Feb 23, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux (28) celebrates the game-winning goal during overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Stadium Series ice hockey game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Time: 4.00 p.m Eastern
Where to Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia and NHL Network
You can also stream the game here:
Game Preview:
The time has finally come. Flyers hockey is back for the first time since March 10th. The Flyers are looking for a strong start to the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in their first exhibition game versus the Penguins today.
After lots of hard work at training camp, the Flyers have slowly gained their momentum and stellar play since the pause on the season.
James Van Riemsdyk has high hopes for the Flyers as they play their first game, “Going through the process over the last ten days, I think we are pretty sharp, pretty business-like. I think we have gotten better as we have gone on here. I definitely think we came in at a level where we are at a pretty good spot to start with.”
Kevin Hayes had also had some words to say about the Flyers confidence going into the games, “I think no matter who we’re playing, our coaches and our players have a lot of confidence playing against anyone.”
It’s clear to say that this Flyers team has a ton of confidence going into the playoffs and this confidence will be dangerous.
Last Left Off
The last time the Flyers played their record was 9-1 in the last ten. The last game the Flyers played was a 2-0 loss to the Bruins. Although despite the loss, that game was one of the best games the Flyers played all season long.
Playing Roster
Forwards: Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Jake Voracek, James Van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes, Joel Farabee, Scott Laughton, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Derek Grant, Tyler Pitlick, Michael Raffl, Nate Thompson, Oskar Lindblom, Andy Andreoff,
Defensemen: Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Shayne Gostisbehere, Philippe Myers, Matt Niskanen, Robert Hagg, Justin Braun.
Goalies: Carter Hart, Brian Elliott
Black Aces
Friedman, Bunnaman, Frost, Zamula, Andreoff, Welinski, Lyon, Ustimenko.
Key Players To Watch
Carter Hart(G) – Hart last left off with a 24-13-3 record and a 2.42 GAA and .914 save percentage. He was extremely dominant at home with a 20-3-2 record. Although the road was a different story. Hart’s record on the road was a rough one being 4-10-1. The biggest question with Hart is, will he bring his high-end play to Toronto away from home?
Kevin Hayes(C) – The biggest acquisition for the Flyers this season, Kevin Hayes. Hayes left off as fifth on the team in points with 23 goals and 18 assists for 41 points in 69 games.
Sean Couturier(C) – The recent Selke Trophy nominee last left off second on the Flyers in points with 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points in 69 games.
Some other key players are Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux. Giroux has some playoff experience, but this will be the best Flyers team he has ever led as a captain and his leadership will be huge for the team.
Hype Video:
