Official News of your Philadelphia Flyers



Prior to the team taking the ice for the morning skate, Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced that forward Sean Couturier and goaltender Steve Mason will be out of the lineup with a lower-body injury.This is the third consecutive game that Couturier will miss, and the ninth game of the season overall that will keep him out due to injury. The Flyers have a 1-5-2 record when Couturier is not in the lineup.Couturier has 22 points (9g-13) in 38 games this season, his fifth in the NHL.Mason will miss his first game of the season due to injury. He has a 10-12-6 record with a 2.72 goals-against average and .914 save percentage to go along with three shutouts in 29 appearances.In addition, the Flyers have recalled goaltender Jason LaBarbera from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, on emergency conditions this morning.LaBarbera is 5-9-0 with a 2.80 GAA and .906 save percentage in 15 appearances with the Phantoms, and has won four of his last six starts. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with Flyers on July 2, 2015. The Flyers face off against the Capitals in Washington DC tonight in their last game before the NHL All-Star break (8pm, NBCSN & 93.3 WMMR).The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled center Sam Gagner from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, according to general manager Ron Hextall.Gagner has appeared in nine games for the Phantoms since being loaned to the club on December 30. He has recorded a goal and five assists for six points, while averaging 3.6 shots on goal per game and accruing a plus-3 rating.Prior to being loaned to Allentown, Gagner has appeared in 18 games for the Flyers this season, recording two goals and three assists for five points. He was acquired by the Flyers from the Arizona Coyotes on June 27, 2015, and in 580 career NHL games, Gagner has 118 goals and 223 assists for 341 points.Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced during the team’s morning skate in Pittsburgh that center Sean Couturier will not play tonight vs. Penguins due to a lower-body injury.This is the seventh game Couturier will miss due to injury this season, but first missed game in nearly three months. He missed six games from Oct. 24 to Nov. 3 with an upper-body injury.Couturier is tied for fourth on the team with 22 points (9g-13a) and has been one of the hottest Flyers as of late, recording 14 points (6g-8a) in his last 14 games, and has not gone scoreless in two consecutive games in over a month (Dec. 10-11).Following practice on Tuesday at the Skatezone in Voorhees, NJ, Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not play in Wednesday’s game vs. Bruins.It will be the second straight game Gostisbehere will miss due to injury since being recalled to the Flyers on Nov. 14. He suffered the injury in Minnesota during the Flyers’ 4-3 overtime win over the Wild.The 22-year-old rookie leads the Flyers defense in all three offensive categories with seven goals, nine assists and 16 points in 23 games. Despite missing time, he remains tied for the rookie lead among defensemen, along with Blues’ Colton Parayko, having played 20 less games.The Flyers go into tomorrow’s game against the Bruins riding a three game winning streak, as well as a five-game winning streak on home ice. Puck drop is slated for 8 p.m. on NBCSN and 97.5 The Fanatic.Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere will not play in Saturday afternoon’s game vs. Islanders due to a lower body injury.He did not take part in the team’s practice late on Friday afternoon after leaving Thursday’s game at Minnesota in the second period.“It happens,” said Jake Voracek, who is a member of the first power-play unit with Gostisbehere. “[Gostisbehere] is a great player, but we have a great defense and we played half a game with five defensemen so I don’t think it would be any different if [Gostisbehere] was playing. One goal was after a turnover, the second goal was after a bad luck bounce.”Despite the loss, Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol feels comfortable with the remaining players on his blueline and inserting players to fill in the appropriate holes.“It’s an element that he brings, not just in the offensive zone, but he’s also been pretty efficient in moving the puck up the ice. That’s a big part of generating offense - making that first pass and then getting up ice,” said Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol on the loss of Gostisbehere.“In saying that we’ve got other guys that are pretty good at it as well. You saw Del Zotto doing it a little bit; having Streit back helps that area of our game also, so other guys have to step up and do that job for us tomorrow.”The Flyers face an Islanders team that walked away with two victories over them so far this year, including a 4-3 shootout win in their last meeting on Dec. 8 at the Wells Fargo Center.“I thought the game here [at the Wells Fargo Center] was a great hockey game and there was very little difference to that hockey game,” added Hakstol. “Both teams had opportunity. I felt like we played very well that night and we came up short in a shootout, so the difference is that they’ve gotten points and we’ve got to do a better job of that.”Puck drop is at 1 p.m. and fans can catch the action on CSN & 97.5 The Fanatic.During the third period of the Flyers-Wild game in Minnesota, Flyers GM Ron Hextall gave an injury update on defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.Gostisbehere has a lower body injury and will not return to the game.Gostisbehere appeared in just two shifts in the second period and 1:25 of ice time. In total, he logged just 10 shifts and 7:31 of ice-time before heading to the locker room.The 22-year-old rookie has seven goal and nine assists for 16 points in 22 games, prior to entering tonight’s game, since being recalled to the Flyers on Nov. 14. His 16 points leads the Flyers defense and is tied for the lead among all rookie defensemen, while his seven goals lead all rookie blueliners.He leads the Flyers with three game-winning-goals, all of which have come in overtime which is tied for second overall in the NHL.

Following the team’s morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center, Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol announced that the club will go back to goaltender Michal Neuvirth tonight vs. the Canadiens.

It will be Neuvirth’s second straight start, after stopping 30 of 32 shots in a 2-1 loss at Los Angeles on Saturday. He has an 8-5-2 record with a 2.06 goals-against average and continues to lead the NHL in save percentage with a .937, ranking tops among 47 goaltenders who have played at least 640 minutes this season.

“A lot of different things go into it,” said Hakstol on the decision for Neuvirth to start. “Right now I feel like we have confidence in both guys. I thought Neuvy did a good job the other night. We got ourselves in a hole and we had a pretty good second period, but there were a couple saves through the second and he gave us a chance into the third. That’s one of the small factors. He did a good job for our team. He gave us a chance to gain points, so he’s the guy that goes back tonight.”

In other news to come out of the skate, the Flyers will go back to dressing six defensemen and 12 forwards, after going with seven D vs. LA.

“We may at some point in time go bad with seven defensemen,” added Hakstol. “That’s a day-to-day decision that we’ll make on every game day, but tonight we’re going to go with a group of six and 12 forwards.”

Defenseman Evgeny Medvedev will not be in the lineup as the Flyers come into tonight’s game fully healthy for the second straight contest with no injuries listed.