Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, sporting a two-game winning streak and eight wins in the last nine games.
The Sabres originally weren’t scheduled to play their first of three games against the Flyers this season until March 4. However, the postponement of Buffalo's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 27 forced that contest to be moved to that date, while the Flyers games was moved to Monday.
Eric Comrie took part in the morning skate on Monday after coming back from his conditioning assignment with the Rochester Americans on Sunday. All three goalies were on the ice Monday, and Comrie is ready after his three games with the Amerks.
“I’m fully healthy. Health is not an issue for me. It’s just getting back up to speed," said Comrie following the morning skate. "Whatever the team decides is not really my decision when I play. It’s up to them. But I’m fully healthy and ready to go.”
Comrie was 1-2 in Rochester with a 3.03 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage. In his first start against the Toronto Marlies, Comrie won, making 34 saves. He says he wasn’t tired in that game, rather it was in other games.
“I was more tired in my second game for some reason," Comrie said. "I think the adrenaline and feeling amped up in the first game was why.”
With three games in four nights and the first game of a back-to-back, Craig Anderson will be in goal against the Flyers. In his last three starts, Anderson has only let in four goals on 103 shots.
Anderson is supporting one of the top save percentages in the NHL at .923 in 14 games.
Tage Thompson has gotten hot again, scoring five goals and six points in four games. In those same four games, Alex Tuch has three goals and five assists for eight points.
Rasmus Dahlin is coming off his first career five-point night in the NHL against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Dahlin has seven points in his last four games. In two games last week, Dahlin had two goals and four assists for six points earning him NHL Third Star honors. The First Star was David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins while the second star was Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils.
The healthy scratches will, once again, be Casey Fitzgerald, Vinnie Hinostroza and Rasmus Asplund.
John Tortorella’s crew comes in with four wins in five games. That has Philadelphia 26th overall with a points percentage of .463.
That one loss came Sunday at home when the Toronto Maple Leafs came to town and took a 6-2 win.
Carter Hart had played 11 out of 12 games before getting hurt and missing three. He’s played the last two, including Sunday against the Leafs. Hart is 11-12-6 this season with a 2.97 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
Travis Konecny is having a good season with 21 goals and 41 points in 34 games.
Kevin Hayes is the Flyers' All-Star representative with 35 points in 39 games.
In addition to Tortorella, Philadelphia has two former Sabres players in Rasmus Ristolainen and Nick Deslauriers.
Join Schopp and the Bulldog for pregame coverage starting at 6 p.m. EST on WGR when you here from Don Granato, Comrie and JJ Peterka.
