Flyers at Senators
The Ottawa Senators are making a torrid charge for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference and go for their 11th victory in 13 games when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night. With rookie netminder Andrew Hammond playing an unlikely starring role, the Senators continued their playoff push with road victories at division title contenders Montreal and the New York Islanders on Thursday and Friday. Ottawa has allowed more than two goals twice in a 10-1-1 stretch.
Whilt the Senators are seven points back of the second wild card with two games in hand, Philadelphia skidded out of the playoff hunt after winning only twice in nine games (2-4-3). The Flyers snapped a four-game skid with a 7-2 drubbing of Detroit on Saturday but they sit 10 points behind eighth-place Washington as they kick off a four-game road trip. Philadelphia has won four of its last five meetings versus Ottawa, allowing a combined four goals in the four victories.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSH Philadelphia, TVA, City (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (29-27-14): Philadelphia had scored more than three goals once in 19 games and managed only five tallies during the four-game skid before matching its season high in Saturday's rout of Detroit. The Flyers converted three times on the power play following a 1-for-19 slump over the previous seven games. "It's obviously big for the power play, to break out of that," said Brayden Schenn, who scored twice. "We were struggling there for a little bit, but we felt like we were doing some good things on the power play - the goals just weren't going in."
ABOUT THE SENATORS (32-24-11): Hammond, summoned from the minors out of desperation after Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner were injured, has sparked Ottawa's resurgence by going 9-0-1 since his promotion. Hammond, 27, is the third goaltender in league history - and first since Frank Brimsek in 1938-39 - to yield two goals or fewer in his first 10 NHL starts. "He's playing out of his mind," Senators center Kyle Turris said. "We're trying to take advantage of those opportunities that he's giving us. What he's been doing lately - it's amazing. That's unreal."
OVERTIME
1. Flyers F Wayne Simmonds netted his 27th goal Saturday and is two shy of matching his career high from last season..
2. Senators captain Erik Karlsson has four goals and five assists over the last eight contests.
3. Flyers F R.J. Umberger will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday on his hip and abdomen.