Hart Returns; Flyers Game 15 vs. Kings: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Philadelphia Flyers (6-7-1) face the Los Angeles Kings (8-2-3) Saturday night, wrapping up their three-game business trip in California.

The Flyers split their previous two games, losing to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, but overcoming Leo Carlsson’s first hat trick for the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. With their latest win, Philadelphia moved within one point of fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. As it stands, they’re three points off of second place as well.

The Flyers will conclude their current road trip after they face the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

The Kings have won four of their last five, having just recently lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime on Thursday. In their last meeting with LA on Nov. 4, the Flyers lost 5-0.

Overall, the Flyers are just 4-4-2 in their last 10 games against the Kings.

Flyers game time

Tonight’s Flyers game should start shortly after 10:30 p.m. EST.

Flyers Preview

Sam Ersson started in place of Carter Hart last night, after Hart was too sick to play. Tonight, Hart will officially mark his return to the crease after recovering from a lower-back injury he suffered against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 1. The Flyers’ No. 1 goaltender can expect to have increased offensive support after last night’s six-goal outburst against the Ducks.

Morgan Frost drew back into the lineup last night at Ryan Poehling’s expense, and he will again feature in the Flyers’ game tonight. Poehling, though, will join him in the lineup, and Bobby Brink will come out. Egor Zamula will sit for Victor Mete, as well.

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The Kings will be playing their second game of a four-game homestand.

LA reclaimed former forward Samuel Fagemo on waivers from the Nashville Predators earlier today, and re-called defenseman Jordan Spence from the Ontario Reign (AHL). In the interim, the Kings have also done a bit of line shuffling ahead of tonight’s game.

Pheonix Copley’s struggles have forced LA to ride former Flyers goaltender Cam Talbot quite a bit in the early goings of this season. Talbot should face the Flyers tonight, given Copley played against the Penguins on Thursday.

Expected Philadelphia Flyers lines

Cam Atkinson – Sean Couturier – Tyson Foerster

Scott Laughton – Morgan Frost – Owen Tippett

Joel Farabee – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny

Nicolas Deslauriers – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway

Defense

Cam York – Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler – Sean Walker

Victor Mete – Louie Belpedio

Goaltending

Carter Hart

Sam Ersson

Cal Petersen

Expected Los Angeles Kings lines

Adrian Kempe – Anze Kopitar – Quinton Byfield

Kevin Fiala – Philip Danault – Trevor Moore

Alex Laferriere – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Arthur Kaliyev

Carl Grundstrom – Blake Lizotte – Trevor Lewis

Defense

Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty

Vladislav Gavrikov – Matt Roy

Andreas Englund – Jordan Spence

Goaltending

Cam Talbot

Pheonix Copley

Flyers Special Teams

Flyers power play: 8.11%, 30th

Flyers penalty kill: 77.78%, 18th

Kings power play: 19.64%, 17th

Kings penalty kill: 86.05%, 8th

Flyers Game Notes

Joel Farabee has 11 points in his last 11 games, and will set a career-high six-game point streak with a point tonight.

The Flyers will play their second leg of this away back-to-back; their next such back-to-back will be on Dec. 28 & 29.

Philadelphia is 14-13-4 in their last 31 games against Western Conference opponents.

Travis Sanheim (2G, 12A, 14 pts) leads the Flyers in scoring after potting a goal and two assists against the Ducks. Of his play this season, Tortorella said “That’s who he is now. He’s a different person. I didn’t get a sniff of that last year. He’s eating up a ton of minutes for us. He’s trying to make a difference every time he’s on the ice,”

Owen Tippett broke a four-game point drought with a brace against Anaheim last night.

Nicolas Deslauriers is one assist from 100 in his career, and Tortorella will tonight pass Darryl Sutter for sole possession of the eighth-most coached games in NHL history with 1,479.

How to Watch the Flyers Game

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: 97.5 The Phanatic

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