Canucks at Flyers
The Vancouver Canucks have seen their offense go limp and their fortunes follow suit after mustering just two goals during their three-game losing streak and 13 in their last eight contests (3-4-1). The Canucks look to gain a split of the first two contests of their five-game road trip when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. "There is no panic in this room," defenseman Kevin Bieksa told the Vancouver Sun. "... There is some urgency, for sure, to get a win and two points, but there is definitely not panic."
Blue-liner Alex Edler scored his team's lone goal as the Canucks opened the trek with a 5-1 setback to Nashville on Tuesday. Vancouver's modest offense was more than what was put forth by Philadelphia, which suffered a 1-0 loss at Washington on Wednesday - just two days removed from a 7-3 rout of Tampa Bay. Ray Emery, who is expected to get the nod on Thursday, has yielded three goals in each of his last three starts while posting an .850 save percentage.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RSN Pacific (Vancouver), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (23-15-3): After watching Eddie Lack receive the team's last two starts, Ryan Miller believes he's over the flu and will be back between the pipes on Thursday. "I probably got more sleep last night than I did in about four days," Miller told the Vancouver Sun. "It’s amazing how much that helps." Offense also would help as Jannik Hansen has one goal in his last 19 games, Chris Higgins has one in his last 17 and captain Henrik Sedin has two - both into an empty net - in the last 18.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (17-20-7): Scott Laughton was on the receiving end of a brutal open-ice hit by Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen late in the second period Wednesday and did not return to the contest. General manager Ron Hextall did not divulge if Laughton suffered a concussion, noting only that the 20-year-old has an upper-body injury and isn't sure if he can play versus Vancouver. Captain Claude Giroux saw his four-game point streak come to an end in the loss to Washington but scored in the Flyers' last meeting with the Canucks - a 4-3 shootout win on Dec. 30, 2013.
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver D Luca Sbisa, who was selected in the first round of the 2008 draft by Philadelphia, is a team-worst minus-10 this season and has gone 18 games without recording a point.
2. Flyers RW Jakub Voracek recorded two goals and two assists in his three previous games before being blanked by the Capitals. The All-Star has just one tally in 15 career games versus the Canucks.
3. Vancouver is 0-for-10 on the power play over its last four contests.