Flyers Notes: Start Time for Flyers-Capitals, Lindblom Prepares for Bubble
For several days, the official start time of the Flyers second Round Robin game remained to be determined. Ultimately, the path of the qualifying round games would determine when exactly the Flyers would play.
Toronto is scheduled to host three games on Thursday. Two are certainties to be played -- the Flyers-Capitals Round Robin game and Game 3 of the qualifying series between the Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. Game 4 of the qualifying round series between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers will take place if the Rangers defeat the Hurricanes to stay alive in the series on Tuesday night.
With that in mind, the start times were revealed on Tuesday afternoon for all of Thursday’s games. The Flyers will face the Capitals on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. The potential Rangers-Hurricanes Game 4 will be scheduled for noon if necessary and Toronto and Columbus will face off at 8 p.m. that night.
The Flyers final Round Robin game against Tampa Bay remains without an official start time. There are two potential Game 5s on the schedule, but again, that could change in the coming days. If the Rangers are able to force a Game 5 in their series with the Hurricanes, it would be on Saturday and so would a Game 5 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. Pittsburgh and Montreal are currently tied, 1-1, in their best-of-five series.
Lindblom Training in Sweden, Flying to Meet Flyers by End of Week
For the first week of their time in the bubble in Toronto, the Flyers have been without one member of the final roster. Oskar Lindblom made the roster after getting some brief on-ice time during Phase 2 and completing his cancer treatments on July 2. Lindblom did not travel with the team to Toronto last Sunday and instead spent some time at home in Sweden to see family.
Lindblom is still in Sweden, but he has his comeback to playing in the NHL on his mind. The 23-year-old forward is working out with Brynas IF, his former team in the SHL, and is preparing to travel and join the Flyers by the end of the week, according to a report from HockeySverige.se.
Whether Lindblom actually plays in the postseason or not still remains a mystery. While Lindblom continues to note improvement with his workouts and his strength and cardio, it remains unlikely he will actually get back on the ice for a game unless the Flyers make a deep playoff run.
Still, as GM Chuck Fletcher said when Lindblom signed his new three-year, $9 million deal, don’t rule anything out with him and a possible return.
Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN and Flyers editor for SportsTalkPhilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.