Flyers-Bruins Preseason Game No. 8: Roster, Highlights, How to Watch and More

Ready for the real thing?

Almost there.

Saturday marks the final dress rehearsal for the Flyers as they visit the Bruins, the last preseason tune-up ahead of next Thursday's regular-season opener in Vegas.

Let's look at a few notables before puck drop:

• While it's the eighth exhibition game for the Flyers, it will be the first and only for Sean Couturier (knee) and Wayne Simmonds (offseason surgery on pelvic area), if the two in fact suit up. They both practiced Friday and were a part of the lines.

It'll be important to see how their bodies react to the flow and physicality of play. Simulating game action in practice is not easy, so this is the chance for Couturier and Simmonds to become as comfortable as possible before opening night.

• If the lineup remains the same from Friday's practice, Mikhail Vorobyev will see another prime opportunity to impress in his seventh preseason game. He's set to center James van Riemsdyk and Simmonds, two finishers who scored a combined 60 goals in 2017-18.

Here's what van Riemsdyk had to say about Vorobyev following Thursday's game in which the pair sparked a two-goal third period:

He's a smart player and sees the ice really well and is a really good disher, finished strong on the puck and stuff like that. … He's had a really good showing so far.

Vorobyev, a third-line center candidate, has two goals and three assists thus far. General manager Ron Hextall told NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Boruk that the 21-year-old has "knocked the door down." One more impressive showing can't hurt.

• There's a good shot Brian Elliott plays the full game. The goalie played all of Monday's 4-3 preseason loss to the Bruins and made 24 saves on 28 shots. Afterward, he wouldn't put a percentage on how he feels but said going the entirety of the game was a big step. Keep an eye on how sharp he looks as Elliott is coming off core muscle surgery last season and a summer focused on recovery.

Here are the essentials for tonight:

When: 5 p.m.
Where: TD Garden
Broadcast: NHL Network

Projected lineup

Forwards
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
Oskar Lindblom-Nolan Patrick-Jakub Voracek
James van Riemsdyk-Mikhail Vorobyev-Wayne Simmonds
Scott Laughton-Jori Lehtera-Michael Raffl

Defensemen
Ivan Provorov-Shayne Gostisbehere
Andrew MacDonald-Robert Hagg
Travis Sanheim-Christian Folin

Goaltenders
Brian Elliott
Anthony Stolarz

Recommended reading

• Flyers' Jori Lehtera: 'I haven't done anything wrong'

• A surprising winger has his run at Flyers camp come to end

• Could Flyers actually put up 49 wins and 105 points?

• There's a big if, but here's why Weal will meet expectations