Carter Hart starts vs. Boston Bruins as Flyers look to extend win streak
Carter Hart and the Flyers will try to pay back the visiting Bruins on Wednesday. The Bruins swept a two-game series in Boston last month, and Hart had a meltdown after a 6-1 loss.
Are the Flyers, who are off to a 7-2-1 start despite some uneven play, a strong contender in the NHL’s East Division?
That question should be answered in their next four games, matchups against powerful division rivals Boston and Washington.
The Flyers will play the Bruins (6-1-2) on Wednesday and Friday at the Wells Fargo Center, then face the Capitals (6-1-3) on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday in Washington. The Flyers and Caps are tied for first place in the East — one point ahead of Boston, which has a game in hand.
The Flyers were swept by the Bruins in Boston recently, 5-4 (shootout) and 6-1. After the latter loss, a frustrated Carter Hart slammed his stick against the net several times, splintered it, and then tossed it across the ice.
The Flyers haven’t lost since, winning four games.
“We’re looking forward at this opportunity tonight to get back at one of the best teams in the league,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said before the team’s optional morning skate Wednesday. “They’re a tough opponent to play against and you need to be on top of all areas of your game, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Cah-tah Haht, as he is called by his coach and by those in Boston, will get Wednesday’s assignment for the Flyers. He allowed a total of 10 goals in the two losses to the Bruins last month, games in which the Flyers were outshot by a combined 69-43.
Erik Gustafsson will replace Robert Hagg on the third defensive pairing. Vigneault has been juggling that pairing.
The Flyers have been badly outshot in nine of 10 games but have been extremely opportunistic.
Hart has rebounded and won both of his starts — 3-1 in New Jersey, and a 3-2 overtime victory over the Islanders — since the 6-1 loss to Boston. The 22-year-old goaltender will take a 3.34 GAA and .900 save percentage into Wednesday’s game.
Boston has a six-game points streak (5-0-1) and is coming off a 5-3 win in Washington, a game in which it overcame a 3-0 deficit.
The Bruins swept the two-game series against the Flyers earlier this season despite missing high-scoring right winger David Pastrnak, who was recovering from offseason hip surgery. Pasternak, who scored 48 goals in 70 games last year, has two goals in two games this season.
Brad Marchand leads the B’s in goals (six) and points (13). The Bruins have been alternating Jaroslav Halak (1.72 GAA, .923) and Tuukka Rask (2.49, .890) in the nets. Rask will start Wednesday, and Halak is expected to get Friday’s assignment.
James van Riemsdyk, Travis Konecny, Kevin Hayes, and Joel Farabee pace the Flyers with five goals apiece. Van Riemsdyk is the team’s leader in points (13), and Claude Giroux tops the Flyers with nine assists.