Flyers vs Sharks, Game 66: Notes, Lineups, and How to Watch
The Flyers will have an opportune moment to shake off their lackluster effort on Saturday as they return home to take on the Sharks.
This is the second and final time that Philadelphia and San Jose meet. The Flyers fell victim to a situation no one wants to find themselves in November. The Sharks came in on an 11-game losing streak, looking to win their first game. San Jose scored 1:43 into the game, adding a power-play goal in the second. The Flyers got one past Mackenzie Blackwood with 1:09 remaining in the game to avoid the shutout. However, they gave the Sharks their first win of the season.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers will work the next two games without John Tortorella behind the bench. He can coach at practice but cannot be with them during the game. Instead, Brad Shaw and Rocky Thompson will take things over. Tortorella was suspended two games for refusing to leave the bench after he was ejected midway through the opening period against Tampa. A situation like this shouldn’t hurt the Flyers, though. They have often been a team fueled by adversity and a “us against the world” mentality.
Luckily, they will not be without Travis Sanheim. With a defense that is already thin, another loss would’ve been devastating to the group. Sanheim fell awkwardly, a player landing on his leg against Tampa. He took the day off from practice but is good to go against the Sharks. The Flyers are without Rasmus Ristolainen, Jamie Drysdale, and Nick Seeler. Egor Zamula missed the last game due to sickness, so the Flyers had to play with just five defensemen. Tortorella did confirm that Zamula would be back in the lineup. Adam Ginning was also recalled under emergency conditions, so he could play if need be.
If the Flyers elect to go 11/7 as they often have done, it appears to be Cam Atkinson, Nic Deslauriers, and Bobby Brink sitting. The former two took extra reps after practice, typical for scratched skaters. If Brink is out as well, this will be his third straight missed game.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Tyson Foerster - Sean Couturier - Travis Konecny
Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Owen Tippett
Noah Cates - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway
Denis Gurianov - Morgan Frost
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Marc Staal - Ronnie Attard
Egor Zamula - Erik Johnson
Adam Ginning
Sam Ersson
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have lost four out of five games this month, collecting a point in two losses. Dating back to Feb. 17, they have lost nine of 10. That doesn’t mean the Flyers can take them easily, especially based on the first game they played. However, San Jose did sell at the deadline. Tomas Hertl was traded to Vegas, while Anthony Duclair went to Tampa. Duclair was tied for the team lead in goals. Hertl was second on the team in goals but hasn’t played since Jan. 27.
Fabian Zetterlund is the Sharks leader with 16 goals. It’s been a breakthrough season for him in his first full season with San Jose. He was sent to the Sharks in the Timo Meier deal. It looks like he will be a good addition to their future as he is just 24 years old. He has five points in his last three games. In his first season with the Sharks, Mikael Granlund leads the team with 40 points, one away from matching his total between the Predators and Penguins last season. At only 21 years old, William Eklund provided a small scoring punch with 10 goals and 30 points in his first full season.
Magnus Chrona will start his third straight game. He won his first NHL game against Ottawa in the team's last game. The rookie goaltender has only appeared in five games this season. Chrona has posted a 4.59 GAA and a .864 SV%. He has given up four or more goals in three starts, allowing seven against the Islanders. The Flyers will want to challenge him early to see if his recent win gave him more confidence.
Sharks Projected Lineup
Alexander Barabanov - Mikael Granlund - Fabian Zetterlund
Filip Zadina - William Eklund - Luke Kunin
Thomas Bordeleau - Nico Sturm - Kevin Labanc
Klim Kostin - Ryan Carpenter - Justin Bailey
Mario Ferraro - Kyle Burroughs
Henry Thrun - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Jacob MacDonald - Calen Addison
Magnus Chrona
When, Where, and How to Watch/Listen
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: Amalie Arena
Watch: NBCSP
Radio: 93.3 WMMR
Live Stream: FuboTV
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