Flyers at Canadiens
With top goaltender Steve Mason sidelined by a lower-body injury, Ray Emery is expected to receive the start as the streaking Philadelphia Flyers continue their four-game road trip against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The Flyers improved to 5-0-1 in their last six contests with a 3-1 triumph over Washington on Sunday afternoon but saw Mason in great discomfort prior to his exit in the second period. Emery is in line to make his first start since Jan. 27, although his 3.34 goals-against average and .886 save percentage leave a great deal to be desired when compared to Mason's season totals (2.27, .925).
The 32-year-old Emery struggled in both Philadelphia's 4-3 shootout loss to Montreal on Oct. 11 and a 6-3 setback on Nov. 15. The Canadiens enter Tuesday's tilt on a high, winning their second straight with a 3-1 victory on Sunday to complete a four-game season sweep of rival Boston. Dale Weise and Max Pacioretty each collected a goal and an assist versus the Bruins, and the former scored twice in the most recent meeting with the Flyers while the latter set up a pair of tallies.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, RSN East, RDS (Montreal)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (23-22-8): Mason had been solid since returning from his most recent injury, posting a 3-0-1 record with a slim 1.25 GAA and .959 save percentage. Although general manager - and former goaltender - Ron Hextall joked that he would consider suiting up if he were 15 years younger, Philadelphia executed the more reasonable response on Monday by recalling Anthony Stolarz from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The 21-year-old Stolarz has gone 7-10-1 with a 3.04 GAA and .911 save percentage in 22 appearances with the Phantoms this season.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (34-15-3): Carey Price has won seven of his last eight decisions and is one victory shy of reaching 30 for the second straight season and third time in his career. The All-Star was in net for both meetings this season to improve to 10-9-0 with a 2.70 GAA in his career versus Philadelphia. Defenseman Andrei Markov has scored in consecutive games to power Montreal to back-to-back victories and has torched the Flyers, collecting one goal and two assists in the first meeting before setting up a pair of tallies in the November contest.
OVERTIME
1. Montreal C David Desharnais recorded six points (one goal, five assists) and a plus-6 rating to earn the NHL's Third Star of the Week honor on Monday.
2. Philadelphia RW Wayne Simmonds, who tallied twice in the teams' first meeting, scored into an empty net on Sunday to record his fifth point (three goals, two assists) in as many contests.
3. The Canadiens are 3-for-16 on the power play over their last six games, with all three tallies coming in the second period of Saturday's 6-2 victory over New Jersey.