Hakstol focused on present

IF THEY happen to pass each other in the bowels of Wells Fargo Center, Dave Hakstol will say hello to the most accomplished player to come through the University of North Dakota, Jonathan Toews. The first-year Flyers coach isn't going to go out of his way, he said.

This isn't a reunion where the former Sioux coach greets the Chicago Blackhawks' captain, who scored 85 points in his two seasons in Grand Forks under Hakstol. Hakstol has said all along he's not in this thing for himself or looking for anything personal in his first season in the NHL.

And, so, his focus yesterday - when his team met for an optional skate - and tonight is on the 60-minute game between his team and Toews' team.

"It's a regular game day," Hakstol said tersely. "If we run into each other, we'll have the chance to say hello. It's game day tomorrow and that's what our focus is."

The Flyers (1-1-1) welcome the defending Stanley Cup champions to town tonight. It's the marquee game of the week on NBC Sports' Wednesday Night Rivalry, with a late puck drop of 8 o'clock. The rivalry, of course, stems from when the Blackhawks bested the Flyers in the 2009-10 Stanley Cup Final.

Chicago, which has won three of the last six Stanley Cups, comes to Philadelphia fresh off of a 4-1 win against the New York Islanders. The Blackhawks have potent offensive weapons in Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane, who leads them with six points in three games. Their defense corps boasts the likes of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. It's the first of two meetings on the year.

"They're a veteran, mature team," Hakstol said. "They manage the game very well. They present, with their quick transition and some of the motion that they have in the offensive zone, they present some challenges.

"But, again, early in the year here, we have to worry about ourselves, make sure we're ready to go. And we will be. We'll be ready to play a good home game."

Playing Chicago at home in the regular season has been an area in which the Flyers have found success, winning 11 straight in Philadelphia since losing in November 1996, when the Wells Fargo Center was in its first season and called the CoreStates Center. The Flyers have also beaten the Blackhawks in five of their last seven and 11 out of the last 14 matchups.

Following Monday's 1-0 win, the team had an optional skate at its practice facility in Voorhees, N.J., yesterday. Thirteen skaters - including the two scratches from Monday, Luke Schenn and Vincent Lecavalier - and goalies Michal Neuvirth and Jason LaBarbera participated.

Flyers goalie Steve Mason, who has been away from the team for a few days tending to a family issue, is expected to return to the team today for the morning skate.

No decision has been made as to whether Mason will start. With Neuvirth coming off an impressive, 31-save shutout performance on Monday, and the Flyers not playing again until Tuesday, it would make some sense to give Neuvirth the go against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

"It's up to coach, that's his decision who's going to start," Neuvirth said. "I'm just trying to prepare as if I'm going to play.

"They're a great team and it's going to be a good test for our team. I'm going to approach it like just another regular-season game."

R.J. Umberger, who remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, was not on the ice during the optional skate and there was no update given on his status . . . Flyers prospects Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov are among the Western Hockey League's top scorers among defensemen. Sanheim has 12 points for the Calgary Hitmen to lead all defensemen and Provorov, the seventh overall pick in June's draft, has 11 points for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Both have played in seven games . . . Tonight at Wells Fargo Center, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will present a $950,000 check on behalf of the National Hockey League Players Association to the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation for rink development and for its "Hockey is for Everyone" youth development program.