Preseason Gameday Preview: Flyers vs. Islanders

The Philadelphia Flyers open their six game preseason schedule on Tuesday with a home game against the New York Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center. Game time is 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on NBCSP+.

VIEW TONIGHT'S ROSTER VS. THE ISLANDERS

The primary portion of the "Group A" practice group and "Team Orange" scrimmage squad from the first four days of training camp will remain together for the preseason opener. Carter Hart will get the start in goal and play the first two periods. Samuel Ersson will play in the third period.
With the roster being more or less spilt into two groups for the early portion of camp, head coach Alain Vigneault will use the opportunity to take a look at players in different situations. For example, Oskar Lindblom will get a chance to play netfront on the first power play unit in this game, while the likes of German Rubtsov and Maksim Sushko will be part of the penalty kill against the Islanders.

The Flyers line combinations and power play units will be as follows:
28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
23 Oskar Lindblom - 19 Derick Brassard - 89 Cam Atkinson
64 Maksim Sushko - 50 German Rubtsov - 71 Max Willman
76 Isaac Ratcliffe - 82 Connor Bunnaman - 62 Tyson Foerster
9 Ivan Provorov - 94 Ryan Ellis
3 Keith Yandle - 61 Justin Braun
24 Nick Seeler - 54 Egor Zamula
79 Carter Hart
33 Samuel Ersson
PP1: Giroux, Couturier, Lindblom, Konecny, Yandle
PP2: Brassard, Foerster, Atkinson, Ellis (left side), Provorov (point)
The tandem of Ellis and Provorov, at least for now, will play together in all game situations: even strength, power play (second unit) and eventually on the penalty kill as well. The two have worked closely together, on and off the ice, throughout camp to date.
For Cam Atkinson, this game will be his preseason debut as a Flyer and first home game in orange and black. Energetic and upbeat by nature, he said that joining Philadelphia, where he already had several friends on the team, provided an additional burst of adrenaline from the time he learned of his trade to the Flyers.

Logan Day and training camp amateur try-out (ATO) player Jackson van de Leest dressed as a fourth defensive pairing during the morning skate.
Tonight's Opponent
The Islanders opened their preseason slate on Sunday with a 4-0 shutout win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Checking line veteran Cal Clutterbuck had a goal and two assists, while Casey Cizikas (1G, 1A), Brock Nelson and Ross Johnston (1G, 1A) also tallied for the Isles. In net, Ilya Sorokin and Jakub Skarek combined for a 28-save shutout.
New York simultaneously held a scrimmage on Sunday for its non-game group. Among the notables in the scrimmage -- likely to play against the Flyers in this game -- were the line of Zach Parise, JG Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom, Also look for players such as Anthony Beavillier, Austin Czarnik and the defense pairing of ageless Zdeno Chara and Noah Dobson. In goal, the Islanders will go with Semyon Varlamov and Kenneth Apppleby.