[5:00 PM] Flyers @ Red Wings

Who will WIN this matchup?

Philadelphia Flyers (17-10-3)

@ Detroit Red Wings (13-12-3)

 

Starting Goalies:

Steve Mason (PHI): Unconfirmed

Petr Mrazek (DET): Unconfirmed

 

• The Philadelphia Flyers own an eight-game winning streak for the first time since the 2001-02 season and suddenly find themselves in the upper echelon of the highly-competitive Metropolitan Division as they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. A one-goal deficit with less than four minutes remaining didn’t phase Philadelphia on Saturday as it scored three goals in the final 3:48 to defeat Dallas 4-2 with the first two completing Brayden Schenn’s second career hat trick.

• Detroit kicked off its five-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to red-hot Columbus on Friday, halting the momentum of two straight road victories and falling to 5-2-2 in its last nine contests. The Red Wings continue to struggle offensively, recording two or fewer goals in 14 of their 28 games with Gustav Nyquist scoring once in the last 22 contests while his four this season pale in comparison to the 24 he averaged over the past three campaigns.

• Philadelphia is 7-for-20 on the power play in the last four games after all of Schenn’s goals Saturday came with a man advantage. Voracek vaulted into the team lead in points (32) and assists (21) on Saturday while Claude Giroux (29 points) and is riding a four-game point streak (two goals, five assists). Steve Mason made 21 saves Saturday to earn his seventh straight victory and owns a .930 save percentage during the run.

• Dylan Larkin scored his team-high ninth goal of the season Friday, but the 20-year-old second-year player has only two assists and a minus-7 rating. Athanasiou returned to the lineup Friday for the first time since injuring his knee in a 3-1 victory over Vancouver on Nov. 10. Jimmy Howard (groin) also saw action Friday – his first since Nov. 25, but it wasn’t planned as he relieved an ineffective Petr Mrazek late in the second period.

• The Flyers entered Saturday third in the NHL with 3.21 goals per game but third-worst in goals permitted at 3.10 as the only club scoring and allowing more than three.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Detroit Red Wings

Confidence: 4/10

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