Carter Hart starts again as Flyers host Predators; Scott Hartnell to be honored

Goalie Carter Hart will make his second start Thursday when the Flyers face Nashville at the Wells Fargo Center.

Hart, 20, is coming off a 3-2 win Tuesday over Detroit, a 20-save performance in his NHL debut.

“I think he showed he deserved another start, and it’s an opportunity for him to build on what he did Tuesday.” interim Flyers coach Scott Gordon said after Thursday’s morning skate in Voorhees.

The Flyers will play an injury-riddled Nashville team that has lost eight straight road games (0-6-2).

The Flyers ran some unusual lines at practice Thursday — including Nolan Patrick centering Claude Giroux and Michael Raffl — but Gordon is expected to use different ones for the game.

Phil Varone, who was recalled from the Phantoms after going down for one day, is expected to center the fourth line, with Dale Weise and Oskar Lindblom as his wingers. The other lines also figure to remain the same as Tuesday: Giroux centering James van Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny; Sean Couturier centering Jake Voracek and Wayne Simmonds; and Patrick centering Scott Laughton and Raffl.

Former Flyer Scott Hartnell, who retired this season, will drop the ceremonial first puck Thursday and will be saluted on the video board throughout the game. Hartnell spent seven of his 17 seasons with the Flyers.

“He’s one of the great guys I’ve ever played with,” Simmonds said. “When I first got here, I didn’t know many people but I knew Hartsy because we were in the same agency and he took care of me. I owe a lot to Hartsy and I went to his house in Columbus (when he lived there) for dinner and we still remain friends. He’s an awesome guy.”

Hartnell, who recently moved back to Haddonfield and has been doing some work for the NHL Network, played with an edge.

“That’s how I play as well,” Simmonds said. “When I was a younger player in this league, I watched guys who I tried to emulate my game after, and Hartsy was one of them. He was rough and tough and could fight if he had to, and he scored goals at the same time. I think he was really good at the getting the other team off of their game. He had a heck of a career and he’s even a better human being."

Former Flyer Zac Rinaldo will be in the Predators' lineup Thursday because of injuries.