The Flyers will host the Washington Capitals at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday (7:00 p.m. EDT, NBCSP+). On Friday, the Flyers did not change the main combinations they've used throughout the first week of training camp. The lines were as follows:
28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
25 James van Riemsdyk - 48 Morgan Frost - 86 Joel Farabee
23 Okar Lindblom - 19 Derick Brassard - 89 Cam Atkinson
21 Scott Laughton - 44 Nate Thompson - 62 Nic Aube-Kubel
Extra forward: 73 Elliot Desnoyers
9 Ivan Provorov - 94 Ryan Ellis
6 Travis Sanheim - 70 Rasmus Ristolainen
3 Keith Yandle - 61 Justin Braun
24 Nick Seeler - 45 Cam York
35 Martin Jones
79 Carter Hart
PP1: Giroux, JVR, Couturier, Konecny, Yandle.
PP2: Farabee, Brassard/Frost, Atkinson, Ristolainen, Provorov.
NOTEBOOK:
* Jones will get the start on Saturday and play the entire game, per head coach Alain Vigneault. Hart will play on Monday when the Flyers host the Boston Bruins.
* Friday's practice was the third this week in which the team practiced the power play. Konecny said that he feels like things are starting to come along but it will take more reps during games and additional practice to get everyone on the same page.
* Brassard and Frost rotated reps on the second power play unit, as has been the case in several special teams practices this past week. Both units worked on a few different setups, including dropping JVR periodically below the goal line or Giroux setting up either on the left half boards or the right side. Ristolainen continued to set up the left circle with Provorov as the point man. Frost also moved around a bit on his reps.
* Konecny admitted that there will be an adjustment period for players to get used to the NHL crackdown on crosschecking. From a forward's standpoint, he said, there are plays where you push off a defender to try to create space. This is not a cross-check in the traditional sense but could be interpreted as one by the referees.
* Vigneault noted that Konecny was one of the top three players in terms of his conditioning tests at the start of camp.
* Vigneault said after practice that he realizes Frost -- who stayed on the ice to take extra practice, along with Sanheim (who habitually takes extra practice), Provorov and Aube-Kubel -- has not played much hockey since March 2019. However, he felt that Frost needs to improve on an "okay" outing in Boston, to make more plays and be more involved. The coach as the upcoming days will be critical to Frost's bid to make the team (especially as the 2nd line center at 5-on-5). AV said he liked Frost's Rookie Camp and the start of NHL camp but the player needs to do more to stand out with his skills.
* Vigneault said he was undecided about Saturday's lineup composition except for in net. The team could go largely with NHL roster players, as Boston did in their home rink against the Flyers on Thursday, or there could be a blend of players (more akin to Monday). He had an upcoming meeting with general manager Chuck Fletcher and assistant GM Brent Flahr to set the lineup plan for the Capitals game.
