Game 45 Live Blog: Flyers beat Devils 3-1 - Kinkaid, Gibbons hurt

The key today for the Devils is a simple one: Better special teams play against the Flyers.

The teams meet this afternoon at Wells Fargo Center (Faceoff: 1 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus; Radio: digital One Jersey Network) exactly a week after the Flyers beat the Devils, 5-3, at Prudential Center with both teams coming off their bye week.

The Devils will have the same lineup as in their last two games – Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Islanders at Barclays Center and Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Capitals. The only change is that Ken Appleby, recalled from Binghamton (AHL) late Friday afternoon on an emergency basis, will back up Keith Kinkaid rather than Cory Schneider, still dealing with a stomach illness.

Schneider skated here at the arena early this morning and the plan is for him to skate again on Sunday.

Devils coach John Hynes, who would not announce his lineup after Friday’s practice other than naming Kinkaid to start his third straight game, said this morning, “We just had a couple of guys we weren’t sure but physically they’re OK so same lineup.”

The second-place Devils (24-12-8) open today four points behind the first-place Capitals in the Metropolitan Division and just one point ahead of the third-place Blue Jackets. But both the Capitals, who lost to the visiting Canadiens, 3-2, on Friday night, and the Blue Jackets, who do not play again until Tuesday night at Las Vegas, have played three more games.

This is the last of five straight Metropolitan Division games for the Devils, who are 2-1-1 over that span.

The Flyers (21-16-8), who lost to the Rangers, 5-1, at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday and then beat the visiting Maple Leafs, 3-2, in overtime on Thursday, are led by Claude Giroux (14 goals, 40 assists), Jakub Voracek (eight goals, 45 assists) and Sean Couturier (26 goals, 20 assists).

The Flyers were 2 for 2 on the power play against the Devils this past Saturday and Couturier had two goals and an assist and Giroux and Voracek each had two assists.

The Devils were also 2 for 7 on the power play in that game.

They’ve gone a combined 1 for 6 over their last two games but their penalty kill was a combined 7 for 7 against the Islanders and Capitals.

“Special teams were a big factor in the game,” Hynes said. “We’ve had a heavy focus on that since we played them. If we get opportunities on the power play, we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to be more threatening. You can’t guarantee we’re going to score goals but it’s got to give us momentum and it’s got to give us the opportunity to compete offensively.

“(The penalty kill) has got to do the job,” Hynes added. “We know they have a very good power play. Our penalty kill has to do a very good job.”

Here’s what to watch for today:

1. Devils leading scorer Taylor Hall (17 goals, 30 assists) has five goals and six assists in a season-high six-game point streak. He can match his career high for a point streak today.

2. The Devils are playing just their fourth afternoon game of the season and, after today, have just one more scheduled on March 17 at Los Angeles.

So far, the Devils have a 1-1-1 mark for their afternoon faceoffs.

“It always seems like the players have good energy,” Hynes said. “The game day routine is shorter. You wake up, eat, have a couple of meetings then you’re ready to play. It’s a nice break in the schedule from the monotony of the 7 o’clock games and the long game-day routines. I know our group likes it. Hopefully they shot it on the ice.”

3. What the Flyers do very well is move the puck from side to side in the zone, particularly around the crease, thus forcing the opposing goalie to slide back and forth and often giving up goals when slightly out of position.

The Devils must take away those seam passes from the Flyers.

4. Miles Wood has three goals in five career games against the Flyers and always seems to be involved physically in the series. He’s a player to watch today.

5. Brian Elliott made 26 saves against the Devils this past Saturday but it will be Michal Neuvirth in the Flyers’ crease today after he made 29 saves in a 3-2 overtime win over the visiting Maple Leafs on Thursday. Neuvirth’s last start against the Devils here in Philly ended on a scary note in the Flyers’ 3-0 win on April 1.

Neuvirth, who had made six saves, collapsed at 7:37 of the first period as the teams lined up for a neutral-zone faceoff. Several Flyers, led by Chris VandeVelde, immediately jumped over the boards and rushed toward their stricken goalie, who was taken off the ice on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital.

Anthony Stolarz, an emergency call-up with Steve Mason ill, stopped all 26 shots he faced after replacing Neuvirth with Eric Semborski, who runs a local rink, becoming the Flyers’ emergency backup.

6. Drew Stafford has two goals in three games since a seven-game stint as a healthy scratch. Point producers tend to be streaky.

“Drew adds lots of things to the lineup, he’s a gritty player with good experience who plays the game the right way,” Hynes said. “But he’s also got to be a guy that produces at the end of the day, that’s his skill set. He has had just a little bit more edge and urgency to his game. As an older guy, he understands it’s a competitive situation. He looks like he doesn’t want to be taken out of the lineup again. The way he’s playing, he shouldn’t.”

Devils (24-12-8)

Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Jesper Bratt

Marcus Johansson-Travis Zajac-Drew Stafford

Miles Wood-Pavel Zacha-Kyle Palmieri

Brian Gibbons-Brian Boyle-Stefan Noesen

Andy Greene-Sami Vatanen

John Moore-Damon Severson

Will Butcher-Ben Lovejoy

Keith Kinkaid (7-3-2, 3.09 goals-against average, .898 save percentage)

Flyers (21-16-8)

Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny

Michael Raffl-Valtteri Filppula-Jakub Voracek

Jordan Weal-Nolan Patrick-Wayne Simmonds

Jori Lehtera-Scott Laughton-Tyrell Goulbourne

Ivan Provorov-Shayne Gostisbehere

Robert Hagg-Andrew MacDonald

Brandon Manning-Radko Gudas

Michal Neuvirth (4-5-1, 2.35, .924)

Devils starters: Kinkaid, Greene-Vatanen, Hall-Hischier-Bratt

Devils scratches: Cory Schneider (illness), Steven Santini, Jimmy Hayes, Blake Coleman

Flyers starters: Neuvirth, Provorov-Gostisbehere, Giroux-Couturier-Konecny

Flyers scratches: Travis Sanheim, Dale Weise, Taylor Leier

First period: No stoppages in the early going and the Devils first line and then their third line, but with Zajac out with Palmieri and Wood on a line change, pin the Flyers in their zone. But the Devils can manage just one shot, by Zacha 47 seconds in. The first stoppage comes at 3:29, which is also the Flyers’ first shot and the game’s first goal. Working against the Devils top line and the Greene-Vatanen pairing, Gostisbehere, coming over the Devils blue line at the left point, spots a wide-open Konecny cutting into the right circle and Konecny connects. Shots are even at 2 at 7:40 but the Flyers are getting the better of the physical play. Flyers make it 2-0 at 8:30 as Severson gives away the puck in the Devils’ zone, Moore cannot get the puck moving forward enough in a potential clear situation in the right corner and Filppula gets free low in the slot with Severson turned around and too close to the net. Flyers make it 3-0 at 12:15, again against the top line and the Greene-Vatanen pairing. Kinkaid makes the first two saves on Provorov at the crease but Provorov, inside of Vatanen, bats in his third chance. Kinkaid is attended to by the Devils’ staff on the ice and led off the ice and directly to the Devils’ room. Provorov’s first shot hit him in the mask. So Ken Appleby, 22, comes on to make his NHL debut after being an emergency recall from Binghamton (AHL) on Friday with Cory Schneider unable to dress because of illness. Kinkaid allowed three goals on seven shots. Appleby uses his pads and kicks out left right left to stop Simmonds, Patrick and Weal off a rush at 13:39. Raffl bumps into Appleby and Moore challenges him to a fight at 16:28. First penalties of the game but it’s getting chippy. Laughton trips Greene in the neutral zone at 17:36 as the Devils get the game’s first power play. But Palmieri negates it with 20 seconds left as he is called for boarding Couturier with 44.6 seconds to go in the period. The Flyers hold a 13-5 shot advantage after Appleby, who’s been sharp, uses his glove to rob Couturier at the buzzer. Dismal period for the Devils, just dismal.

Second period: Kinkaid not on the bench to start the second period. Still awaiting word from the Devils on his status. Gibbons  not on the Devils bench after blocking Gostisbehere’s blue-line slap shot with his hand 41 seconds in. The Devils get their second power play at 4:35 with Manning off for roughing. Noesen got a good check in on Voracek and Manning stepped in looking to fight. Turned into more of just a wrestling match and no penalty on Noesen. Flyers kill off a scattered-looking Devils power play but the Devils immediately get another one as Laughton high sticks Zajac at 6:41.  The Devils show some life as Bratt, in the right circle, connects on the power-play with a rising wrist shot. Butcher gets the primary assist and Hall, with the secondary assist, extends his point streak to seven games to match his career high. Huge penalty kill here for the Devils after Palmieri sends the puck bouncing off the boards into the Flyers’ bench at 8:55. The refs discussed that for a minute before calling it. Simmonds has a wide-open look at the crease but shoots wide on the power play. Another huge penalty kill for the Devils as, after Konecny shot just wide on a breakaway, Hall got his stick up high on Gostisbehere at the Devils’ blue line. Another good kill for the Devils and the Flyers are up on shots 21-15 at 14:43, meaning Appleby has stopped all eight shots he’s faced this period and all 14 since he replaced Kinkaid. At 15:19, Appleby again keeps the Devils in the game by stopping Laughton, who takes the shot himself after leading a two on one rush. A scrum ensues at the Devils’ crease, with Noesen and Goulbourne among those pushing and shoving but no penalties called. At 18:20, Neuvirth stops a Hischier wrarparound try at the right post. Another strong rush by the Flyers and Zajac hooks Raffly at 19:29. Devils outshoot the Flyers 14-11 in a better second period. Still, Flyers getting too many good looks to feel like the Devils can mount a significant comeback. Appleby has stopped all 17 shots he’s faced.

Third period: Still no Kinkaid or Gibbons on the bench. Devils still breathing, killing off the rest of Zajac’s penalty and go on their own power play at 3:59 as Konecny trips Hischier in the Devils’ zone. Devils get the puck down low but can’t get a dangerous shot on net and the Flyers kill off Konecny’s tripping call. Flyers up on shots 27-21. THE INJURY UPDATE: The Devils report Kinkaid (lower body) and Gibbons (hand) will not return. The Flyers effectively cutting off passing lanes and making it difficult for the Devils to get through the neutral zone. At 12:15, Flyers up on shots 29-23. Time definitely running short for the Devils, who are going to have to start taking some bigger chances. Devils pressing harder. The issue now is getting their stick on bouncing pucks as pucks are coming off angles at the crease. Devils (Lovejoy) with a couple of opportunities to get it done but still trailing by two. Appleby heads to the bench with 2:15 remaining. He’s stopped all 24 shots he’s faced. With neutral zone faceoff, Appleby returns because of a faceoff and can’t leave the ice until 55 seconds remain. Hagg off for cross checking Boyle at the Flyers crease with 1.7 seconds left. Flyers outshoot the Devils 31-29

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