Flyers at Capitals
THE STORY: The Philadelphia Flyers may be winning, but they are sporting some pronounced bumps and bruises in the process. Headlining the walking wounded is NHL scoring leader Claude Giroux, who did not travel with the team and has been ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals. Giroux was on the business end of an accidental knee to the head from teammate Wayne Simmonds during Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prized off-season acquisition Ilya Bryzgalov also left that contest with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old Russian was able to practice on Monday, although it is not known whether he or compatriot Sergei Bobrovsky will get the nod against the Capitals. The Flyers have won five in a row overall and are an impressive 10-3-1 on the road this season. The Capitals have won two straight after dropping five of their previous six games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CS Philadelphia, CS Washington
ABOUT THE FLYERS (18-7-3): With Giroux sidelined, the Flyers put rookie Sean Couturier on a line with veteran Jaromir Jagr and Scott Hartnell during Monday's practice. Couturier, the eighth overall pick of the 2011 draft, showed promise by starting the season with five goals and three assists in his first 14 games. He also fared well versus the Capitals, scoring a goal in a 5-2 loss on Oct. 20. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old Couturier, he has been held off the scoresheet since Nov. 5.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (15-12-1): Defenseman John Carlson has been on quite the tear, and as a result earned the NHL's third star of the week honors. He collected a goal and six assists in his last three games - and has recorded at least a point in seven of his last 10 contests. Fellow blue-liner Dennis Wideman thought he recorded his first career hat trick in Friday's 4-2 win over Toronto, but the league said otherwise several hours after the game. "I never had one before. I still haven't had one," Wideman said, who has played 481 career NHL games.
OVERTIME:
1. Concussion has been a naughty term in South Philadelphia as of late. Captain Chris Pronger has been sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms and first-round pick Brayden Schenn is dealing with a mild concussion. The Flyers have already lost 64 man games to injury this season.
2. Washington C Nicklas Backstrom has collected five points in his last two games. He has recorded 29 points in 17 career games versus Philadelphia, including a pair of assists in a 5-2 win over Philadelphia on Oct. 20.