Hakstol shakes up Flyers' lineup; Voracek demoted

Trying to get his team's inept offense going in the right direction, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol is splitting up top-liners Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek for Monday's game against visiting Carolina.

Giroux will remain on the top unit, centering Michael Raffl and Brayden Schenn.

Voracek will play right wing on a line with center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare  and Chris VandeVelde.

The Flyers have been shut out in their last two games, and they have their 34 goals in the fewest in franchise history after their first 20 games.

They have not scored in 137:34.

"I think the purpose of it is to score goals as a team," Voracek, who has just one goal, said of the line changes. "Last year when I played a couple shifts with Belly, we gained so e momentum, so hopefully it'll be like that tonight."

Voracek said he was not upset at his demotion.

"I think Hak is trying to spread it out and get the lines going," Voracek said. "...G is one of the best players in the league obviously and we weren't scoring, so things had to be done."

Giroux, who leads the Flyers in goals (six) and assists (13), said it's "good to shake it up a little bit" when your team is in an offensive funk, "and try to find some chemistry with the other players. Me and Jake had chemistry in the past, but it's not going in for us, so we need to try something else."

Giroux said Bellemare and VandeVelde "win a lot of battles, so (Voracek) will be able to do his thing a little bit more with the puck."

As for being with Schenn and Raffl, Giroux said he has been with one of them but not both at the same time, "so there's a little bit of chemistry there."

Bellemare was thrilled to have Voracek, the NHL's No. 4 scorer last season, on his line.

"It's Jake Voracek, so it's going to be a fun night," he said. "The whole league knows what kind of player he is."

Monday's other lines: Sean Couturier centering Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds; and Scott Laughton, who has recovered from being slammed into the boards Saturday in Ottawa, will center Taylor Leier and Sam Gagner.

Breakaways. Michal Neuvirth (2.08 GAA, .939 save percentage) will make his first start in the last six games...Rod Brind'Amour, now a Carolina assistant, will be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame during 7 p.m. ceremonies. The game will start at 8.