game,” Flyers’ interim head coach Mike Yeo said Monday. “First of all, you want to bounce back from a loss; that’s what good teams do. We lost last game — created some more opportunities, kind of climbed back into it but not really — so we want to bounce back from that. We win that game tomorrow and I think we’re all coming home feeling pretty decent about the trip. Not necessarily an outstanding trip, but a pretty good trip.”
The Flyers will be regaining Scott Laughton back in the lineup and very possibly Carter Hart back in net. Both players missed the first three games of the Flyers’ trip because of COVID protocols.
Slumping Ducks
The Ducks own the third-best points percentage (.586) in the Pacific Division, but they’ve lost four straight (0-2-2) and have dealt with its own COVID-related absences.
The Ducks could be without Trevor Zegras (eight goals, 17 assists), Ryan Getzlaf (two goals, 20 assists), Derek Grant (three goals, four assists), and Nicolas Deslauriers (one goal, four assists) Tuesday night.
Interesting lineup situation
The Flyers’ lineup is undecided at the moment.
Yeo is supposed to have his pregame media availability around 7:30-8:00pm ET, so we should know more then on Hart’s status, where Laughton will be put in the lineup and if there will be any other changes.
Projected lineups
FLYERS:
Joel Farabee – Claude Giroux – Cam Atkinson
Scott Laughton – Kevin Hayes – James van Riemsdyk
Oskar Lindblom – Morgan Frost – Travis Konecny
Max Willman – Patrick Brown – Zack MacEwen
Ivan Provorov – Justin Braun
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Keith Yandle – Kevin Connauton
Martin Jones
[Carter Hart]
Scratched: None
Injured: Sean Couturier (upper body), Derick Brassard (hip), Nate Thompson (shoulder), Ryan Ellis (lower body)
COVID-19 protocol: Nick Seeler, Jackson Cates
DUCKS:
Rickard Rakell – Sam Steel – Jakob Silfverberg
Max Comtois – Isac Lundestrom – Troy Terry
Sonny Milano – Sam Carrick – Vinni Lettieri
Buddy Robinson
Hampus Lindholm – Jamie Drysdale
Cam Fowler – Josh Manson
Simon Benoit – Kevin Shattenkirk
John Gibson
[Anthony Stolarz]
Scratched: None
Injured: Adam Henrique (lower body), Max Jones (upper body), Josh Mahura (undisclosed)
COVID-19 protocol: Ryan Getzlaf, Derek Grant, Nicolas Deslauriers, Trevor Zegras
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