Game #18: New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers Open Thread

Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror, and the Rangers are back in action on Black Friday to kick off a jam packed day of hockey featuring 15 games around the league. The Blueshirts remain in Pennsylvania, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, and have crossed the state to land in Philadelphia for a matinee against the Flyers.

Once upon a time, Peter Laviolette was the head coach of the Flyers, and John Tortorella was the Blueshirts’ bench boss. The two men were neck and neck at the top of the list of winningest American born head coaches in hockey, and their roles as head coaches of rival teams added another level of intrigue to this rivalry. A decade later, those roles have flipped. Laviolette has guided the Rangers to a strong 13-3-1 start in his first season on Broadway, and Tortorella has the Flyers more competitive than many thought they would be, owning a respectable 10-8-1 record as of now.

Player to Watch: Chris Kreider

Kreider’s struggles to break through to the NHL while Tortorella was in New York was a major talking point all those years ago. After bursting onto the scene during the 2012 playoffs, Kreider spent the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign being yo-yo-ed between New York and AHL Hartford in Tortorella’s final season with the Rangers. Having since established himself as one of the top goal scorers in the league, and being the only player still on the team to have been coached by Tortorella in New York, keep an eye on Kreider today.

Enjoy the game!