The Philadelphia Flyers will host the Chicago Blackhawks early on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. Coming off of back-to-back losses, the Broad Street Bullies are looking to avoid creating yet another losing streak as interim head coach Mike Yeo continues to tinker with Philadelphia’s lineup.
In his latest mind-altering decision, Yeo has decided to bench Gerry Mayhew, one of the only forwards with speed who is actually putting the puck in the net, in favor of starting Kevin Hayes on the third line. It seems no matter who the coach is, the Flyers organization are incapable of supporting a younger player’s development and good play while simultaneously giving every opportunity to veterans who can’t stay healthy and don’t contribute much offense.
Isaac Ratcliffe, who has been having a good run with the Flyers on the main roster, is also receiving similar treatment of being benched despite good play.
Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 16-28-10 (42 pts, 8th in Metro)
Hayes, who has not been able to remain healthy for most of his duration as a Flyer, was reportedly going to receive another procedure on his midsection that would have ended his season. However, after numerous visits and tests with doctors, Hayes has been cleared to return today against the Blackhawks and will be taking the place of one of the Flyers’ hottest young players right now.
It is unclear why they are pushing so hard for Hayes to return this year when the season might as well be over now, but what has become evident is that the Flyers have no real interest in securing a load of playing time for their youth during an incredibly poor season. Perhaps Hayes will make a positive impact, but rushing his return to the lineup this season is something that Philadelphia has done all-year-long and has yet to work out for them.
Despite losing their last two games, the Flyers do have a few positive takeaways. Scott Laughton’s offensive game continues to thrive during Philadelphia’s hard times, as he recorded a two-point game in their 5-4 loss to the Wild. He will be centering the first line against Chicago with Giroux on his wing. James van Riemsdyk also snapped a dry run and scored his 12th goal of the season in that game.
Travis Konecny also finally scored his ninth goal of the year against Minnesota after publicly speaking out on his cold streak on goal scoring. He claimed that he was going to start shooting the puck more after realizing just how often he has decided to pass up scoring opportunities for himself.
Projected Lineup
Giroux – Laughton – Konecny
Farabee – Brassard – Atkinson
Lindblom – Hayes – van Riemsdyk
Willman – Brown –MacEwen
Provorov – Braun
Sanheim – Ristolainen
Yandle – Seeler
Jones
Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 20-27-8 (48 pts, 7th in Central)
Chicago is rolling into Philadelphia after winning their last game in overtime against the Oilers. The Blackhawks have won four of their last ten games, and are considered to be “sellers” at this month’s trade deadline on the 21st.
Marc-Andre Fleury and Patrick Kane are two of the team’s most valuable players that are being asked about throughout the league, but Chicago may also be willing to part ways with somebody like Strome if the return is decent enough.
Both team’s backup goaltenders will be in net for this one, giving Fleury the night off. Though it feels unlikely he would be dealt this long before the deadline, you can expect Fleury’s remaining games this month to be more about building his trade value as much as possible rather than winning, considering where Chicago is in the standings.
Unlike Philadelphia, the Blackhawks have been all over the place. Sure, the Flyers have been bad, but they’ve at least been a consistent product. Chicago can and have scored eight goals in a single game only to be shutout from the scoring sheet in their next game. Between the disappointing product on the ice, and the everlasting PR nightmare they continue to deal with off of the ice, the Blackhawks will likely be a tough opponent for this struggling Flyers team, as they have a lot more to prove this year than a team like Philadelphia, who has more than enough excuses for their poor season.
Projected Lineup:
Kubalik – Strome – Kane
Debrincat – Toews – Johnson
Hagel – Dach – Entwistle
Kurashev – Carpenter – Lafferty
De Haan – S. Jones
C. Jones – Murphy
Stillman – McCabe
Lankinen
When, Where & How to Watch
Time: 3:00 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center
TV Broadcast: ABC, ESPN+
Radio Broadcast: 97.5 FM
Live Stream: Fubo TV
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