Flyers at Hurricanes
A pair of low-scoring Metropolitan Division rivals meet at PNC Arena on Saturday as the Carolina Hurricanes host the reeling Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia has mustered just 14 goals en route to losing eight of its last nine (1-6-2) while Carolina has scored just nine times in dropping four of its last five contests.
The Hurricanes are in the midst of playing nine of 10 at home, a place that traditionally has been a safe haven for the club as it has won five straight versus the Flyers. "This homestand is huge. There are four games left now, right? It's absolutely huge," Carolina coach Bill Peters said after the team dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to Minnesota on Thursday. "We've talked about it a million times. We know how it works, standings-wise. We understand what's at stake." The Flyers' fortunes have dipped considerably after a strong start and the team continued to spiral with a 5-2 setback to Washington on Thursday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Carolinas
ABOUT THE FLYERS (5-8-3): Although Claude Giroux matched Brayden Schenn with his team-leading fifth goal versus the Capitals, the captain believes that the team needs to do more than just shoot the puck to solve its problems. "It means doing the little details," Giroux told CSN Philly. "How we forecheck. How we break out. Just little details. ... When we play the right way, we will have more shots." Steve Mason looks to rebound from a tough outing should he get the call versus the Hurricanes, against whom he owns a 6-3-1 career mark with a 1.91 goals-against average.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (6-9-1): Elias Lindholm is mired in a 13-game point drought, but Peters told reporters that he thinks the 20-year-old Swede is on the fringe of solving those woes. "(Lindholm) looks like he's real close to coming out to me," Peters said. "His last two games were his best two games of the year. And complete games; he's physical, he's hard on pucks, he's hanging onto more pucks. Looks like he's got more confidence." Captain Eric Staal had an assist versus the Wild for his fourth point in five games and has excelled in his last 13 meetings with the Flyers (six goals, eight assists).
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia C Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is in line to return after missing eight straight contests with a lower-body injury.
2. Carolina C Jordan Staal has been kept off the scoresheet in each of the last two games after collecting three goals and an assist in his previous four.
3. The Flyers have scored three power-play goals in the last three contests after going 0-for-16 in the previous seven.