Carter Hart has timely return, lineup decision coming and Flyers notch big win in NHL standings over Panthers

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The Flyers got their No. 1 goalie back and gained ground in the standings Monday night as they picked up a 4-1 win over the Panthers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Since Jan. 13, the Flyers are 8-2-1 with an NHL-high 40 goals.

The Flyers (31-18-7), who entered the action with a 57.6 percent chance to make the playoffs, per Hockey-Reference.com, grabbed hold of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. Alain Vigneault's team is one point out of third place in the Metropolitan Division (see standings).

The Flyers also earned their 19th win in 28 home games so far (19-5-4). Last season, they won 19 in 41 home games (19-18-4).

The Panthers (29-20-6) are now five points behind the Flyers in the wild-card race.

• Carter Hart was back between the pipes after missing nine games because of a right lower abdominal strain.

He looked like himself with 30 saves on 31 shots. Hart improved to 14-2-2 with a 1.65 goals-against average at home.

The 21-year-old will likely see Florida again Thursday in Sunrise.

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who came in 15-3-1 with a 2.13 goals-against average and .928 save percentage lifetime against the Flyers, made 30 saves.

• When James van Riemsdyk produces, he is one of the Flyers' biggest difference-makers. The team is 19-3-0 when he records a point.

JVR scored his 16th marker of the season and tacked on an assist. If he goes on one of his goal streaks, he could finish with around 25 tallies. The Flyers would absolutely take that.

• Morgan Frost wasn't sharp in the first period with his decision-making and finished with a so-so game.

Joel Farabee is ready to return Tuesday and the Flyers would be silly to not put him back in the lineup. Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Connor Bunnaman have played well, giving the Flyers what they want on the fourth line.

Maybe the Flyers send Frost back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley after this two-game stint with the big club to open a spot for Farabee. The Flyers don't have to make a roster move, but it would allow Frost to play more minutes and continue to develop with the Phantoms, while Michael Raffl could shift to center.

Regardless, the Flyers will have a decision to make for Tuesday. It might come down to Frost or Bunnaman.

• The Flyers held the Panthers' dangerous duo of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov to a combined one assist.

The Flyers' penalty kill went 5 for 5. However, their power play was 0 for 5. The officiating wasn't the best.

• As the Flyers fell behind and looked off during the opening 10 minutes, Ivan Provorov scored a huge goal to allow them to go into first intermission tied at 1-1.

With the marker, Provorov picked up his 27th point. Last season, he put up 26 points.

Flyers defensemen were strong Monday. Everyone was steady, while Travis Sanheim added another goal against Bobrovsky and Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun had an assist apiece.

• Claude Giroux scored an empty-net goal and has four points in his last two games after going scoreless in the previous four.

• Health updates on Farabee and Shayne Gostisbehere (see story).

• In the midst of their 12th back-to-back set out of 17, the Flyers visit the Islanders Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). New York is the only Metropolitan Division team the Flyers haven't beaten (0-1-1).

 

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