The Flyers couldn't have asked for a better start to a four-game homestand, securing wins against the Oilers and Panthers both by 4-1 finals.
The next opponent for the Orange and Black also comes from the Western Conference, as the Colorado Avalanche make their only appearance of the season at Wells Fargo Center. The opening face-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Flyers are coming off back-to-back wins this week where scoring has been divided over various players. Jake Voracek continues to be the hottest Flyer, extending his points streak to seven games on Thursday with a goal. Voracek has four goals and eight assists in his last seven games.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has also put together a mini scorings streak, scoring in back-to-back games. He has three goals on the season.
Voracek and Claude Giroux are joined by Wayne Simmonds on the top line, a change made during Thursday's win.
The Flyers also get Braydon Coburn back in the lineup on Saturday night. Coburn was paired with Luke Schenn this morning, which means Carlo Colaiacovo will be scratched.
Steve Mason makes his fourth straight start in goal. Mason has won his last two starts after starting the season 0-4-1. He has a 2.88 GAA.
The Avalanche come in with plenty of talent up front, but it is two former Flyers at the forward position that are worth noting. Danny Briere and Max Talbot both call Colorado home after being members of the Flyers less than two seasons ago.
Briere has two goals and one assist while Talbot has two assists.
The Avalanche are led by rising star and captain Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog is off to a slow start with just six points in his first 15 games, including four goals. There are seven other teammates that have more points than Landeskog.
One is second-year forward Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon and Matt Duchene are tied for the team lead in points with 10. Both have four goals and six assists.
Three Avalanche players have two goals and seven assists for nine total points. Ryan O'Reilly was a leading forward on the team a season ago. New acquisition Jerome Iginla is off to a solid start. Defenseman Erik Johnson continues to be a key player on offense.
Another defenseman to watch is Tyson Barrie. Barrie also has nine points this season, but just one goal and eight assists.
Finally, Alex Tanguay is the team's leading goal-scorer with five goals on the season. He also has three assists for eight points.
In goal, backup Reto Berra will start for Colorado. Berra is appearing in his sixth game of the season. He is 2-0-1 with a 2.29 GAA.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (17th, 9th at home), Avalanche (22nd, 16th on road)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (22nd, 2nd at home), Avalanche (2nd, 6th on road)
- The Flyers and Avalanche split the season series last season. Colorado claimed a 2-1 win over the Flyers on Jan. 2 in Colorado. The Flyers responded on Feb. 6 with a 3-1 win in Philadelphia.
- Milestone Watch: R.J. Umberger needs one assist for 200 in his career.
Flyers scratches: Andrew MacDonald, Michael Raffl, Blair Jones, Carlo Colaiacovo
Flyers Projected Lineup
Line 1: Wayne Simmonds-Claude Giroux-Jake Voracek
Line 2: R.J Umberger-Vincent Lecavalier-Chris VandeVelde
Line 3: Brayden Schenn-Sean Couturier-Matt Read
Line 4: Zac Rinaldo–Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Jason Akeson
D-Pair 1: Nick Grossmann-Mark Streit
D-Pair 2: Michael Del Zotto-Nick Schultz
D-Pair 3: Braydon Coburn-Luke Schenn
Goalie: Steve Mason
Where to Watch
TV: CSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Kevin Durso is the Managing Editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
