The Flyers head to Calgary tonight for a matchup with the Flames, and have two objectives in mind — snapping their five-game losing streak, and showing up to play against a lesser team.
One of the league's surprising upstart teams heading into last spring's Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Flames have not shown any indication of a potential return this year. They sit at a dismal 3-9-1 record, good enough for seven points and last place in the Western Conference.
Like the Flyers, the Flames have fallen into a skid of their own, as they have won just one of their last six games. They snapped a four-game skid with a spirited 5-4 win over Edmonton on Saturday, but fell 6-3 to Colorado on Monday.
Making his return to the lineup for the Orange and Black will be Sean Couturier, who has been out of action for the last six games. Couturier missed time with a concussion sustained in the Oct. 21 overtime win over Boston.
Leading the way offensively for the Flames is second-year pro Johnny Gaudreau. Playing in all 13 games this season, 'Johnny Hockey' is posting point-per-game numbers, with two goals and an astonishing 11 assists. Jiri Hudler is not too far behind, with four goals and 11 points.
Much like Tuesday's game against the Oilers, tonight's game also represents a homecoming of sorts for Dave Hakstol. Hakstol grew up in Drayton Valley, Alta., roughly a three-hour drive from Calgary (compared to an hour-and-a-half from Edmonton). The game also has meaning for Gaudreau, who grew up watching the Orange and Black in Carney's Point, N.J.
A game like this looks perfect on paper for the Flyers, as it pits them against a weaker opponent going through a rough patch comparable to theirs. However, as the team has demonstrated multiple times last season and too many occasions this season, nothing is guaranteed against a weaker quality of competition.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (29th, 17th on road), Flames (21st, 24th at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (21st, 28th on road), Flames (22nd, 26th at home)
- The Flyers are 16-16-2-0 all-time in Calgary, and last won there on Dec. 31, 2013.
- Milestone Watch: Wayne Simmonds needs three points to reach 200 as a Flyer.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Line 1: Michael Raffl-Claude Giroux-Jake Voracek
Line 2: Matt Read-Sean Couturier-Wayne Simmonds
Line 3: Brayden Schenn-Scott Laughton-Sam Gagner
Line 4: R.J. Umberger-Chris VandeVelde-Ryan White
D-Pair 1: Michael Del Zotto-Mark Streit
D-Pair 2: Nick Schultz-Radko Gudas
D-Pair 3: Luke Schenn-Brandon Manning
Goalie: Michal Neuvirth
Scratches: Evgeny Medvedev, Sean Couturier, Davis Drewiske, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Where to Watch
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
