For 5 on-the-bubble Flyers, one more chance to impress the brass

Five players battling for roster spots — Joel Farabee, Carsen Twarynski, Connor Bunnaman, Chris Stewart, and Phil Myers — will be in the Flyers’ lineup Thursday when they face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Out of that group, Twarynski, a 21-year-old winger, has had the best preseason, scoring two goals and being physical around the boards and in front of the net.

“As long as I play hard and simple, the chances are going to come,” the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Twarynski said. “I was fortunate enough the last couple games to get nice bounces.”

Twarynski almost made the team in camp last season.

“I’m in a lot better shape than last year,” he said. “I had some complications during the offseason last year, but I had full training this summer and I was here for a couple months. I skated with the guys and got some good training, and it’s paying off. I feel good.”

Twarynski said he wasn’t able to train as much in the summer of 2018 because of “wrist issues. It was just building up from my previous years in hockey. I’m a hard guy to play against, so it takes a little beating on your wrist sometimes. It was nothing serious, but my training was a little altered last year. This year, being able to hit it hard was a good feeling."

Farabee and Bunnaman have played very well in the preseason, and Stewart has contributed two assists and a pair of fights. Myers, a 6-5 defenseman, has had an uneven camp, starting strong but struggling in the last couple games. It seems as if whenever Myers has made a mistake, the puck has ended up in the net.

The 6-3, 214-pound Bunnaman, who could make the team as a fourth-line center, scored 19 goals in 62 games last season for the AHL’s Phantoms.

“I learned a lot from the older guys who have been there for a while like Colin McDonald and Greg Carey," said Bunnaman, 21. “All those guys talked to me everyday and I learned how to be a pro, on and off the ice. That was huge.”

Myers, 22, would not have to clear waivers if the Flyers wanted to send him to the Phantoms, so that remains a possibility. He is battling Robert Hagg, a two-year veteran, for the No. 6 spot on defense. If Hagg wins it, Myers might be sent to the minors because the Flyers want him playing.

On Thursday, Myers will be paired with Samuel Morin, who is expected to make the roster as an extra defenseman. Morin would have to clear waivers if the Flyers tried to send him to Lehigh Valley, and another team probably would claim him.

“I think my camp has been pretty good overall,” said Myers, who, based on his late-season play with the Flyers last year, was favored to win a spot before camp started. “Obviously you make some mistakes, but you just have to learn from them and keep working hard."

Thursday’s contest will be the Flyers’ last preseason game against NHL competition. They’ll have an exhibition game Monday in Switzerland against Lausanne HC. In that game, coach Alain Vigneault plans to use a lineup that will play in the Oct. 4 regular-season opener against Chicago in Prague.

Here is the Flyers’ projected lineup for Thursday (no TV):

* Sean Couturier centering Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny.

* Kevin Hayes centering Oskar Lindblom and Jake Voracek.

* Scott Laughton centering Michael Raffl and Joel Farabee.

* Connor Bunnaman centering Carsen Twarynski and Chris Stewart.

Defense : Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim; Robert Hagg and Matt Niskanen; and Sam Morin and Phil Myers.

Goalie: Carter Hart, who is scheduled to play the entire game.