The Flyers and Maple Leafs face off for the first time since the Flyers season opener on Oct. 2. (Photo by Amy Irvin/38Photography)
The Flyers picked up three solid wins in four days by beating the New York Rangers on Saturday and the Washington Capitals in a home-and-home on Sunday and Wednesday. With some solid time off between games, the Flyers return for a Saturday night showdown against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Flyers make their first trip to Toronto this season and face the Leafs for only the second time. Toronto was victorious in the Flyers season opener on October 2, winning 3-1.
This time, the two teams meet at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The opening face-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Leafs are 33-23-8 on the season, almost identical to the Flyers record of 33-24-6. The two teams are separated by just two points in the standings.
Toronto has a solid home record of 21-11-1 while the Flyers counter with a solid 15-13-5 mark on the road.
The Leafs are led by a pair of U.S. Olympians. Phil Kessel has 70 points on the season, including a team-leading 33 goals and 37 assists. James van Riemsdyk, a former Flyer, is second on the team with 52 points.
Nazim Kadri and Tyler Bozak have served as strong scorers all season while Joffery Lupul and Mason Raymond continue the scoring depth of Toronto.
Defensively, the Leafs top pairing of Cody Franson and Dion Phaneuf provide a solid mix of offense and defense. Franson and Phaneuf have combined for 51 points this season, including 10 goals.
In goal, the Leafs will start Jonathan Bernier. Bernier has a 23-16-7 record with a 2.62 GAA and .925 save percentage.
For the Flyers, there isn't a hotter player than Claude Giroux. Giroux has 18 points – nine goals and nine assists – in his last 11 games. That performance has also aided Jake Voracek. The Flyers top winger is third on the team in points with 45 and goals with 18.
The Flyers have 12 players with at least 20 points on the season. Toronto has just nine.
Defensively, newcomer Andrew MacDonald had a solid showing in his debut on Wednesday, paired with Luke Schenn. Kimmo Timonen, Mark Streit and Braydon Coburn continue to make up the Flyers familiar blue-line core.
In goal, Steve Mason makes another start. He is 26-15-5 with a 2.60 GAA and .914 save percentage.
The Flyers are going for a fourth straight win, which would match the longest win streak of the season for the Orange and Black.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (T-11th, 3rd on road), Maple Leafs (4th, 2nd at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (10th, 5th on road), Maple Leafs (28th, 30th at home)
- The Flyers lost to the Maple Leafs, 3-1, in their season opener on October 2. Brayden Schenn scored for the Flyers while David Bolland scored twice to give Toronto the win. Phil Kessel also scored a goal in the Toronto win.
- Milestone Watch: Vincent Lecavalier needs three goals for 400 in his career. Jake Voracek needs three goals to reach 100 in his career.
Flyers scratches: Erik Gustafsson, Hal Gill, Jay Rosehill
Flyers Projected Lineup
Line 1: Scott Hartnell-Claude Giroux-Jake Voracek
Line 2: Vincent Lecavalier-Brayden Schenn-Wayne Simmonds
Line 3: Matt Read-Sean Couturier-Steve Downie
Line 4: Zac Rinaldo-Michael Raffl-Adam Hall
D-Pair 1: Kimmo Timonen-Braydon Coburn
D-Pair 2: Nick Grossmann-Mark Streit
D-Pair 3: Andrew MacDonald-Luke Schenn
Goalie: Steve Mason
Where to Watch
TV: CSN
Radio: 93.3 WMMR
Kevin Durso is the lead beat writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
