Senators at Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers entered the Christmas break on a roll but have flat-lined following the three-day hiatus, losing all five games (0-4-1). The Flyers hope to reverse their skid when they open a four-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Philadelphia got off to a great start on its eight-game road trip, winning the first three while amassing 16 goals, but its offense has been in a deep freeze with nine goals during the five-game drought.
Ottawa's bid for its first three-game winning streak since mid-October was thwarted in a 4-2 home loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday and now kicks off a four-game road trip. Sitting well back in the playoff chase, it's a critical portion of the schedule for the Senators, who have dropped 11 of their last 16 away from home (5-8-3). Curtis Lazar, who has led Team Canada into Monday's gold-medal game at the World Junior Championships, will join the club in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS2 (Ottawa), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE SENATORS (16-15-7): Goaltender Craig Anderson will be looking to win three straight starts for the first time this season and carries an 8-4-1 record and 2.95 goals-against average versus the Flyers into Tuesday's matchup. Ottawa needs to find a way to get its sputtering power play untracked after it was foiled on three chances against Tampa Bay to fall to 0-for-21 over the past six games. Kyle Turris has scored in back-to-back games and has five tallies and 11 points over the last 11 contests.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (14-18-7): Second-leading scorer Claude Giroux was accidentally cut by a skate near his left ankle in Friday's game versus Carolina and was forced to sit out Saturday's 5-2 loss to New Jersey and Monday's practice, although general manager Ron Hextall said it's "possible" the captain will play. Veteran Vincent Lecavalier has been one of the few consistent threats of late with five goals in seven games. "He's hungrier," linemate Chris VandeVelde said of Lecavalier, who was a healthy scratch seven times during the first half of December.
OVERTIME
1. Flyers G Steve Mason is 5-2-1 with two shutouts and backup Ray Emery is 2-0-0 versus Ottawa.
2. Turris and captain Erik Karlsson each have three-game point streaks.
3. The Flyers have surrendered seven goals in 21 short-handed situations over the past six games.