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Joel Farabee returns to Flyers’ lineup and is on a line with fellow rookie Morgan Frost

Farabee returned from a three-game suspension to play against the Rangers.

Flyers left winger Joel Farabee returned to the lineup Monday against the New York Rangers.
Flyers left winger Joel Farabee returned to the lineup Monday against the New York Rangers.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Joel Farabee returned to the Flyers’ lineup Monday after serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Winnipeg’s Mathieu Perreault.

He planned to still play with a physical edge, but said he wouldn’t be trying to start problems.

“I don’t think I’m necessarily going to be running around hitting guys,” he said before setting up what proved to be the winning goal in the third-period of a 5-1 victory Monday over the the New York Rangers, “but sometimes when you’re playing the game you have to finish checks, so my mindset is the same as it was before. I’m ready to go.”

Coach Alain Vigneault said he wants Farabee to play with the same (legal) physicality.

Farabee, 19, recently had been playing right wing on Kevin Hayes’ line. But the line of Hayes, James van Riemsdyk, and rookie Nic Aube-Kubel has played well lately, so Farabee was moved to left wing (his natural position) on a line with fellow rookie Morgan Frost and right winger Jake Voracek.

A former Boston University star, Farabee said he was “pretty comfortable” at either wing. He was looking forward to playing alongside Frost, the Flyers’ 20-year-old center.

“We played a lot together in camp and a little in Lehigh,” he said of his brief time with the AHL’s Phantoms, “so we definitely have some chemistry. I think we play pretty fast and can think the game pretty quick, so I think if we have the puck on our sticks we’ll be able to create a lot of chances.”

“That line has good young skill with a veteran player,” Vigneault before the opening faceoff, “so it should be good for us.”

Support for Lindblom

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad arranged for six of his teammates to purchase and wear “Oskar Strong” T-shirts under their jerseys for Monday’s game at the Wells Fargo Center, showing their support for Flyers left winger Oskar Lindblom.

Lindblom is battling a rare type of bone cancer.

Like Lindblom, Zibanejad is a Sweden native.

“Very classy, very first-class organization,” said Vigneault, who used to coach the Rangers. “It doesn’t surprise me. There’s no doubt that Oskar’s situation has touched everyone in the league.”

Breakaways

Ivan Provorov is battling the flu, but he played in his 283rd straight game Monday. He has never missed a game since joining the Flyers in 2016-17. Matt Niskanen, Provorov’s defensive partner, returned to the lineup after missing one game with the flu. Vigneault pointed out that Niskanen’s wife also has the flu. “So I guess Nisky’s partners are having a tough time,” he said with a smile after the morning skate. … Carter Hart made his sixth start in the last eight games. … Tyler Pitlick was the fourth-line right winger and Chris Stewart was a healthy scratch.