GDT: #42: Blues at FLYERS, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, 7:00 pm ET

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

ST. LOUIS BLUES (16-19-4) vs. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (15-20-6)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Television: NHLN-US, SN1, SNE, SNP, NBCSP, FS-MW
• Radio: 97.5 FM 97.5 The Fanatic unless a change to 93.3 FM 93.3 WMMR - Everything That Rocks!
• Flyers 24/7: Flyers Radio 24/7
• Streams: Do not post or request any streams or links to unauthorized sites.

TEAMS' WEBSITES

• Flyers' Facebook: Security Check Required
• Flyers' Twitter: Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) | Twitter
• Flyers' Website: Official Philadelphia Flyers Website
• Blues' Website: Official St. Louis Blues Website

GAME PREVIEW, NOTES and STATISTICS

• Preview: HockeyBuzz.com - Bill Meltzer - Flyers Gameday: 1/7/19 vs. STL; Flyers at Midpoint: Inside the Numbers
• NHL Stats: NHL.com - Stats
• Flyers' Stats: Philadelphia Flyers Stats | 2018-2019
• Blues' Stats: St. Louis Blues Stats | 2018-2019

TEAMS' STATISTICS

Team	GP	Record	Pts	Home	Away	GF	GA	PP%	PK%	FO%	Save%
Blues	39	16-19-4	36	10-11-2	6-7-2	110	128	19.7	79.5	52.2	.893
Flyers	41	15-20-6	36	7-9-3	8-11-3	114	148	13.9	74.8	56.3	.879

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PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

​

Possible Lineup
Lines

28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom - 19 Nolan Patrick - 93 Jake Voracek
25 James van Riemsdyk - 40 Jordan Weal - 17 Wayne Simmonds
12 Michael Raffl - 21 Scott Laughton - 22 Dale Weise​

Pairings

9 Ivan Provorov - 6 Travis Sanheim
53 Shayne Gostisbehere - 3 Radko Gudas
8 Robert Hägg - 26 Christian Folin​

Goalies

79 Carter Hart (starter vs. St. Louis) - 56 Mike McKenna​

Power Plays

PP1: Simmonds, Couturier, Voracek, Gostisbehere, Giroux
PP2: Van Riemsdyk, Konecny, Lindblom, Sanheim, Provorov
​

Injuries and Scratches

5 Sam Morin (D) has been out since off-season ACL reconstruction surgery. He could return mid-February (Jan. 3).
10 Corban Knight (F) is on IR due to a broken collarbone (Oct. 31). He could return in mid-to-late February (Jan. 3).
15 Jori Lehtera (F) could be a healthy scratch.
30 Michal Neuvirth (G) is day-to-day with a lower body injury (Jan. 4).
37 Brian Elliott (G) is on IR due to a possible groin injury. He could return to practice in three weeks (Jan. 3).
41 Anthony Stolarz (G) is on IR due to a lower body injury. He could practice this week (Jan. 3).
44 Phil Varone (F) could be a healthy scratch.
47 Andrew MacDonald (D) is on IR due to a lower body injury. He could return to practice on Jan. 7 (Jan. 3).​

MEDIA CONTACTS
Athletic, The

Web site - The Athletic (@TheAthleticPHI) | Twitter
Alexander Appleyard's Twitter - Alexander Appleyard (@avappleyard) | Twitter
Charlie O'Connor's Twitter - Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) | Twitter​

Courier-Post of South Jersey

Web site -- Flyers - NHL - News - CourierPostOnline.com
Dave Isaac's Twitter -- Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) | Twitter​

HockeyBuzz.com

Web site -- http://www.hockeybuzz.com/team/Philadelphia-Flyers
Bill Meltzer's Twitter -- Bill Meltzer (@billmeltzer) | Twitter​

NBC Sports Philadelphia

Web site -- Flyers
John Boruk's Twitter -- John Boruk (@johnborukNBCS) | Twitter​

Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer

Web site -- Philly.com Flyers
Sam Carchidi's Twitter -- Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) | Twitter​

ST. LOUIS BLUES

​

Possible Lineup
Lines

20 Alex Steen - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 57 David Perron
17 Jaden Schwartz - 10 Brayden Schenn - 18 Robert Thomas
12 Zach Sanford - 21 Tyler Bozak - 91 Vladimir Tarasenko
15 Robby Fabbri - 49 Ivan Barbashev - 70 Oskar Sundqvist​

Pairings

4 Carl Gunnarsson - 27 Alex Pietrangelo
19 Jay Bouwmeester - 55 Colton Parayko
29 Vince Dunn - 41 Robert Bortuzzo​

Goalies

34 Jake Allen -- 50 Jordan Binnington (starter)​

Injuries and Scratches

6 Joel Edmundson (D) could be a healthy scratch.
7 Patrick Maroon (F) could be a healthy scratch.​

MEDIA CONTACTS
The Athletic St. Louis

Web site -- https://theathletic.com/stlouis/
Jeremy Rutherford's Twitter -- https://twitter.com/jprutherford/​

Belleville News-Democrat

Web site -- http://www.bnd.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/​

Fox Sports Midwest[

Web site -- https://www.foxsports.com/midwest
Andy Strickland's Twitter -- https://twitter.com/andystrickland​

St. Louis Post- Dispatch

Web site -- http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/
Tom Timmerman's Twitter -- Tom Timmermann (@tomtimm) | Twitter​

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	Television (subject to change)
January 8	at Washington	7:30 pm	NBCSN, TVAS, NBCSWA
January 10	vs. Dallas	7:00 pm	NBCSP, FS-SW
January 12	at New Jersey	1:00 pm	NHLN-US, SN, MSG+, NBCSP
January 14	vs. Minnesota	7:00 pm	NBCSP, FS-N, FS-WI
January 16	vs. Boston	7:30 pm	NBCSN
January 19	at Montreal	7:00 pm	ESPN+, CBC, SNE, SNO, TVAS, NBCSP
January 28	vs. Winnipeg	7:00 pm	NBCSN, NBCSP, TSN3

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GAME DAY THREAD MUSIC

"Bound For the Floor" by Local H
​

Click to read more...

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

This one is unspeakably large.

 

[Limeyjim]

I'm not going to trash the team anymore than they are probably trashing themselves. I just hope they finally win a game!
LET'S GO FLYERS!!!!

 

[Magua]

This one is unspeakably large.

 

[Striiker]

This one is unspeakably large.

Great post.

This game will prove who won the Schenn-Lehtera trade.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

This one is unspeakably large.

this post is HUGE

 

[catbellysqueezer]

Should I watch this or Briere highlights on youtube

 

[Angry Hockey Dad]

Top 6 is sexual.

Bottom 6 is a disaster (sans JVR)

 

[MorgantiDrinksBlood]

Should I watch this or Briere highlights on youtube

Briere highlights sound fun.

 

[BernieParent]

Kings up 4-0 on Oilers with under 10 to go in the game. Flyers should be back to 30th overall at the end of the evening. If they continue their stellar play and lose to the Blues, they will start to cement their place at the bottom of the league.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

Kings up 4-0 on Oilers with under 10 to go in the game. Flyers should be back to 30th overall at the end of the evening. If they continue their stellar play and lose to the Blues, they will start to cement their place at the bottom of the league.

remember when Hexy stood his ground and said no changes were needed..


LOL

 

[XDevilBoiX]

remember when Hexy stood his ground and said no changes were needed..


LOL

He’s right, he was stealth tanking. Knew this team wasn’t ready and it cost him his job.

 

[TheKingPin]

He’s right, he was stealth tanking. Knew this team wasn’t ready and it cost him his job.

I think he did too. If it’s Hughes, Tavares, Panarin. He knew they needed more.

I agree with Cap, this is win or go home time baby! Just 10 more wins and we will be 5 games back of the last playoff spot!!!

 

[Outlaw Samurai]

This one is unspeakably large.

Said your mom?

 

[Outlaw Samurai]

Let's go FLYERS!!

I hate rooting for them to lose. I can cheer them on and they'll lose anyway...win/win

 

[BiggE]

I'm just out of words to describe how disappointing the 18-19 Flyers season has been. I've suffered through some bad seasons over the last half century, but none, not 71-72, nor 78-79, any of the 5 straight non-playoff early 90s years, or even the 06-07 debacle, has been this horribly frustrating. This heartless bunch has under performed at a level I didn't think possible to sink. I'm glad Hextall got fired. It was Hextall who thought it was ok to go into a season in which the team was supposed to not only make the playoffs, but have the ability to actually win a round, with the goalie tandem of Elliott/Neuvirth. It was Hextall who signed the NHL's version of the Tin Man, JVR, to a five year deal that will hang like an albatross around this franchise's neck for the next few years. Yeah, he drafted well, did a very good job cleaning up and managing the cap too, but that's not enough. When you're five years into your tenure as GM and the team has gotten worse, not better, it's time to go.

Hopefully Fletcher can see what we all see. The core of this team needs to be broken up and a lot of new faces need to be wearing orange and black by the start of the 19-20 season. I'll be a Flyers fan until my dying day, that will never change. But the fans deserve better than the garbage this franchise is trotting out onto the ice this season.

 

[nuclear reactor]

Top 6 is sexual.

Bottom 6 is a disaster (sans JVR)

Hopefully Lindblom and Patrick break their huge goal droughts.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Said your mom?

 

[Striiker]

I'm just out of words to describe how disappointing the 18-19 Flyers season has been. I've suffered through some bad seasons over the last half century, but none, not 71-72, nor 78-79, any of the 5 straight non-playoff early 90s years, or even the 06-07 debacle, has been this horribly frustrating. This heartless bunch has under performed at a level I didn't think possible to sink. I'm glad Hextall got fired. It was Hextall who thought it was ok to go into a season in which the team was supposed to not only make the playoffs, but have the ability to actually win a round, with the goalie tandem of Elliott/Neuvirth. It was Hextall who signed the NHL's version of the Tin Man, JVR, to a five year deal that will hang like an albatross around this franchise's neck for the next few years. Yeah, he drafted well, did a very good job cleaning up and managing the cap too, but that's not enough. When you're five years into your tenure as GM and the team has gotten worse, not better, it's time to go.

Hopefully Fletcher can see what we all see. The core of this team needs to be broken up and a lot of new faces need to be wearing orange and black by the start of the 19-20 season. I'll be a Flyers fan until my dying day, that will never change. But the fans deserve better than the garbage this franchise is trotting out onto the ice this season.

-Elliott would have been perfectly fine if healthy

-JVR is not a bad signing

-they don’t need to break up the core

-the team isn’t getting worse

Your anger is misdirected.

 

[Outlaw Samurai]

Apologies Captain. My buddies and I constantly zing each other with that

I blame Archer.

 

[BiggE]

-Elliott would have been perfectly fine if healthy

-JVR is not a bad signing

-they don’t need to break up the core

-the team isn’t getting worse

Your anger is misdirected.

Elliott isn't healthy, therefore immaterial, and it was still a mistake not to have moved on from Neuvirth at the very least

JVR has been horrible this year, so, at least as of now, it has been a bad signing. To deny this would be comical

This core has accomplished nothing. Re-signing Simmonds would be insane and, if you can move Voracek in a deal to improve the team, it should be done. If you are counting on current and future prospects to be what takes this team to Cup contention, then this team is still at least 2-3 years away from getting there. If that's the case, might as well move on from most of the vets

The team finished with 98 points last year, they are currently on pace for 72 this season. How is that not getting worse?

Is the GM not responsible for the roster? If so, then I don't think my anger is misplaced in the slightest. I give him credit for his drafting and cap management, but I also give him a failing grade when it comes to the team he put on the ice this season.

 

[XDevilBoiX]

I think he did too. If it’s Hughes, Tavares, Panarin. He knew they needed more.

I agree with Cap, this is win or go home time baby! Just 10 more wins and we will be 5 games back of the last playoff spot!!!

This season is lost, why win and get knock out in the first rd? Let Hart play the rest of the year to get experience, he has looked good so far and I like what I have seen. Retool this offseason and start fresh next year with the high pick.

 

[sabremike]

I got 2 free tickets for this from the Wings. Anyone wants the other let me know

 

[Hiesenberg]

Flyers gotta lose this one in regulation..lets start separating ourselves from the Blues/Kings.

There is no saving the Sens, they are terrible

 

[Striiker]

OK, I'll go bit by bit for clarity.

Elliott isn't healthy, therefore immaterial, and it was still a mistake not to have moved on from Neuvirth at the very least

Elliott = fine
Neuvirth = mistake

Elliotts injury wasn't predictable, so it's not something that should be criticized, since it's all hindsight. It's not as if we had two Neuvriths where it was obviously going to end with injuries.

JVR has been horrible this year, so, at least as of now, it has been a bad signing. To deny this would be comical

JVR hasn't been horrible, he's been horribly misused.

1) he was injured
2) he's one of the best net-front PP guys in the league, but our idiot coaches refuse to replace Simmonds (completely cooked and needs to go) with him
3) at 5v5 he's also been horribly misused. He's spent more time playing with Simmonds (still cooked) than anyone else on the team, and most of that time with a center like Weal.

In the short time with Giroux and TK, he was scoring the way we expected him to, which shows he isn't the problem, his usage is. The signing was very good, it's just we haven't reaped the rewards of it yet, and likely won't until a new coaching staff is brought in this summer.

This core has accomplished nothing. Re-signing Simmonds would be insane and, if you can move Voracek in a deal to improve the team, it should be done. If you are counting on current and future prospects to be what takes this team to Cup contention, then this team is still at least 2-3 years away from getting there. If that's the case, might as well move on from most of the vets

I don't consider Simmonds a core piece anymore and he obviously needs to go.

Other than that, the core isn't to blame and definitely shouldn't be broken up.

Saying "they've accomplished nothing" is such a foolish way to evaluate players. By the same logic, the Oilers have accomplished nothing with McDavid, so he should be moved. That's not how this works. You look at what each individual is doing and judge whether or not they're helping the team. All our core guys are either a) clearly helping, or at least b) having a down year but will surely bounce back.

"If you can move Voracek in a deal to improve the team, it should be done". <- this is such an empty/pointless sentence. Of course any trade that improves the team should be done. If the Oilers are offered a deal for McDavid that improves their team then of course they'll do it.

But the whole problem is that trading Voracek DOESN'T improve the team.

I've also showed that this whole "the team is still 2-3 years away!" meme is nonsense right here:
2018-19 Roster talk; Part three (Jan. 3 injury updates in post #428)

Turnarounds aren't gradual. You fix key holes and you're set.

The team finished with 98 points last year, they are currently on pace for 72 this season. How is that not getting worse?

That's not how you judge improvements to the roster.

By this logic the team has been improving, then regressing, then improving, then regressing, then improving, then regressing, then improving, then regressing for the last 8 years...

The roster is better now than it's been that entire time period, but the reason that hasn't been reflected in the standings is for 3 key reasons.

1) coaching
2) special teams (which is mostly because of coaching)
3) goaltending

The roster proves it's talent and potential by being near the top of the league in both 5v5 scoring and 5v5 defending, which is what makes the real flaws so obvious. Even just the top PP unit being more like normal would have them FAR higher in the standings. The good news is the first two problems are easily fixed through a coaching change this summer and the last problem is just a matter of Hart getting more experience.

Is the GM not responsible for the roster? If so, then I don't think my anger is misplaced in the slightest. I give him credit for his drafting and cap management, but I also give him a failing grade when it comes to the team he put on the ice this season.

Yes, the GM is responsible for this mess because he wouldn't fix the coaching, but the roster is fine. He deserves anger for that key mistake.

I meant the anger was misdirected towards the core players.