Skip to content
Flyers
Link copied to clipboard

Flyers try to continue road success; Schenn sidelined

(UPDATED after the morning skate at 12:30 p.m.)

BUFFALO _ The Flyers, the kings of the road, play in Buffalo Wednesday tonight and try to continue their success away from the Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers have an NHL-best 9-3-1 road record, including a 3-2 win in Buffalo on Nov. 2.

In that game, the Flyers scored three goals in the first 6:23 and chased goalie Ryan Miller. It was the second-shortest appearance of his stellar career.

Miller missed nine games because of a concussion before returning and leading the Sabres to a 3-2 win in Nashville on Saturday.

In his last nine home starts vs. the Flyers, Miller is 2-6-1 with a 3.15 GAA. Go figure.

Winger James van Riemsdyk will return to the lineup, but center Brayden Schenn will be sidelined by what the team called an upper-body injury. Schenn was sidelined recently by a broken foot that he has been rehabbing.

The Flyers said they were "hopeful" Schenn could play Thursday against the visiting Penguins.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette surprisingly is giving goalie Ilya Bryzgalov his third straight start, even though the Flyers also play on Thursday.

Laviolette said the fact Bryzgalov has had three days betwen starts factored in his decision.

"And he's coming off a couple wins, so we'll put him back in," Laviolette said.

Bryzgalov started back-to-back games over the weekend, beating Anaheim (4-3 in overtime) and Phoenix (4-2).

With Riemsdyk returning to the lineup after a four-game absence because of an injury, the Flyers' lines are expected to look like this on Wednesday:

* Giroux centering Hartnell and Jagr.

* Briere centering JVR and Simmonds.

* Talbot centering Read and Voracek.

* Couturier centering Harry Z and Rinaldo.

* * *

Former Flyer Ville Leino, in his first season with Buffalo, has just two goals and seven assists in 26 games.

* * *

On Twitter, legendary Flyers goalie Bernie Parent announced that, because of so many inquiries from fans, he has decided to play in the Winter Classic alumni game on Dec. 31 at Citizens Bank Park.

The "Ber-nie, Ber-nie, Ber-nie!" chants will be deafening.

* * *

Laviolette said he wasn't concerned about the Flyers looking past the Sabres and ahead to the Penguins.

* * *

The Penguins announced that, as a precaution, Sidney Crosby will not play against Flyers and will miss at least two games. Crosby collided with teammate Chris Kunitz on Monday.

* * *

The Flyers are in the early stages of a stretch in which they play 11 of 14 games on the road. After hosting Tampa Bay on Saturday night, they play seven of their next eight on the road.

* * *

I talked Flyers with Matt Leon on KYW NewsRadio today. Here, courtesy of KYW, is the link to the conversation:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/12/07/flyers-in-buffalo-looking-for-3rd-straight-win/

* * *

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter@BroadStBull.


Get exclusive videos and analysis in our new app for iPhone and Android. Download it here.