Flyers (38-33-8) at Devils (27-37-14)
7 p.m. on CSN, CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports App; Pregame Live at 6:30
It's time to play out the string.
The Flyers were finally eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday with a 4-3 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
That leaves three regular-season games remaining for the Flyers before they pack up for the offseason.
The first of the three comes Tuesday night when the Flyers visit the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
Here are five things to know for the game:
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1. House of horrors
The Flyers will make their last trip to the Prudential Center this season.
And that is a good thing.
They've been absolutely dreadful there, losing twice by the final scores of 4-0 and 6-2. The Devils were coming off a seven-game losing streak before the first win in December and a 10-game plummet when they embarrassed the Flyers in March.
Things have been chippy and physical between both clubs through four meetings. Don't be surprised to see the Flyers and Devils unleash some final frustrations and continue that trend, which always makes for good entertainment.
2. Fresh blood
It appears we'll see two of the newest Flyers make their NHL debuts tonight.
Following the results of morning skate, Mike Vecchione and Sam Morin are expected to be in the lineup.
Vecchione, a 24-year-old forward, was just signed last Friday out of Union College, while Morin, a towering defenseman, has been in the organization's plans since the Flyers selected him 11th overall in the 2013 draft.
Look for Vecchione, wearing No. 74, to center the team's fourth line with Chris VandeVelde serving as a healthy scratch. This season with Union College, Vecchione put up 63 points (29 goals, 34 assists) in 38 games.
"I feel like my game is at center, providing offense there and obviously being strong defensively is something that we talked about," Vecchione said last week. "So if I'm not providing offense, I can be a good asset defensively and vice versa."
Morin, who was called up this morning, is 6-foot-7 and fearless with a still-maturing game. The 21-year-old accrued 120 penalty minutes in 68 games this season at AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. Based off morning skate, it looks as if Morin, who will wear No. 50, is set to be paired with Shayne Gostisbehere.
3. Mason returns
Steve Mason will return to the crease after not starting the past two games because of an illness. Prior to that, he had started 14 of the last 16 games.
The impending unrestricted free agent has finished the season strong, as he's 9-4-1 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in his last 14 games.
Remarkably, though, the Devils are the only team Mason has never beaten in his career. In 11 lifetime matchups with New Jersey, he's 0-9-0 with a 3.93 goals-against average and .852 save percentage.
4. Keep an eye on ...
Flyers: At this point, it's obviously Vecchione and Morin, two potential pieces to the Flyers' future playing their first NHL games. How has Morin grown from a second season with the Phantoms? In a short sample size, can Vecchione show he's ready to compete at this level? We'll get a small glimpse tonight.
Devils: Kyle Palmieri leads the Devils in goals with 25 and has four points (three goals, one assist) in four games against the Flyers this season. He's always hurt the orange and black with eight goals in 11 career games against them.
5. This and that
• Devils goalie Cory Schneider is 5-4-1 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 10 career games against the Flyers.
• Defensemen Radko Gudas (upper body) and Brandon Manning (upper body) are out and considered day to day.
• Devils defenseman Dalton Prout has been suspended two games for his hit on Gudas last Saturday.
• The Devils have lost 18 of their last 20 games.
