Flyers at Senators
The Ottawa Senators have moved up to second place in the Atlantic Division as they prepare to wrap up a five-game homestand on Saturday against the offensively-challenged Philadelphia Flyers. Although the Senators have dropped seven of 11 games (4-3-4) at Canadian Tire Centre this season, they have managed to earn a point in all but one of their eight contests this month.
Ottawa turned it one of its best performances of the season with a 3-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday to improve to 2-0-2 on the homestand. Craig Anderson, who became the seventh American-born goaltender to reach 30 shutouts, will again be in net against Philadelphia. The Flyers are averaging a league-worst 1.79 goals per game after dropping a 1-0 decision in overtime to San Jose on Thursday. The Flyers are 2-6-4 in their last 12 games and have been limited to one goal or fewer six times in that span.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TCN (Philadelphia), CITY (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (6-8-5): Captain Claude Giroux is the only Philadelphia player in double figures with a team-high 13 points while Jakub Voracek has only nine after recording 81 in 82 games last season. "We have to find a way to be better," Voracek told reporters. "If we would know then we would work on it. I can't tell you why we're not scoring goals. If we knew, we'd do something different." Among the many culprits for the goal-scoring drought is a power play that has converted on 4-of-34 chances in the past 13 games.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (9-5-5): Ottawa defenseman Patrick Wiercioch has been ruled out against the Flyers after sustaining a head injury in Thursday's win while forward Bobby Ryan is a question mark after he hurt his shoulder when he was boarded into the glass by Columbus' David Savard. "I think we were pleasantly surprised with where I was today (compared) to where I was last night," Ryan told the Ottawa Sun on Friday. "So it’s a positive sign at least." Senators coach Dave Cameron said Jared Cowen will fill in for Wiercioch.
OVERTIME
1. Ryan is riding a seven-game point streak.
2. Flyers G Steve Mason is 6-3-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average versus Ottawa.
3. Senators D Erik Karlsson has five goals and four assists during a five-game point streak.