Flyers at Capitals
The surging Philadelphia Flyers are ascending in the Metropolitan due in large part to their sterling play against the rest of the division. The Flyers bid to continue that dominance on Wednesday when they vie for their season-high seventh straight victory overall against the first-place Washington Capitals.
Philadelphia dropped all four meetings in regulation against Washington in 2018-19 en route to posting a 10-16-2 record against Metropolitan rivals, but the club has responded this season by collecting at least a point in 18 of 22 games within the division -- including a 2-0-1 mark versus the Capitals. Captain Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier each have scored two goals and set up two others in the season series for the Flyers, who are a sizzling 15-4-1 in their last 20 games to reside just three points behind Washington. With respect to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Capitals superstar captain Alex Ovechkin arguably has served as Philadelphia's Public Enemy No. 1A after erupting for 59 points (34 goals, 25 assists) in the first 53 encounters with the Flyers before being held without a point thus far in the season series. Ovechkin enters the series finale having recorded five goals and an assist over his last six games, including two and one, respectively, in Washington's 4-3 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network, TVAS
ABOUT THE FLYERS (38-20-7): Alain Vigneault hasn't backed off his early-season prediction of a playoff berth for the upstart club, but the veteran coach insists there's more work to be done if the club wants to punch its postseason ticket for the fourth time in seven years. "We haven't achieved anything. Don't have a check mark by our name -- that's the first step -- no one does, right now. There's still a lot of hockey to be played," Vigneault said. "We're focusing on playing one game at a time, playing the right way. That's what we have in front of us on (Wednesday). Tough opponent, should be a great hockey game against Washington." It wasn't too tough in the last encounter, as Couturier recorded two goals and an assist and Travis Konecny had one of each in a 7-2 rout of the Capitals on Feb. 8.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (40-19-6): T.J. Oshie, who will skate in his 800th career NHL game on Wednesday, has recorded 10 points (six goals, four assists) in his last dozen contests. The former Olympian's 25 goals are tied for second best on the club with Jakub Vrana, who has just two tallies in his last 15 games. Tom Wilson has four goals in his last six games to boost his total to 21, one shy of his career high set last season.
OVERTIME
1. While Philadelphia has thrived against Metro foes, Washington owns just a 10-11-1 record versus the rest of the division.
2. Capitals G Braden Holtby sports a 13-6-8 record with two shutouts in 28 career starts against the Flyers.
3. Philadelphia's Brian Elliott will get the nod on Wednesday while fellow G Carter Hart is expected to start Thursday versus visiting Carolina.