Flyers vs. Rangers
7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet
Fresh off an inspiring come-from-behind victory in Boston, the Flyers (3-2-1) will return to the Wells Fargo Center for their first divisional matchup of the season against the New York Rangers (5-2-1) on Saturday night.
Here are five things to get you ready for the game:
1. Coming out party
The second period was something you'd expect to see in an Eli Roth movie.
Sean Couturier was already knocked out of the game after absorbing a vicious hit from none other than former Flyer Zac Rinaldo in the closing seconds of the first frame and Michal Neuvirth's night was over after just 20 minutes because of a Patrice Bergeron stick to the face.
Rinaldo was tossed, however, and the Flyers were awarded a five-minute power play to start the second. But they failed to register a single shot on goal and saw momentum swing Boston's way after a shorthanded tally by Chris Kelly. Shortly after, a cold Steve Mason allowed a weak goal to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead and it looked like a full-blown meltdown was in effect.
Welcome to the NHL, Dave Hakstol. Here's a test on adversity.
NHL
But the first-year coach didn't buckle. He rallied his team after a horrendous showing in the middle stanza and the Flyers' leadership group responded.
Mason made an eye-popping, game-changing save early in the third to spark the Flyers' comeback, Claude Giroux scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime on the power play, Jakub Voracek and Mark Streit combined for five assists on the team's final three markers and Wayne Simmonds finally found the back of the net.
So what looked like was going to be an ugly collapse on the road turned into a feel-good rally that the team can build on. And, most importantly, the Flyers who needed to step up and take control did exactly that.
2. Pleading his case
Sam Gagner really doesn’t want to head back to the press box.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, Hakstol announced he was going to re-insert R.J. Umberger, who missed three games while recovering from an upper-body injury, into the lineup in favor of Gagner, who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes over the summer but sat out the first two games of the season as a healthy scratch.
But Hakstol’s plans were thwarted. Brayden Schenn, who landed awkwardly on his head/left shoulder in a collision with Dallas’ Antoine Roussel Tuesday night, was a late scratch against Boston. He took part in the Flyers’ morning skate but was unable to play versus the Bruins because of an upper-body injury, according to GM Ron Hextall.
So with Schenn out, Gagner filled in. He made sure his presence was felt, too. He scored the Flyers’ second goal and now has three points in his four appearances with the Flyers. He sure is making a case to stay in the rotation and it’s going to be hard for Hakstol to bench him again if he continues to produce.
3. Ranger Danger
The Flyers will take on a Metropolitan Division foe for the first time this season on Saturday night.
Unfortunately, that opponent is the Rangers, who are coming off back-to-back victories at Madison Square Garden after an 0-2-1 skid overall.
The Blueshirts have won four out of their last five meetings against the Flyers and dominated the season series in 2014-15. More on that below.
4. Keep an eye on …
Flyers: Seriously, did you see Simmonds' snipe against Boston? It was a beauty. That leg lift/wrist flick combination? Filthy. Tuukka Rask was caught completely off guard. But it was also a big goal for Simmonds, who had gone scoreless in his previous five games to start the season. He tied the game at 4-4 in the third period to help the Flyers force overtime and was very animated on the bench after the play. Now that he's got the monkey off his back, we should see a much more relaxed Simmonds. And that's a good thing for the Flyers as the 27-year-old tends to score in bunches.
Rangers: Derek Stepan is one tough customer. The 25-year-old had a wisdom tooth extracted Wednesday but also had two screws removed from his jaw that remained from a procedure he underwent in May 2014, when he broke his jaw in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens. Though he was in a large amount of pain, Stepan still suited up in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Coyotes. He even picked up an assist and won 12 of 20 faceoffs in over 18 minutes of ice time. The Flyers know him well, too. Stepan recorded five assists in the 2014-15 season series and has 24 points (six goals) in 25 career games against the orange and black.
5. This and that
• The Flyers went 1-3-0 against the Rangers in 2014-15 and were outscored by a 12-6 margin in the season series.
• Steve Mason is 5-3-1 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.46 goals-against average in 10 career starts against the Rangers.
• Henrik Lundqvist is 28-13-3 with a .916 save percentage, 2.48 goals-against average and four shutouts in 46 career starts against the Flyers.
• Giroux has not scored in 14 straight games against the Rangers, his longest active goal drought against any opponent.
• Rick Nash has nine goals and 17 points in 19 career games against the Flyers.