Sharks at Flyers preview

SHARKS (1-2-0) at FLYERS (1-1-0)
7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV

The Game

The Philadelphia Flyers will play their home opener when they host the San Jose Sharks at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday.
The Flyers began the season with a two-game road trip, winning 5-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday and losing 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Saturday.
Philadelphia will keep right wing Jakub Voracek on the top line, with center Sean Couturier and left wing Claude Giroux, after they were put together in the third period against the Avalanche. Voracek replaced Travis Konecny, who will skate on a line with center Nolan Patrick and left wing Oskar Lindblom.
The Sharks are playing the second game of a back to back after losing 4-0 to the New York Islanders at Barclays Center on Monday. Goalie Aaron Dell could play his first game of the season after Martin Jones started the first three.

Players to watch

Sharks forward Joe Pavelski is three points from 700 in the NHL. He has nine points (six goals, three assists) in his past nine games against the Flyers.
Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds has two goals in his first two games.

They said it

"It's something we've handled the last year or two, we've experienced it. I think we know how to handle it a little better now." -- Sharks center Joe Pavelski on playing without injured center Joe Thornton
"There's some parts last year where I'd get the puck and I'd just be flat footed. Now I feel like I'm getting the puck in motion and I'm moving. It makes the game a lot easier." -- Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds on his progress this season after playing all of last season with a torn pelvis

Sharks projected lineup

Timo Meier -- Joe Pavelski -- Melker Karlsson
Tomas Hertl -- Logan Couture -- Kevin Labanc
Evander Kane -- Antti Suomela -- Joonas Donskoi
Marcus Sorensen -- Rourke Chartier -- Barclay Goodrow
Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Erik Karlsson
Joakim Ryan -- Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon -- Justin Braun
Aaron Dell
Martin Jones
Scratched:Radim Simek, Dylan Gambrell, Tim Heed
Injured: Joe Thornton (knee)

Flyers projected lineup

Claude Giroux -- Sean Couturier -- Jakub Voracek
Oskar Lindblom -- Nolan Patrick -- Travis Konecny
Jordan Weal -- Mikhail Vorobyev -- Wayne Simmonds
Scott Laughton -- Jori Lehtera -- Michael Raffl
Ivan Provorov -- Shayne Gostisbehere
Robert Hagg -- Andrew MacDonald
Travis Sanheim -- Radko Gudas
Brian Elliott
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Dale Weise, Christian Folin
Injured: Michal Neuvirth (lower body), James van Riemsdyk (lower body)

Status report

Simek, Gambrell, Heed and Dell were the only Sharks on the ice Tuesday morning. … The Flyers held an optional morning skate, with Elliott, Provorov, Gostisbehere, Raffl and Vorobyev staying off the ice. … Weal replaces van Riemsdyk in the lineup. Van Riemsdyk will be out 5-6 weeks with a lower-body injury sustained against the Avalanche.

Stat pack

Dell earned his first NHL shutout against the Flyers on Dec. 30, 2016 and has a .962 save percentage in three games against Philadelphia. ... Elliott is 3-1-0 with a 1.91 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in his past four games against the Sharks.