Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers vs. Hurricanes Preview: Lineups, Notes & How to Watch

Published

1 year ago

March 18, 2023

Flyers goalie Felix Sandstrom braces to stop Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov in the teams' March 9 meeting. Photo: AP.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes are having opposite seasons. The Flyers will miss the playoffs for the third straight year. The Hurricanes will be strong Stanley Cup contenders.

Yet, the teams have played three highly competitive games this season — all one-goal decisions won by Carolina.

The Flyers (25-32-11), coming off Friday’s 5-2 waltz past Buffalo, will try to salvage one win in the season series when they host the Hurricanes (44-15-8) Saturday at 5 p.m.

Carolina, which acquired former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere before the trade deadline, has scored 4-3 (overtime), 6-5, and 1-0 victories over Philly this season.

In the teams’ last meeting, Felix Sandstrom made 28 saves and kept the Flyers close in the 1-0 defeat March 9.

Sandstrom will likely start tonight because Carter Hart was in the nets in Friday’s impressive win over Buffalo.

Carolina will be in a foul mood. The Hurricanes lost in Toronto on Friday, 5-2. They are atop the Metropolitan Division and have a one-point lead over New Jersey, along with a game in hand on the Devils.

Flyers’ expected lineup

Laughton-Cates-Tippett

Farabee-Frost-Foerster

Lemieux-Hayes-JVR

Deslauriers-Laczynski-Allison

Defense

Provorov-York

Sanheim-Ristolainen

Seeler-DeAngelo

Goalie

Sandstrom (1-10-1, 3.37 GAA, .887 SP)

Hurricanes’ expected lineup

Martinook-Aho-Necas

Jarvis-Kotkaniemi-Fast

Teravainen-Staal-Pulrujarvi

Noesen-Drury-Stepan

Defense

Slavin-Burns

Skjei-Pesce

Gostisbehere-Chatfield

Goalie

Andersen (17-7, 2.41, .903)

Breakaways

The Flyers are just 2-10 in the back end of back-to-back games. … Gostisbehere is on the third pairing and second power-play unit. … Andrei Svechnokov, who scored the only goal in the team’s last meting, is on IR. … Owen Tippett (21 goals), coming off a hat trick, has joined the Flyers’ MVP consideration, along with Hart and the injured Travis Konecny (27 goals). … The Canes are allowing just 2.55 goals per game, second in the NHL. The Flyers are 21st (3.28). … In the faceoff circle, Carolina is dominant (51.1%, fifth), the Flyers 45.5%, 30th) are not. … The Philadelphia Flyers are 1-1 on a season-high seven-game homestand. … In his career against the Flyers, Andersen is 10-4-3 with a 3.00 GAA and .911 save percentage. … Sandstrom has faced Carolina just once in his career, the recent 1-0 loss. … The Flyers have an 88-42-25 career record vs. Carolina, which has won the last five meetings.