Flyers at Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche appeared to be turning their season around with a six-game point streak (4-0-2) before getting held to a pair of goals in two straight losses. The Avalanche, who are scoring more than a half goal fewer per game than last season, look to find their best form when the Philadelphia Flyers visit Wednesday. The Flyers were also rolling along with three straight victories to start their road trip before scoring three times combined in losses at Nashville and Arizona.
Philadelphia has three games left on its journey in a four-day span as it attempts to climb back into the playoff race after an 8-13-3 start to the campaign. Colorado, which made the playoffs along with the Flyers last season, won just four of its first 17 games in 2014-15 with inconsistent play on both ends of the ice. Veterans Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla lead the team in scoring while the Avalanche’s young stars have under-produced.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (14-16-6): Jakub Voracek leads the league in scoring with 46 points, but has been held without one in two straight games for the first time this season after recording 13 in his previous eight outings. Captain Claude Giroux is also among the league leaders with 42 points and had seven in four games before going scoreless with a minus-3 rating Monday at Arizona. Goalie Steve Mason returned in the 4-2 loss Monday after missing four games with a back injury as the Flyers dropped to 6-11-3 on the road.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (13-15-8): Colorado matched a season low with 16 shots in the 3-0 loss at St. Louis on Monday and hopes to re-energize with five of the next six games at home. The Avalanche finished fourth in the league in goals per game last season at 2.99 and is producing only 2.44 in 2014-15. Captain Gabriel Landeskog has not scored in 12 games, last season’s Calder Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon owns one goal in his last 18 outings and Matt Duchene recorded just one point in the last seven games.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia RW Wayne Simmonds is among the league leaders with eight power-play goals and tops the team with 15 tallies overall.
2. Colorado G Semyon Varlamov has five victories in 17 games and a .912 save percentage after posting career bests of 41 wins and a .927 SP in 2013-14.
3. The Flyers are last in the league in penalty killing (74 percent) and have gone scoreless on 15 power-play opportunities in the last six games.