Flyers Skate Update: Taylor Leier Gets Another Chance With Read Out

Things can move fast in the hockey world. And not just on the ice.

Taylor Leier will be the first person to tell you that.

Just about 24 hours ago, he was skating with the Phantoms in Lehigh Valley. Tuesday night, he’ll be suiting up for the Flyers when they go for their sixth straight win as they host the Florida Panthers at the Wells Fargo Center.

“I’m really not taking anything for granted here,” Leier said on Tuesday morning while sporting three stitches and a shiner under his left eye, all after effects of friendly fire after Phantoms teammate Corbin Knight caught him with a high stick Saturday night against Hershey.

"I’m just taking it day-by-day and controlling the things I can control and taking it shift by shift in a game scenario. I’m just looking forward to getting things going."

Leier was recalled Monday after the Flyers announced Matt Read will miss four weeks with what sources tell CSNPhilly.com’s Tim Panaccio is an oblique injury.

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This is Leier’s second call-up to the big club this season. He was called up in October for a game, but was a healthy scratch.

But that won’t be the case Tuesday as Leier will take Read’s place on the third line with Pierre-Edouard Bellmare and Dale Weise.

There is a familiarity between Leier and Bellemare as the two played together briefly when Leier was with the Flyers for six games in November 2015.

Leier has killed penalties for the Phantoms this season and he will also take Read’s spot on the penalty kill Tuesday, according to Dave Hakstol, who likes the style of game Leier brings to the ice.

“Taylor really has just continued doing, in the first couple months in Lehigh Valley, exactly what he did for us here in training camp," Hakstol said Tuesday morning. “Just playing a real sound, solid role as a two-way winger. He’s obviously scoring at a good pace, he’s nearly a point a game there, which is outstanding."

Leier is second on the Phantoms this season in scoring with six goals and 14 assists. He did not record a point in his six games with the Flyers last season.

Lineup
Expect the lineup to stay the same Tuesday as the Flyers have sent out throughout most of the five-game win streak.

That includes the absence of Radko Gudas, who returned to morning skate on Tuesday after missing the last two games with an illness. He skated on the fourth defensive pairing with Nick Schultz at skate, so he’s expected to remain out vs. the Panthers.

Steve Mason, the NHL’s first star of the week, will start his fifth straight game between the pipes.

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