Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey: Welcome Back Wayne Simmonds
The former Philadelphia Flyers forward will make his return to the Wells Fargo Center.
Earning their first victory of 2019-20 against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2019 NHL Global Series in Prague last week, the Philadelphia Flyers will now look for two in a row as they host the New Jersey Devils in their home-opener. The Flyers haven’t started a season with a winning streak since the 2011-12 campaign, where they defeated the Boston Bruins, Devils, and Vancouver Canucks to open the year.
Carter Hart will receive his second consecutive start between the pipes from Head Coach Alain Vigneault and is likely to oppose Cory Schneider for New Jersey. The veteran netminder left his last start with an injury and was relieved by MacKenzie Blackwood.
Not only will this game mark the Flyers first home contest of the new season, but it’ll also be Wayne Simmonds’ first time wearing a different uniform in the Wells Fargo Center. The former Philadelphia winger was traded to the Nashville Predators at last year’s Trade Deadline in February and signed a one-year deal with New Jersey this past offseason. He enters the game with one assist in two games so far this season.
Simmonds said a few months ago that he’d be mad if he doesn’t get booed by the Flyers crowd, but I wouldn’t plan on that happening unless he scores a goal. Simmer is one of the most beloved Flyers of this decade by the fans and should receive a resounding ovation when the team decides to honor him this evening.
Vigneault is opting with an “If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It” attitude, as the Flyers line combinations and defensive pairings were the same during the morning skate as they were in the Czech Republic. I’m excited to see if the line of Oskar Lindblom, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny can replicate their success, given how dominant they looked against Chicago. Konecny and Lindblom both netted goals in the 4-3 win while Couturier went without a point.
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Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm EST. If you aren’t attending the game in person, it can be seen on NBCSN.