Update (3:27 PM): The game’s on Versus tonight, if you didn’t know. It could be funny. Or it could suck. Gabriel, commenting at A2Y, says Versus will switch to the Chicago/New Jersey game if the Devils are winning in the third and Brodeur is on the verge of setting the goalie win record. Awesome. - Matt

Update (12:18 PM): Bad news: Holmstrom’s out tonight with a strained knee. He’s listed as day-to-day. He was just four games into a comeback from hernia surgery.

All eight active defensemen will dress tonight, with Meech appearing as a forward. Lebda apparently filled in at center in practice, but the chances of that translating to the game are probably zero.

Possible lines and pairings:

Kopecky-Datsyuk-Franzen
Hossa-Zetterberg-Cleary
Hudler-Draper-Samuelsson
Meech-Maltby rotating in

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Stuart-Kronwall
Lebda-Ericsson
Chelios rotating in

In lighter news, Filppula is probable for Friday’s game in Atlanta. - Matt

… This is the only meeting between these two teams this season. The Flyers won the last, 6-1 on Feb. 13, 2007.

… Philly fell to 4-4-0 in March with Sunday’s 4-1 road loss to the Rangers. Prior to that, they had one three of four, beating Nashville to start that stretch.

… The Flyers are fourth in the East with 84 points, nine behind the division leader and just two ahead of the Penguins.

… Flyer defenseman Braydon Coburn will be in the lineup despite a vicious, behind-the-play cross-check to the Rangers’ Nik Antropov Sunday. The League chose not to suspend him after he was ejected from the game and assessed a five-minute major.

… Randy Jones (hip) and Derian Hatcher (knee) are out.

… Martin Biron will start in net for Philadelphia.

… George Malik scouts the Flyers here.

… The Wings improved to 5-1-1 in March with a pair of wins this weekend. They kicked things off with a 5-2 decision over St. Louis on Saturday and followed that up with a 4-0 win over Columbus on Sunday.

… The win over the Jackets put them over 100 points for the ninth straight season and clinched them a playoff spot. Their 101 points are good for first in the League, with San Jose coming in second with 100.

… Valtteri Filppula is still out with back spasms.

… Andreas Lilja remains on the LTIR with headaches from his concussion.

… Projected lines and pairings:

Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Franzen
Hossa-Zetterberg-Cleary
Hudler-Kopecky-Samuelsson
Maltby-Draper-Meech

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Stuart-Kronwall
Lebda-Ericsson

… Chris Osgood will start his third straight today.

… The team took the day off yesterday. Rest becomes more important at this time of year, but let’s hope they didn’t lose the focus that seemed to get them on track this weekend. They’ve got to keep going down the road they started on against St. Louis and continued on with Columbus.

The Flyers aren’t a team to take lightly, and the fact that the Wings don’t see them often should mean a higher concentration level. They’ll have to be at their best. Philadelphia can’t afford to lose too often at this point in the season, with the Pens breathing down their necks and only five points separating them from April tee times.

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