Brian Elliott will start in net for Flyers tonight as Carter Hart gets a few more days to reset his game
Phil Myers also will be back in the lineup as the Flyers look to pick up a win against the Capitals, who've won twice this week at the Wells Fargo Center.
In a mildly surprising move, Carter Hart’s rest and recovery period was extended another night as Brian Elliott was tabbed to start Saturday against the Capitals.
Hart, the Flyers’ No. 1 goalie, last started on Tuesday when he gave up three goals to Buffalo and was pulled after the first period. He’s not been himself lately, he confessed afterward, and the Flyers are hoping the time off is the elixir.
“I just feel Carter needs a couple more days [off],” coach Alain Vigneault explained.
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Hart was on the ice for the full 45-minute practice on Saturday morning, so there are no physical concerns. The only discomfort he’s experiencing is growing pains, which is not unusual.
Vigneault on Tuesday said that he saw similar slumps when he coached future Hall of Famers Roberto Luongo in Vancouver and Henrik Lundqvist in New York.
“It’s gonna come back soon. It’s gonna come back. I’m not worried about him.”
“I’ve been very fortunate in this game to have some great goaltenders in front of me and in front of my teams,” Vigneault said. “All those goaltenders at one time or another went through challenging periods. All players do. Not just at the goaltender position. But all players do. You’ve got to show mental strength, mental fortitude, and you have to battle through. That’s what we expect Carter to do.”
Getting Hart away from the Capitals probably factored into the decision. Hart’s given up seven goals in three games to Washington, including three to Alexander Ovechkin. To be fair, the defense in front of him hasn’t been terribly strong.
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It’s the third time in a month Elliott has started consecutive games, which he didn’t do at all last season. Hart’s struggles, Elliott’s improved play, and the condensed schedule of games are reasons we’ve seen the backup goalie more lately.
“He’s young, man,” said Oskar Lindblom, 24, who is two years older than Hart, but an old soul. “There’s going to be ups and downs. He’s been really good for us in some games, and some games have been tough for him. But that’s how it is. I just try to make him relax and have fun and do his thing out there.”
The Flyers start a four-games-in-six-days road trip in New York on Monday against the Rangers, so Hart won’t be on the bench long.
“As we’ve all stated -- myself, the coaching staff, management -- our belief in Carter has not changed,” Vigneault concluded. “He’s going through a rough patch and he’s got to work himself through it.”
Ice chips
Second-year defenseman Phil Myers also returned to the lineup on Saturday after a one-game benching, and Nate Prosser was called up from the taxi squad. Erik Gustafsson and Robert Hagg were scratched.
Washington’s Ovechkin entered Saturday’s game three goals behind Phil Esposito for sixth place in history. The top 7: Wayne Gretzky (894), Gordie Howe (801), Jaromir Jagr (766), Brett Hull (741), Marcel Dionne (731), Esposito (717), Ovechkin (715).
Something to keep in mind for next week is Artemi Panarin returned to the Rangers’ lineup on Saturday after missing nine games. Panarin was accused of assaulting a woman in 2011 back in Russia, which he flatly denied. It’s a controversy dripping with political undertones so Panarin, an MVP finalist last year, took a leave of absence. Panarin played 18:45 and registered an assist on Saturday as the Rangers thumped Boston, 4-0. New York, which went 4-5 while Panarin dealt with the issue, host the Flyers on Monday and Wednesday.
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