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Thursday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers
Flyer Sean Couturier on fire with Leafs coming to town.
Thursday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers | Toronto Star
Sean Couturier, on pace for 40 goals-plus, and the Flyers host the Maple Leafs on Thursday night. (Elsa / GETTY IMAGES)
By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter
Wed., Jan. 17, 2018
WELLS FARGO CENTER
FACEOFF: 7 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet
RADIO: TSN 1050
KEY PLAYERS
Couturier/Marner
Sean Couturier of the Flyers is on a tear, with seven goals in his last five games. He has reached a career-high 25 goals and is on pace to surpass 40, a formidable force on a Flyers team that is climbing the standings after a terrible November in which they lost 10 straight games. Mitch Marner is among the Leafs on the hot seat during an offensive cold snap and badly needs a breakout game.
NEED TO KNOW
The Flyers had a four-game win streak snapped by the Rangers on Tuesday night. . . . Claude Giroux leads Philly with 54 points, tied for second among NHL scorers heading into Wednesday night’s action. He’s also second to teammate Jakub Voracek (45) in assists with 40. . . . Giroux reached 700 games as a Flyer on Tuesday, just the 10th in franchise history, and passed Mark Recchi for 11th on the Flyers’ career scoring list with 629 . . . The Flyers will retire hall of famer and former captain Eric Lindros’ jersey prior to this game. Lindros spent eight years in Philly, and played 33 games for the Leafs late in his career . . . The Flyers are just six points behind Toronto and three points out of a wild-card berth . . . Flyer Wayne Simmonds, a Toronto native, extended his points streak to five games with an assist Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Saturday at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Flyers-Maple Leafs preview: Philly trying to sweep season series
Updated: January 18, 2018 — 8:03 AM EST
Flyers-Maple Leafs preview: Philly trying to sweep season series
KIM / Staff Photographer
Former Flyer James van Riemsdyk is having another outstanding season for Toronto,
by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]
Maple Leafs (25-17-4) at Flyers (20-16-8)
COVERAGE: @BroadStBull and @samdonnellon on Twitter.
KEY PLAYERS: Another game, another team trying to end a three-game losing streak when they face the Flyers.
The Rangers did just that on Tuesday, whipping the visiting Flyers, 5-1.
Now Toronto will try to get back on track. The Leafs have just two victories in their last eight games (2-3-3) and have dropped three straight.
With a win, the Flyers would sweep the season series with Toronto for just the second time in the last 20 years.
Toronto, 1-4 in its last five games against Eastern Conference opponents, has gotten 19 goals from Auston Matthews and former Flyer James van Riemsdyk. Patrick Marleau, 38, who is in his first year with the Maple Leafs after a sensational career with San Jose, has chipped in with 15 goals.
Goalie Frederik Anderson is 22-13-3 with a 2.67 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
Michal Neuvirth is expected to make a rare start for the Flyers, who are 4-0 in their last four games against teams with a winning record. Neuvirth, who has made just nine starts during an injury-plagued season, is 3-5-1 with a 2.39 GAA and .923 save percentage.
All-star left winger Claude Giroux (54 points), Jake Voracek (53 points), and Sean Couturier (career-high 25 goals) are among the NHL leaders. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has nine goals and 32 points in 40 games.
THINGS TO KNOW: Eric Lindros’ No. 88 will be retired in ceremonies that begin at 7 p.m. On Friday, Lindros will be reunited with Legion of Doom teammates John LeClair and Mikael Renberg as they play on a Flyers alumni team in an outdoor matchup against former Hershey Bears. The game will be played at Hersheypark Stadium…..Wayne Simmonds has a five-game point streak……On Tuesday, the Leafs allowed a goal with 57 seconds left, then lost in overtime to St. Louis, 2-1…..Toronto just finished a 2-2-2 homestand.
HEAD TO HEAD:
The Flyers lead the overall series, 96-57-22-4, including a pair of 4-2 wins this season. This is the final regular-season meeting between the teams in 2017-18,
GAMEDAY: Maple Leafs at Flyers
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
GAMEDAY: Maple Leafs at Flyers
Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the St. Louis Blues during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on January 16, 2018 in Toronto. (Claus Andersen/Gety Images)
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (25-17-4) at PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (20-16-8)
7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, Sportsnet, TSN Radio 1050
BIG MATCHUP
Auston Matthews vs. Sean Couturier
If Flyers coach Dave Hakstol matches Sean Couturier against Auston Matthews, the 20-year-old Leaf will have to be on his toes. Couturier made his foray into the NHL as a smart defensive centre, and now he has gone on the offensive, scoring 25 goals already (long ago eclipsing his previous career high of 15). While Matthews has gone three games without a point, he appears to be ready to bust out, and it could be a tense battle if Couturier is his counterpart.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Fall in line
It’s doubtful a swap of Dominic Moore into the lineup in place of Frederik Gauthier will lead to an onslaught of offence for the Maple Leafs. Coach Mike Babcock has dug in his heels, meaning there won’t be major line changes. He’s confident his players can move forward mentally from three one-goal losses. It’s up to them to prove their boss right.
2. Calling on Kadri
In 18 career games against the Flyers, Nazem Kadri has 14 points (five goals and nine assists). How badly do you think Kadri would like to get on the scoresheet? One goal in 17 games. No assists in his past 20 games, or more than a quarter of the season. Something has to give. There’s no question Kadri has been disappointing for a while.
3. Giroux’s 30 in 30
The Leafs would be wise to play close attention to Claude Giroux for a few reasons. With 54 points, only Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov had more prior to Wednesday, and Giroux enjoys playing Toronto. He has 30 points in 30 games versus the Leafs, one of 10 NHL teams against which he averages at least one point a game.
4. Beat the backup
The Leafs will get a look at Flyers backup Michal Neuvirth, who will make his second start since the end of November. Neuvirth has faced the Leafs 17 times in his career (only against Florida has he seen more action) and has gone 9-5-1 with a .902 save percentage. It’s crucial for the Leafs that Neuvirth does not get comfortable.
5. Close doesn’t count
While the Leafs have had their problems closing out games recently, the Flyers aren’t great in close matches themselves, recording just five wins in one-goal games, tied for fewest in the NHL. We’ve said it a lot, but it’s imperative for the Leafs to begin well. Their 48 first-period goals are second in the NHL; the Flyers’ 30 in the first was 29th.
MAPLE LEAFS LINES
LW-C-RW
Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Patrick Marleau-Nazem Kadri-Leo Komarov
James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Mitch Marner
Matt Martin-Dominic Moore-Connor Brown
Defence pairs
Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner-Connor Carrick
Travis Dermott-Roman Polak
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
FLYERS LINES
LW-C-RW
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
Michael Raffl-Valtteri Filppula-Jakub Voracek
Jordan Weal-Nolan Patrick-Wayne Simmonds
Taylor Leier-Scott Laughton-Jori Lehtera
Defence pairs
Ivan Provorov-Shayne Gostisbehere
Robert Hagg-Andrew MacDonald
Brandon Manning-Radko Gudas
Goaltenders
Michal Neuvirth
Brian Elliott
INJURIES
Flyers — None.
Maple Leafs — D Nikita Zaitsev (lower body), LW Nikita Soshnikov (lower body).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power play
Flyers: 21.4% (8th)
Maple Leafs: 20.9% (10th)
Penalty kill
Flyers: 74.5% (29th)
Maple Leafs: 84.0% (5th)
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