Blackhawks at Flyers
THE STORY: Now that the Winter Classic is behind them and the HBO cameras are off, the Philadelphia Flyers will get back to hockey when they host the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday. The Flyers dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Rangers in the outdoor game on Monday after squandering a two-goal lead. Rookie Brayden Schenn scored his first NHL goal and Claude Giroux scored to pull even with Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin atop the league lead with 46 points heading into Wednesday's action. The Flyers are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Chicago is also coming off a loss - 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers - but is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games. This is the only meeting between the two teams season after facing off for the Stanley Cup in 2010. The Flyers won the lone meeting last year with a 4-1 triumph in Chicago. Giroux assisted on all four goals.
TV: 7 p.m. ET. CSN-Philadelphia, CSN-Chicago
ABOUT THE FLYERS (22-11-4): Philadelphia is in the middle of a three-game homestand before hitting the road for four contests. The Flyers will have to do without Jaromir Jagr, who aggravated a nagging groin injury early in the Winter Classic and is out 7-10 days. G Ilya Bryzgalov should reclaim the net for the Flyers after Sergei Bobrovsky started the Winter Classic. He made 30 saves, falling to 8-3-1 on the season. Bryzgalov has struggled this season, but still sports a 14-8-3 record. Philadelphia is 8-6-2 on home ice.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (24-11-4): Chicago sits atop the Central Division and is tied for tops in the NHL with the Rangers (52 points). New York is technically in first place by virtue of two less games played. The Blackhawks received goals from captain Jonathan Toews, Andrew Brunette and Jimmy Hayes in their loss to Edmonton. It was Hayes first career NHL goal. G Corey Crawford made 26 saves and is 15-9-2 on the season. This is the first of four road games for the Blackhawks this month. Their remaining nine January games are on home ice. Chicago was 0-for-5 on the power play against the Oilers, and has scored just once in its last 22 man-advantage opportunities.
OVERTIME:
1. The Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa (plus-23) and Flyers’ Scott Hartnell (plus-21) are fifth and sixth respectively in plus/minus rankings.
2. Chicago tough guy Dan Carcillo will not play against his former team. He has been suspended indefinitely for boarding the Oilers’ Tom Gilbert.