VOORHEES, N.J. — Anthony Stolarz is poised to make NHL history.



On Sunday night against Calgary, Stolarz will become the first New Jersey-born goalie to play in the NHL. On his seventh recall — 26 games overall — he’s finally getting his chance to play for the Flyers.



“With New Jersey not being such a hockey hotbed … it’s nice to see the recognition now, there’s 10 rinks within 40 minutes of my house,” Stolarz, who was born in Edison and grew up in Jackson, said. “For me to be the first goalie, it’s exciting.”



Stolarz attended Jackson Memorial High School.



For the record, Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol would not confirm his start. That’s OK because his players did it for him.



“Everybody is excited for him,” Steve Mason said. “He’s been called up numerous times. Over a quarter of the year, he’s been called up and waiting for a shot. This year, especially, he looks like a different goaltender in net. He’s put a lot of work in. He’s ready for it.



“I hope he does well, gets a win for the team. I told him, ‘Just have fun.’ It’s a big deal because you worked your entire life to get that first NHL start.



“There’s no way around that, but at the end of the day, it’s another game of hockey. It’s a matter of controlling his emotions. Keep an even keel the entire game.”



Stolarz, who said Hakstol hadn’t told him yet, expects friends and family to be at the Wells Fargo Center.



“It would be exciting in front of the home fans,” he said. “Playing in front of the home crowd … I’ve been in a number of games where you get to see the atmosphere. Compared to other buildings, it’s a tough place to play. If you are on the Flyers, it’s exciting and gets you pumped up.”



His teammates were vocally excited for him. This is a tough spot for a rookie, too, as the Flyers have lost three of their last four games.



“We got to be sharp in front of him; I’m real excited for him,” Wayne Simmonds said. “Stolie has been very patient and done his work. When you’re young, you got to wait your turn and finally, it’s his turn.”



The one task Stolarz will have to make is getting his command signals down with his defense. Most clubs have the same commands between defensemen and goaltenders whether it’s the starter or backup.



“Communication shouldn’t change for us,” Radko Gudas said. “Stolie has been around a while. He knows what the calls are. He’s been watching Neuvy [Michal Neuvirth] and Mase the last two years. We want to help him out.”



The only real difference is some goalies want shots blocked. Others want to see the puck. Mason and Stolarz both like their defensemen blocking shots, as evidenced by the fact Gudas is 13th in the NHL with 45 blocked shots.



From a forward standpoint, Jakub Voracek said there will be a team emphasis on not turning pucks over in front of him. Buckle down defensively in the first period, and allow Stolarz to get comfortable in net.



“Take it easy on him the first five, 10 minutes and not turn pucks over,” Voracek said. “Mistakes are gonna happen. Make sure you keep it tight at the beginning. Shake off the nerves and go from there.”



At 6-foot-6, Stolarz is the largest goalie in the Flyers' system. Mason said larger goalies take more time to figure out how to use their size correctly. Mason is two inches shorter than Stolarz.



“Because he is such a big guy, it takes a while to control those moving parts and learning how to use them in a controlled manner,” Mason said. “This year, he is much more controlled. He is explosive.”



Young goalies often think they are pushing hard side-to-side in net, Mason added, but many times, they aren’t and their body motion isn’t in unison.



“Sometimes in junior hockey, you skate with kids in the summertime and just the sound of pushes and when they stop, it’s not crisp and strong,” Mason said.



“That was something I noticed last year with Stolie. His pushes weren’t crisp and strong. Now this year, he’s come into his own. He’s earned his shot. It will be fun to watch.”



Loose pucks

Center Boyd Gordon, who has been on long-term injured reserve since Nov. 3 with back spasms, took full practice as a scratch. He has missed 12 games. … Initially, it appeared as though Michael Del Zotto was going to be scratched a fourth consecutive game but by practice’s end, it was apparent the two defensive scratches against Calgary will be Andrew MacDonald and Nick Schultz with Del Zotto back in the lineup paired with Shayne Gostisbehere.

Hakstol changed up his lines Saturday, using some units he has used the last two games at various times: Michael Raffl is back on Claude Giroux’s line with Voracek. Brayden Schenn is on a new unit between Chris VandeVelde and Roman Lyubimov. Lyubimov has been a healthy scratch for the past seven games. Scott Laughton was the odd forward out of the lineup.

Brandon Manning took full practice and seemed fine after missing time during Friday's loss to the Rangers. … Friday’s loss was just the third time this season the Flyers weren’t tied or ahead in the third period. … The Flyers did not have a power-play opportunity against the Rangers. Last time that happened was Oct. 4, 2014, at home against Edmonton.