Devils at Flyers
Sean Couturier is in the midst of a career season -- in fact, the 25-year-old actually has surpassed his goal-scoring output of his previous two campaigns combined. Couturier bids to send the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers to their sixth win in seven outings on Saturday afternoon when they host the New Jersey Devils at the Wells Fargo Center.
Couturier scored 18 seconds into overtime in Thursday's 3-2 win over Toronto, increasing his career-high goal total to 26 on the season after netting eight in his last six games -- including two in Philadelphia's 5-3 win in New Jersey last Saturday. "Coots is playing on another level right now," defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. "We're trying to match it. He's definitely carrying us." The Devils can echo a similar statement about Taylor Hall, who also scored in overtime on Thursday to cap a two-point performance in a 4-3 victory against Washington. The 26-year-old has 11 points (five goals, six assists) during his six-game point streak, including a pair of assists in the first encounter versus the Flyers.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus (New Jersey), NBCS Philadelphia
ABOUT THE DEVILS (24-12-8): Keith Kinkaid will draw his third straight start on Saturday while Cory Schneider is fighting off an illness. Schneider was able to stretch his legs at the end of Friday's practice for the Devils, who recalled fellow goaltender Ken Appleby from Binghamton of the American Hockey League to back up Kinkaid. "I just want to pick up where we left off," the 28-year-old Kinkaid said. "I think we need to keep building on our game and play like the past two efforts."
ABOUT THE FLYERS (21-16-8): Philadelphia is receiving plenty of bang for its buck from its third line of rookie Nolan Patrick, Jordan Weal and Wayne Simmonds, with the trio collecting nine goals, six assists and a plus-7 rating in its last eight games. "I know our line is considered the third line, but I think we’ve been playing some pretty good hockey," the 29-year-old Simmonds said. Simmonds has recorded a point in each of his last six contests, including a goal in the first encounter versus New Jersey.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux had two assists in the first match versus New Jersey to increase his point total to 38 (nine goals, 29 assists) in 41 career meetings.
2. Devils D Sami Vatanen set up three goals on Thursday to push his point total to nine (one goal, eight assists) in the past nine contests.
3. Flyers G Michal Neuvirth has recorded a .939 save percentage in his last five contests