Avalanche at Flyers
Although coach Dave Hakstol told reporters that Steve "(Mason) is our No. 1" goaltender, Michal Neuvirth is expected to get the nod on Tuesday as the Philadelphia Flyers host the Colorado Avalanche. Neuvirth recorded his league-leading third shutout on Saturday to help Philadelphia snap a six-game winless skid (0-4-2) with a 3-0 victory over Winnipeg.
The 27-year-old Neuvirth stopped 195-of-203 shots over his last six starts for a scintillating .961 save percentage, but that number dips dramatically to .878 when considering his three career outings versus Colorado (0-3-0). The Avalanche, who comfortably find themselves in last place in the Central Division, have dropped two in a row and eight of 10 (2-7-1) heading into the opener of their 15-day, seven-game road trip. Despite his club's considerable struggles, Nathan MacKinnon is enjoying quite a hot streak. The 20-year-old Nova Scotia native scored on the power play in Friday's 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers and has four goals and five assists in his last eight contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (4-9-1): Colorado general manager Joe Sakic told the Denver Post that veteran forward Alex Tanguay will be sidelined for an "extended period" of time. Tanguay has struggled to get untracked this season with just a pair of goals after netting 22 in 2014-15. The Avalanche elected to recall fellow forward Andreas Martinsen from San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Monday.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (5-6-3): Philadelphia has a great deal of uncertainty heading into Tuesday's tilt, as R.J. Umberger had a "maintenance day" on Monday after blocking a shot with his foot versus Winnipeg. Veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier would draw back in the lineup should Umberger be sidelined for the cash-strapped Flyers. Evgeny Medvedev is expected to miss his fourth straight contest with an upper-body injury while Pierre-Edouard Bellemare likely will follow suit as he continues his slow recovery from a lower-body ailment.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux, who set up a pair of goals versus the Jets, collected three goals and an assist in two meetings with Colorado last season.
2. Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov has permitted three goals in each of his last four starts.
3. Flyers D Michael Del Zotto was a full participant in practice on Monday, two days removed from needing assistance to get off the ice with a leg injury.