One of the Flyers best games on the young season was last Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, a 5-3 win that features five different goal scorers and a perfect night for the power play.
Now, with five out of six points locked up on their four-game homestand, the Flyers can close it out with another win against Carolina.
First, the Flyers will likely have a huge piece back in the lineup. Wayne Simmonds practiced to full contact yesterday, and his return is likely for today's game.
That still probably won't change the top line of Claude Giroux, Danny Briere and Tye McGinn, who dominated play in the win last Saturday against the Canes.
Look for Simmonds to slip into a line with Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek.
For the fourth straight game, Ilya Bryzgalov will likely be between the pipes. He has been very solid on the homestand allowing six goals in three games to this point.
Carolina possesses some strong talent. The Staal brothers, Eric and Jordan, are always scoring threats. Jeff Skinner, Alexander Semin and Patrick Dwyer are also always on the attack. Skinner and Semin were noticably absent from the scoresheet in the previous meeting and goaltender Dan Ellis was less than stellar after posting a shutout in his previous start.
It wouldn't be shocking for Cam Ward to get the start in goal this time around. He allowed one goal to the Flyers in nearly two full periods of relief last Saturday. Granted, the Flyers did not get many quality chances on Ward. He faced just three shots in the third period while the Hurricanes peppered Bryzgalov and the Flyers goal with 15 shots.
After failing to close out their last game against the Panthers in the third period or overtime, the Flyers task just became greater. Two points today would make a huge difference to their early season struggles and cap off an incredibly successful homestand.
In the end, if the same Flyers team that took care of business last Saturday can show up again this afternoon, the Flyers should come away with the crucial two points. It would be a great way to end the homestand and move forward on a season-long, six-game road trip.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Flyerdelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
