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Flyers Notes: Laviolette returns on top with Preds

For the first time since he was fired as the Flyers' coach early last season, Peter Laviolette will return to the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon, bringing along his best-in-the-NHL Nashville Predators.

Tony Campisi, 11, shows off the one-day contract he signed with the Flyers. Behind him are (from left) Wayne Simmonds, Mark Streit, and Jake Voracek.
Tony Campisi, 11, shows off the one-day contract he signed with the Flyers. Behind him are (from left) Wayne Simmonds, Mark Streit, and Jake Voracek.Read moreZACK HILL
    by Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
    Published 

For the first time since he was fired as the Flyers' coach early last season, Peter Laviolette will return to the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday afternoon, bringing along his best-in-the-NHL Nashville Predators.

Led by the league's third-best defense (2.29 goals per game), the Predators will carry a 39-13-6 record into the matchup at 1 p.m. The Central Division-leading Preds have 84 points - 25 more than the Flyers.

"Lavy did a lot of good things for this organization," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. "I mean, he's a good leader, a good motivator, and a great coach. Obviously, it's not a surprise to see Nashville playing that good right now."

Giroux said Laviolette was "the first coach who really gave me a lot of responsibilities. He put me on the ice a lot and had trust in me, and obviously I was pretty lucky to have him as a coach. On and off the ice, I think I learned a lot from him."

"He's a good coach; we all know that," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "He's brought offensive life to that team - and not lost the defensive side of it."

Nashville is averaging 2.97 goals per game, sixth in the NHL. The Preds finished 18th last season with an average of 2.61.

Young fan saluted

Tony Campisi, 11, who is battling a brain tumor, practiced with the Flyers as part of his Make-A-Wish experience on Friday. The Flyers tapped their sticks on the ice after he scored a goal, and afterward he signed a one-day contract with general manager Ron Hextall.

The young fan lives in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

When Flyers winger Jake Voracek heard the boy wanted to attend a game and sit in a suite, he invited him to a practice and said he would take him out to dinner. Tony will drive to Saturday's game with Voracek and participate in warm-ups.

Breakaways

Berube wouldn't say which goalie would start Saturday, only that backup Rob Zepp would play one of the two weekend games. Since Ray Emery was the first goalie off the ice at Friday's practice, he is likely to start Saturday, with Zepp going Sunday against Washington.