Flyers’ Sam Morin, Tyler Pitlick activated to play against streaking Islanders
The Flyers will try to make it four in a row against an Islanders team that has reeled off six consecutive wins. Carter Hart is in net.
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Flyers coach Alain Vigneault made a couple of adjustments to his lineup for Sunday’s game at the Islanders. One was because of injury, the other was because of a gut instinct.
Tyler Pitlick was active for the first time in eight days and filled in for top penalty killer Scott Laughton, who suffered a broken finger in Saturday night’s win against Columbus. Pitlick replaced Laughton on Kevin Hayes’ line and played on the right side. Rookie Joel Farabee moved over to the left wing.
“There’s no doubt that we’re going to miss him,” Vigneault said of Laughton, who is second among Flyers forwards to Hayes in ice time on the penalty kill. “But, like all teams, you have injuries and it’s an opportunity for other guys to step in and play a bigger role.”
The decision to play defenseman Samuel Morin was helped by the Flyers’ playing on consecutive nights and in the midst of playing three times in four days. The Flyers are at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
The only thing Morin can do to maintain conditioning has been practice. Sometimes, his tempo has ticked off his teammates.
“You can’t really reproduce [game conditions],” said Morin, the Flyers’ 2013 first-round pick who has been active for just eight previous games in his career. “Guys at the last morning skate were getting [ticked] at me, like, ‘Can you slow down a little bit?’ I was like, ‘Sorry, man, I need to go [hard]. I need to be ready for when I get a shot. You can’t reproduce it. That’s why it’s important to have a good first shift. ... Man, I’m excited. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
Robert Hagg was scratched for Morin. Hagg struggled on Saturday, posting a minus-3 in about 15 minutes against Columbus.
Hart starting
Carter Hart was tabbed to start his first game in eight days on Sunday against the Islanders, who had won six in a row. The Flyers had their own three-game winning streak, with Brian Elliott winning all three in net.
Hart hadn’t looked his best in his last two outings, a loss to Dallas on Oct. 19 and getting chased by Edmonton in the second period on Oct. 16.
“What he’s got to do is what a goalie is supposed to do: Give your team a chance to win,” Vigneault said. “He’s gonna be real focused and want to do real well. Hopefully, that will translate on the ice.”