Flyers take on 'Canes, aiming for 1st home win
PHILADELPHIA -- After a season-opening 1-1-1 road trip and Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the Philadelphia Flyers will try again for their first win on home ice Saturday night when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes, who are coming off their first win of the season.
The Flyers (1-2-1) will be without veteran right winger Dale Weise, who on Friday was suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Anaheim defenseman Korbinianb Holzer. Weise is a repeat offender, having been suspended three games to start the 2013-14 season with the Vancouver Canucks after another check to the head.
With Weise out of the lineup, look for Flyers rookie Roman Lyubimov to return to the lineup.
The Flyers already have seen three players suspended for 12 games this season. Defenseman Radko Gudas has two games remaining on his six-game suspension, while center Brayden Schenn returned Thursday night from his three-game suspension that carried over from an illegal hit in last year's first-round playoff loss to the Washington Capitals.
The Flyers received goals from Wayne Simmonds (his third of the season) and Matt Read (his fourth), but went 0-for-7 win the power play in their 3-2 loss to the Ducks, generating just five shots on the man-advantage.
Read has been a pleasant surprise for the Flyers after netting just 11 goals in 79 games last season.
"I was a perimeter player," Read told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's easy to be a perimeter player if your making plays and stuff like that, but to score goals, you've got to get in those tough areas and have tenacity around the net and battle for those loose pucks."
The Hurricanes (1-1-2) finally put together their best game of the season with a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames. They grabbed a 3-0 lead and never looked back, getting power-play goals from Victor Rask and Jeff Skinner and a standout performance between the pipes from Eddie Lack.
The Swedish goaltender made 24 saves on Thursday night for his fifth win in seven career starts against the Flames.
"In the beginning of my career (with Vancouver) we played good team games and it was the same today," he said.
"It's just circumstantial."
Carolina coach Bill Peters was pleased with how his team played overall Thursday, and he hopes to jump out to an early lead Saturday.
"More poise and confidence in each other, in the system," Peters told the News & Observer. "I'd love to have a three-goal lead every night. We'll get better playing with the lead. We'll get better managing situations as we go and we'll learn as we go."
The Hurricanes were outstanding on the penalty kill against the Flames, shutting them down on six opportunities.
Lack served notice that he could give No. 1 goalie Cam Ward some competition this season, limiting Calgary's potent offense to two goals.
The Hurricanes wrap up a six-game road trip to start the season on Saturday and Detroit on Tuesday.