Flyers’ Brian Elliott to face Senators; Scott Gordon criticizes suspension of Jake Voracek

Veteran goaltender Brian Elliott will face visiting Ottawa on Monday night, and rookie Carter Hart will return to action later this week, Flyers coach Scott Gordon said after Monday’s morning skate.

Hart, 20, will serve as Elliott’s backup Monday, the first time he has dressed for a game since Feb. 21 in Montreal. He has been sidelined by an ankle injury.

Because of Jake Voracek’s suspension, the Flyers (33-27-8) will use 11 forwards and seven defenseman against the Senators, who have the NHL’s worst record (23-40-6).

“It’s the same thing as when we went into Long Island last week and Jake was out with an injury,” Gordon said, referring to a 4-1 win over the Isles on March 3, “and we have to have the same response.”

“Obviously it’s tough when you lose a guy like that; he’s a world-class player and helps our team so much,” Patrick said. “I guess a few of the other guys will have to step up.”

Hart will start either Thursday against visiting Washington or Friday in Toronto, Gordon said.

Gordon was asked if he was tempted to start Hart against Ottawa instead of Stanley Cup contenders like the Capitals or Maple Leafs.

“I’m not looking at it as a lesser opponent,” Gordon said of the Senators. “That’s what I told our guys. … Brian is playing very well. He’s 4-1-1 in his last six games and I can’t just take him out of the lineup because it’s a perceived lesser opponent, because I don’t feel that way. Like I said to the players, we’re playing, on a nightly basis, Columbus and Montreal [the teams directly in front of them] every single night, so we better treat it like that.”

For us, it shouldn’t matter who we play,” center Sean Couturier said. “We’re in a situation where we need to get points, we need to get wins. We just need to be ready from the start.”

Gordon said he was disappointed by Voracek’s two-game suspension for interference against the Islanders’ Johnny Boychuk on Saturday, and he sharply criticized the NHL’s decision. He said Kurtis Gabriel’s March 1 hit on Nolan Patrick, which drew a one-game suspension for boarding, was “a lot more severe, more intentioned than what Jake was trying to do. I think Jake was trying to protect himself. A guy [Boychuk] is sprinting down the boards and has no intentions of slowing down. [He] sees Jake in front of him and never slows down. Jake isn’t just going to stand there and absorb the hit.”

In its decision, the NHL cited Voracek’s “substantial contact” with Boychuk’s head and the “force of the hit” as reasons for the suspension.

Shortly after the suspension was announced, Voracek responded with five emojis showing hysterical laughter.

Couturier said “all you want is maybe a little more consistency. I think everyone wants that. Sometimes, we’re on the good side, sometimes we’re on the bad side.”

Gordon said Voracek is “a lighter man, and he probably received the worst part of the hit.”

Boychuk was injured on the play and is unable to play Monday against visiting Columbus.

Voracek has appealed the suspension through the players’ association, but will miss Monday’s game.

Elliott, who has a 10-8-1 record with a 2.62 GAA and .916 save percentage, will face Ottawa’s Craig Anderson (14-23-4, 3.53, .903).

Anderson has lost his last 12 decisions (0-11-1) and has not won since Dec. 17 against Nashville.

The Flyers and Sens have split a pair of games this season. Mike McKenna defeated the Flyers, 4-3, on Nov. 27. He later played for the Flyers this season. … Claude Giroux leads the Flyers with a plus-14 rating. … Ottawa’s Bobby Ryan (13 goals, minus-24), the pride of Cherry Hill, has just one goal in 19 career games against the Flyers. … Couturier has 33 points in his last 25 games since Jan. 9, which is tied seventh in the NHL in that span. … The Flyers are 17-13-4 at home, while the Senators are 9-24-2 on the road. ... The Flyers are 21-12-4 under Gordon.