Flyers vs. Kings
7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet
Fresh off a comeback win in overtime over Carolina, the Flyers (6-8-3) will welcome the Los Angeles Kings (11-6-0) to the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night.
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup:
1. Change it up
Fourteen goals in nine games isn’t going to cut it.
That’s why Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol is switching up his forward combinations.
With Ryan White sidelined for the next two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, Hakstol is moving Michael Raffl down to the fourth line to play with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde. Raffl, who has just one goal this season, hasn’t gotten the job done with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. Hakstol, however, did say Raffl is “playing hard” and likes the tenacity he’s been bringing to the lineup.
Replacing Raffl on the top unit will be Brayden Schenn, who was benched on Saturday and sat out the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime win as a healthy scratch. Skating with Giroux and Voracek is nothing new for Schenn. He played around 30 games on the first line in 2014-15 and has received countless opportunities to produce as a top-six winger. So far, though, he’s failed to show he can thrive in that role. This is a contract year for Schenn, so if he wants to continue his career in Philadelphia, now is the time to prove he’s worth keeping around.
NHL
The other line change is Scott Laughton's moving to the third unit to center Sam Gagner and call-up Taylor Leier. Laughton and Leier were roommates and spent time as linemates on the Phantoms last season. The Sean Couturier-Wayne Simmonds-Matt Read combo will remain intact.
2. Ghost’s town
What a debut for Shayne Gostisbehere.
The young defenseman, appearing in just his third career game for the Flyers, recorded his first NHL point after making a shifty move at the blue line and rocketing a puck on target that Simmonds was able to deflect for a goal in the third period on Saturday.
“I’m an offensive guy, everyone knows that by now,” Gostisbehere said Monday (see story). “I definitely have some things to clean up on the defensive side and I am going to continue to work on that.”
Gostisbehere, who was called up to the big club to replace the injured Mark Streit, played over 17 minutes in his season debut. It’s unrealistic to expect the 22-year-old to fill the void Streit has left, but Hakstol showed he’s not afraid to unleash Gostisbehere, who even saw time with the top power-play unit.
Mistakes will be made. Gostisbehere is still adjusting to the pro game. But this is a great chance to see what the future can hold. This is his moment to excel. Let’s see if he sticks around.
3. Kings of the Pacific
Los Angeles is rolling. After starting the season 0-3-0, the Kings have won 11 of 14 games to climb to first place in the Pacific Division.
Up next is a five-game road trip against Eastern Conference clubs. The Kings have been solid away from the Staples Center, too. They've posted a 4-1-0 record on the road so far this season.
Head coach Darryl Sutter, in an attempt to acclimate his players to their first extended visit to the East Coast in 2015-16, held practice at 8:30 a.m. on Monday before the Kings departed for Philadelphia.
Sutter will be looking for more production from some of his key forwards. Marian Gaborik had a goal and an assist on Saturday after posting just two points in his first 16 games. Then there's Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, who have combined for just six markers and seven helpers in the early going.
Jeff Carter has paced the offense for L.A. He has a team-high 17 points and has fired 50 shots on goal. Milan Lucic and Tanner Pearson have caught fire lately as well. Lucic has scored in three of his last four outings and Pearson has seven points in his last six.
4. Keep an eye on …
Flyers: Some nifty passes from Giroux and Michael Del Zotto in three-on-three overtime helped Voracek finally score his first goal of the season on Saturday. Voracek, who also had an assist in the game, said he almost forget how it felt to find the back of the net. Now the pressure is off. His play and effort level have been consistent through the first 17 games, but Voracek has had some trouble collecting points. The Flyers can only hope he’ll break out after his strong showing against Carolina.
Kings: There are only three players -- Minnesota's Ryan Suter, St. Louis' Alex Pietrangelo and Ottawa's Erik Karlsson -- who are averaging more ice time per game than Los Angeles' Drew Doughty. The 25-year-old defenseman does it all. He can hop in on the rush seamlessly, deliver some crushing hits in open ice and shut down the opposition's best players in all three zones. The two-time Stanley Cup winner enters Tuesday with two goals and 11 points in 17 games this season. It's hard to miss No. 8. His motor is always running.
5. This and that
• The Flyers came up victorious in both of their meetings with the Kings last season.
• Los Angeles has allowed just 1.71 goals per game during its current 11-3-0 stretch.
• The Kings have gone 20 for 21 on the penalty kill over their last seven games.
• In 14 career starts vs. L.A., Steve Mason is 7-7-0 with two shutouts, a .901 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average.
• Jonathan Quick is 4-3-1 with one shutout, a .932 save percentage and a 1.88 goals-against average in nine career games -- eight starts -- against the Flyers.