The Flyers will begin the final weekend of the year against a team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, that’s used to being in the position that Philadelphia finds itself in this year: playing out the string with no playoffs on the horizon.
It’ll be a weird feeling this weekend inside Wells Fargo Center as the Flyers close out with two home games, starting this afternoon against this CBJ team that’s bound for a collision with Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division playoffs here next week.
The Flyers will give away their annual team awards before the game, and then they’ll take the ice playing for pride more than anything else. Luckily, Columbus comes in on a bit of a swoon, having not won in five games — something they’re obviously hoping to break before the postseason comes along in a few days.
Samuel Morin has not been recalled for today’s game, as the Phantoms are suddenly in perilous positioning with regards to their own postseason and they have a game tonight. So we’ll likely get Brandon Manning back in the lineup today in his place.
Steve Mason will probably start in goal, because … well, why not? Might be his last game in Philadelphia. We’ll see about that.
Be sure to enjoy this one. It’s a long summer.
Today’s game is on CSN Philly locally, and the Flyers feed is streaming on CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports app. 97.5 The Fanatic has the radio call. FS Ohio has the Blue Jackets broadcast, and NHL.tv has you covered elsewhere.
Flyers lineup
Forwards
- Travis Konecny – Claude Giroux – Jake Voracek
- Dale Weise – Sean Couturier – Brayden Schenn
- Jordan Weal – Val FIlppula – Wayne “Train” Simmonds
- Roman Lyubimov / Chris VandeVelde – Mike Vecchione – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Defensemen
- Ivan Provorov – Andy Mac
- Brandon Manning – Shayne Gostisbehere
- Mikey Del Zotto – Nick Schultz
Goalies
- Steven “Steve” Mason
- Anthony Stolarz
Columbus lineup
kind of uncertain, CBJ may be resting players
