Flyers vs. Rangers preview: Let’s talk about hockey and also how much New York City sucks

Back on home ice after four games away, the Flyers are also back on RIVALRY NIGHT as they host the New York Rangers in a nationally televised affair on NBCSN this Wednesday evening.

The Flyers enter the game with a game in hand over New York, but after a rough road trip, the find themselves eight points behind the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings. And … perhaps even worse, they also find themselves just three points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild card spot in the division. Oh, how quickly the gains of that 10 game win streak have fallen away.

I’m not going to bother telling you too much about the Rangers in this game preview, because I don’t know why I’d waste another second of my life thinking about them. You shouldn’t think about them either, because they are trash and you are better than them. Carry this virtue with you to the grave.

Henrik Lundqvist is the likely starter in net for New York, although he did play last night in a pathetic 4-1 loss to Buffalo, so there’s a chance we see Antti Raanta. Steve Mason will go for the Flyers.

Philadelphia will have no lineup changes, opting to go with the same lineup they put on the ice in that 55 shot performance in Anaheim.

Tonight’s game is on NBCSN nationally. You can stream it here at NBC Live Extra, or with the NBC Sports app. Tim Saunders and Steve Coates have the local radio call on 97.5 The Fanatic, or 104.1 FM at the Jersey Shore. It’s an 8 p.m. start.

Flyers lineup

Forwards

1. Michael Raffl – Claude Giroux – Jakub Voracek
2. Travis Konecny – Brayden Schenn – Wayne Simmonds
3. Matt Read – Sean Couturier – Dale Weise
4. Chris VandeVelde – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Roman Lyubimov

Defense

1. Ivan Provorov – Andrew MacDonald
2. Michael Del Zotto – Radko Gudas
3. Brandon Manning – Shayne Gostisbehere

Goalies

1. Steve Mason
2. Michal Neuvirth

New York lineup

Forwards

1. Chris Kreider – Derek Stepan – Mats Zuccarello
2. James Vesey – Kevin Hayes – Michael Grabner
3. Jonathan T. Miller – Oscar Lindberg – Jesper Fast
4. Nicklas Jensen – Marek Hrivik – Brandon Pirri

Defense

1. Ryan McDonagh – Kevin Klein
2. Marc Staal – Nick Holden
3. Brady Skjei – Dan Girardi

Goalies

1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Antti Raanta