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Giroux, Voracek praise Laviolette

NASHVILLE - Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, the Flyers' best players, both said Peter Laviolette played a key role in jump-starting their careers when he coached the Orange and Black.

NASHVILLE - Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, the Flyers' best players, both said Peter Laviolette played a key role in jump-starting their careers when he coached the Orange and Black.

"He really pushed me to be the best I could be," Giroux, the NHL's leading scorer the last five years, said before the Flyers faced Laviolette's Nashville Predators on Thursday night. "I learned a lot from him. His attitude and passion for the game is contagious. He motivates guys."

It was Laviolette who called Giroux the "best player in the world" after a 2012 series-clinching playoff win over Pittsburgh.

Voracek also praised Laviolette.

"I had a great experience with Lavy," he said. ""He played me on the second line ... right away. I played 16 minutes a night, and that was a lot with that team five years ago. I would say we were the best team in the league."

'Ghost' story

Laviolette is a fan of Shayne Gostisbehere, the Flyers' outstanding rookie defenseman.

"I didn't really get a chance to see him - live - when I was there at training camp," he said after the morning skate. "But when you watch him, there's a dynamic offensively to him. He seems to be a real good fit on their power play and there's good chemistry with him and Giroux coordinating things together. Five-on-five, he's active on the rush and has a good shot from the point.

He's a dangerous player ... and we need to pay attention."

Alumni game

The Flyers alumni will face one another Friday at Santander Arena in Reading. Players from every decade in club history will be playing at 7 p.m.

The arena is the home of the Flyers' ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals.

A limited number of tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

Team Orange will include Danny Briere, Todd Fedoruk, Mark Howe, Bob Kelly, Orest Kindrachuk, and Jim Watson, and Team White will feature Bob Clarke, Robert Esche, Paul Holmgren, Brad Marsh, Dave Poulin, Kimmo Timonen, and Joe Watson.

Team Orange will be coached by Rick MacLeish, Bernie Parent, and Dave Schultz, while Team White will be directed by Bill Barber, Bill Clement, and Brian Propp, who has battled back from a stroke.

Tuesday is the 50th anniversary of the date the Flyers franchise was awarded.

Breakaways

R.J. Umberger, a 33-year-old veteran who was scratched for the second straight game, skated for 45 minutes after the regulars left the ice during the morning skate. "He's a true pro," coach Dave Hakstol said. . . . In their last eight games heading into Thursday, the Flyers had outscored their opponents, 9-3, in the third period, but had been outscored, 12-3, in the second period.