Hockey is officially back in Philadelphia as the Flyers host the San Jose Sharks & Opening Night to Feature New In-Game Experiences, Gritty, & More!
Philadelphia Flyers (1-1-0, 2pts) vs. San Jose Sharks (1-2-0, 2pts)
at Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, PA
TIME: 7:00 p.m. | TV: NBCSP | RADIO: 97.5 The Fanatic
presented by The Rothman Institute at Jefferson Hospital
GAME NOTES
QUICK STATS
Season Series (2017-18): 1-1-0
All-Time Record: 41gp (16-16-4-5)
Leading Scorers:
PHI: 2-pts, Vorobyev (1g-1a), Simmonds (2g), Hagg (1g-1a), Voracek (2a), Giroux (2a)
SJS: 2-pts, Kane (2g)
1. GOOD TO BE HOME
The Flyers return home after their season opening road trip, which combined with the team bonding excursion, lasted eight days for the two game stretch... The Flyers opened last season with an 8-2 win over the Washington Capitals and are looking for their third win in their home opener in the last four years... Since the 1993-94 season when the team's switched to Eastern-Western Conferences, this is the sixth time the Flyers have opened the season against a Western Conference opponent having gone 4-1-0 in the previous five... They also hold an overall record of 28-16-6 in home openers.
2. TO KICK THINGS OFF
The Flyers went 1-1 on their two-game road trip and, after an opening night win against Vegas on Thursday, they look to bounce back after a 5-2 loss at Colorado on Saturday... The Sharks are 1-2-0 to start the season and are in the midst of an 11-day, five-game road trip in which they are 1-1 thus far... After earning their first win of the season, 3-2 in OT at Los Angeles to begin the trip, they suffered a 4-0 shutout loss at Long Island on Monday... The Flyers have had seven players record eight of their goals so far this season, while the Sharks have had four players record five of their goals.
3. BOLSTERED BLUE LINE
With the acquisition of Erik Karlsson just prior to training camp, the Sharks have the top two defensemen in the NHL in scoring over the last decade - Since 2007-08, a span of 12-years, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson lead the NHL in scoring among d-men with 519 points apiece... They have finished in the Top 6 of scoring amongst defensemen in each of the last four seasons, including finishing Top 2 in 2014-15 and 2015-16... The Flyers also have a star top pairing of their own in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov... Gostisbehere finished fourth among all d-men in scoring last season with 65 points, while Provorov tied for the NHL lead among d-men with 17 goals.
4. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER
THIS: The Flyers are Sharks are playing opposite ends of back-to-backs tonight - The Sharks are playing the second of a back-to-back, coming off a 4-0 shutout loss to the Islanders on Monday, while the Flyers enter the first game of a back-to-back as they travel to Ottawa following the game tonight... THAT: The goaltending tandem of Aaron Dell and Martin Jones have a combined 4-1-1 career record against the Flyers with Dell posting a 2-0-1 mark with a .962 save percentage and 0.99 GAA... THE OTHER: San Jose is still looking for their first power-play goal of the year, having gone 0-for-10 so far this season, while the Flyers are 1-for-7 so far on the man advantage.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (RW: #17 - Wayne Simmonds)
Simmonds has scored a goal in the home opener in each of the last two years, as well as three of his last four home openers... Including the first game of this year, the Flyers have won 18 of 22 games when Simmonds scores a goal, going 18-3-1... Against the Sharks, Simmonds has four goals in his last four games, which included a hat trick in last season's opening night in San Jose.
SHARKS (LW: #8 - Evander Kane)
Acquired last season at the trade deadline and signed to a seven-year contract extension, Kane leads the Sharks in the early going with two goals in the three games thus far... Since joining the Sharks he has posted 11 goals and 15 points in 20 games... Against the Flyers, Kane averages nearly a point per-game pace with 20 points (8g-12a) in 22 games.
Hockey is officially back in Philadelphia as the Flyers host the San Jose Sharks this Tuesday, October 9 at 7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center for the club's home opener. Fans in attendance tomorrow evening can look forward to a host of new elements surrounding the Flyers game-day experience, including an antic-filled, regular-season home debut for the Flyers new mascot, Gritty, a newly-renovated Mezzanine Level at the Wells Fargo Center, as well as an upgraded sound system and new concourse entertainment.
Game Entertainment
At the forefront of numerous new elements fans can expect to see starting opening night, Solotech Stanchion LED Lights have been outfitted on every glass pane surrounding the playing surface (photo attached). Fans will notice these bright vertical lights during pre-game video displays, projections, and goal celebrations. The Solotech lights will be well-accompanied with a brand new sound system and upgraded projection systems to create a crisp in-game experience from every seat in the arena.
All of these new elements will be highlighted on Tuesday night during an extended pre-game show, including player introductions, on-ice video projections by Raduga Design, multi-board video displays, animations, and more.
Fans will also notice the Flyers 'Fun Patrol,' fan engagement crew, roaming the concourse and helping out in the seats with extra showmanship this season. The group's resume includes the ability to entertain through stunts, acrobatics, dancing, and more.
Gritty
Having already taken the world by storm, the Flyers brand new mascot, Gritty, will celebrate the home opener with a dramatic grand entrance. As he becomes an integral and exciting addition to the run of show at every Flyers home game this season, fans will see Gritty participate in many stunts and games on the ice and in the seats. Gritty and his antics will be hard to miss, as he has brought along an official t-shirt shooting vehicle with him for his debut season.
Family Fun Zone
New this year, the club has added a Flyers Family Fun Zone section on the Main Concourse of the Wells Fargo Center (photo attached). Located outside of sections 120 and 121, the Fun Zone features four FREE, unique augmented reality games and experiences for fans of all ages. Fans can take their place between the pipes for a special virtual goalie game; take a photo with their favorite Flyers player as if they were a member of the team; plus enjoy a modern twist on a classic tabletop air hockey game.
Wells Fargo Center Renovations
The Wells Fargo Center is set to reveal an entirely new Mezzanine Level, which accommodates approximately 40 percent of the arena's total capacity. Not a single aspect of the Mezzanine Level's original layout remains, as new design elements, points of sale and ease of service for patrons are upgraded throughout. Major highlights of the Mezzanine Level's new features include multifunctional, open-concept concourses featuring views of Philadelphia's skyline, over 150 new LED game-action screens, menu boards and illumination technologies, 8,000 brand new seats featuring cup holders, as well as expanded food and beverage locations and offerings.
Fans sitting in the Mezzanine Level will also have access to two Open Air Lounges placed in the southwest and northeast corners of the arena. These distinctive locations provide premier amenities and open-space socializing while experiencing the thrill of a live event.
Warm-Up Puck Program
New this season, pucks from warm-ups will be available for purchase on the concourse behind Section 113 before the start of all Flyers home games as part of the new Flyers and The MeiGray Group Warm-up Puck Program. These pucks feature the game date, and both the Flyers and opponent team name and logo, and will be a special commemorative keepsake for fans at each Flyers home game.