Chris Porter got a phone call from general manager Ron Hextall on Wednesday morning telling him he was going on waivers.
That was the extent of the conversation.
On Wednesday evening, Porter went out and turned in another good game with a goal during the Flyers' 4-2 preseason loss to the Devils at Wells Fargo Center.
“He’s done a good job and spent a lot of time up and down. Chris is a pro,” Hextall said. “I told him he was going on waivers and he was fine. Goes out and plays a good game. He’s a pro.”
Porter’s departure almost guarantees that Scott Laughton will make the final roster cut, which could happen by Friday.
(Update, 1 p.m.: Porter was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Wild.)
Porter had a strong camp and showed he can play different forward positions. He was left wing on Sam Gagner’s line with Wayne Simmonds against the Devils.
“Nothing new for me,” Porter said of his situation. He was waived in St. Louis, as well. “I think I made another statement tonight and hopefully made their job difficult.”
As lethargic as the Flyers looked — the Devils tend to do that to opponents — Porter played as if he were still fighting for a job.
Or in this case, another chance down the line.
“It’s never a great feeling, but it’s an opportunity to show them what you have and leave a lasting impression,” he said. “At least they know what they have.”
The 31-year-old Porter could still be recalled at some point because of injuries.
“He showed up and did his job [tonight],” head coach Dave Hakstol said. “That speaks to the type of person he is. He’s still fighting for the opportunity. Give him credit for that.
“It’s a long year, a lot of things happen during the year and you need people to help. He’s done a good job in camp. We’ve taken notice of that.”
Porter played in three games, scoring two goals and tallying three points.
The game
The Flyers looked lethargic. No energy.
Their 0-1-1 record in head-to-head play this preseason when both teams used an “A” lineup is concerning.
“There was a little dip for us tonight,” Hakstol said. “We didn’t generate a whole lot, didn’t have a lot of pop to our game. That is something we want to regain Friday.”
The Flyers finish out preseason Friday night in New Jersey.
Defense
The Flyers' most fluid pair of defensemen, Michael Del Zotto and Evgeny Medvedev, had a rough start to this game.
In the opening minutes they got crossed up on coverage and it resulted in goalie Michal Neuvirth's having to make a terrific glove save on Kyle Palmieri in the right slot.
A few minutes later, there was another breakdown between the two and Tuomo Ruutu scored uncontested to make it 1-0.
Special teams
The Flyers came into play with the NHL’s best power play — 36.4 percent (8 for 22) and they added a goal on a 5-on-3 in the opening period with Simmonds' nice redirect in the slot off a pass from Claude Giroux from the left circle. The penalty kill came in ranked 11th (83.3 percent) and gave up a redirect goal in the paint in the second period with the “B” unit killers on the ice. The Flyers' power play was 1 for 3. Their PK units killed off 4 of 5 penalties.
Goals
Porter scored off a deflected point shot from Del Zotto. ... Ryan White again moved to center on what was Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s line with Chris VandeVelde. ... The Devils scored an empty-netter. ... During the mandatory 3-on-3 overtime demonstration, the Devils had the puck in the Flyers' zone most of the time. New Jersey scored on an empty net when goalie Jason LaBarbera came out to play a puck along the far boards and obviously misjudged things.
Loose pucks
LaBarbera backed up Neuvirth (15 saves on 18 shots), who aggravated his knee injury (see story). Neuvirth was expected to play the entire game but LaBarbera relieved him to start the third period. Neuvirth was on the bench for the third period. ... LaBarbera also played in the 3-on-3 overtime. ... Steve Mason had the night off and will play in the preseason finale on Friday in New Jersey. ... Travis Zajac gave the Devils a 3-2 lead late in the second period off a scrum in front of the net. ... Vinny Lecavalier, who did not dress for the game, also did not sit in the press box with the other scratches. He actually prefers to watch from downstairs when he is scratched. ... Brayden Schenn and Devils defenseman Adam Larsson traded numerous slashes in front of the net during the third period.