Flyers vs. Flames
7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet
After a two-day break in the schedule, the Flyers (27-25-11) will be back in action when they host the Calgary Flames (33-25-4) at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening.
Here are five things to get you ready for the tilt:
1. Sticking to the plan
You can't say Ron Hextall isn't a man of his word. Ever since he was promoted to general manager last summer, Hextall has made it crystal clear he values draft picks, developing younger players and not mortgaging the future to win now.
The recent trades of veterans Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn illustrate exactly what Hextall is about. The Flyers acquired two draft picks from Chicago on Friday for Timonen, who hadn't played a single game all season because of blood clots until he joined the Blackhawks on Monday, before dealing Coburn — without retaining any of his salary (!!!) — to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline for first- and third-round picks and young defenseman Radko Gudas.
Well done, Mr. Hextall. It's truly astounding how the first-year GM was able to sell two players who no longer fit in the team's plan for such a high price.
“We got some pieces, a lot of young prospects, a lot of picks,” Hextall explained Monday (see story). “This is only the first part. We got to make them count. We got a lot of work to do. When you look at young players, young assets, we got a lot of them coming."
NHL
The Flyers are well on their way to brighter days. They now have 10 picks for the 2015 NHL draft, which is considered especially deep, and several key prospects are waiting in the wings. Hextall admitted the Flyers still have "a lot of work to do." That's true, but he sure is off to a good start in his tenure as GM.
2. Flamethrowers
Move aside, Flyers. The Flames are the new "Comeback Kids." Quite literally.
Led by youngsters such as Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, just to name a few, Calgary has recorded 10 wins when trailing after two periods this season — a new franchise record.
The Flames have actually been one of the season's biggest surprises. They were in a playoff spot on trade deadline day for just the first time since 2010-11, mostly because of their spectacular division record (18-6-1).
But Calgary's playoff hopes took a major hit on Monday, when GM Brad Treliving announced team captain Mark Giordano will be sidelined for the rest of the season because of a torn biceps muscle. The Flames' defensemen, who needs surgery, is expected to be out of commission for the next four to five months.
Giordano led all NHL defensemen with 48 points and averaged over 25 minutes a game at the time of his injury. Many pegged him as a potential Norris Trophy candidate. He's a huge loss.
3. Injuries
The Flyers returned Anthony Stolarz to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Monday, an indication that backup Ray Emery is ready to return from his lower-body injury.
Defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, however, is unlikely to play against the Flames. He was struck in the back of his left shoulder by a shot in Saturday's win over the Rangers and hasn't skated since. Carlo Colaiacovo will re-enter the lineup if Grossmann is unable to go.
In addition to Giordano, the Flames are without forwards Matt Stajan (personal reasons), Paul Byron (lower-body) and defenseman Ladislav Smid (upper-body).
4. Keep an eye on ...
Flyers: Sean Couturier, who is one goal away from matching his career-high of 13, is coming off a two-assist performance against the Rangers. The 22-year-old centerman has been more active in the offensive zone as of late, due in large part to the addition of Jakub Voracek on his line with winger Matt Read. Couturier is a bit snakebitten right now, as his last goal came eight games ago on Feb. 13. But he's had plenty of opportunities so don't be surprised if he pots one soon.
Flames: Calgary has a ton of talented youngsters in its lineup, so it's hard to pick just one. But we're going to go with Monahan. Skating on the Flamers' top line, the 20-year-old center has collected 21 goals and 21 assists in 62 games. He has good size (6-2, 187) and his hockey sense is off the charts. He could very well develop into one of the better two-way forwards in the game. He doesn't play much of a physical game, however, but is hard to knock off the puck. He wears No. 23.
5. This and that
• The Flyers have won their last three matchups with the Flames dating back to Feb. 25, 2012.
• Calgary averages just 7.7 penalty minutes per game, third-least in the NHL.
• The Flyers have killed off 42 of their last 49 shorthanded situations.
• The Flames have 10 skaters with 10 or more goals this season.
• The Flyers have the third-best power play in the NHL (23.3 percent).