Flyers recall Tyrell Goulbourne; Nolan Patrick to face Nico Hischier

As expected, the Flyers recalled scrappy winger Tyrell Goulbourne from the AHL's Phantoms on Friday and he figures to be in the lineup when they play in New Jersey on Saturday night.

The Flyers (19-15-8) had won three straight before a mandatory NHL break kept them off the ice for four days. They will practice in Voorhees on Friday at 4 p.m.

The Devils (22-11-8), who sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division, were on a 0-2-3 skid before the break, so they welcomed having some time off.

Goulbourne appeared in two games with the Flyers before being sent back to Lehigh Valley during the break. He set up a goal on his first NHL shift with a crunching check, sparking a 6-3 win over St. Louis. The Edmonton native played just 5:23 but had a team-high four hits in that game.

After facing the Devils, the Flyers play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday before meeting Toronto at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. They are now two points behind Carolina for the final wild-card spot; the Hurricanes have played one more game than the Flyers.

Saturday's matchup will be the first between the teams since New Jersey selected Nico Hischier No. 1 overall in the 2017 draft and the Flyers chose Nolan Patrick at No. 2. Hischier has had a much stronger season, but injuries have contributed to Patrick's slow start.

Check back later Friday for a story on the two rookies.