Hurricanes at Flyers
The Carolina Hurricanes attempt to string together two straight victories for the first time this month as they visit the struggling Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. Defenseman. Justin Faulk scored a pair of power-play goals as the Hurricanes ended a five-game losing streak (0-3-2) with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
“We need to be hungry for points and we found a way to get some points (Sunday) and scored some goals,” Carolina coach Bill Peters told the Raleigh News Observer. “I believe in our group and like the way we’re going.” The Hurricanes hope their effort sparks an offense that resides near the bottom of the league at two goals per game, a few spots ahead of the Flyers. Philadelphia is last in the NHL in scoring (1.7 per game) after being shut out in two straight, and has dropped five of the last six contests (1-3-2). Captain Claude Giroux told reporters: “If we want to get out of it we just have to stick together.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Carolina, CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (7-10-3): Faulk leads the team with 15 points and has at least one in five straight while compiling eight (four goals) in the past seven contests. While captain Eric Staal has been held without a point in the last three games, fellow forward Kris Versteeg posted three assists in his past two outings. Forward Nathan Gerbe left Sunday’s game in the first period with an apparent leg injury and his status is uncertain.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (6-9-5): Giroux is the only player with double-digit points, recording six goals and seven assists to lead the team. None of the promising young players have raised their games for the Flyers and Jakub Voracek, who registered 22 goals and 81 points last season, has been limited to one tally and eight assists through the 20 games. Wayne Simmonds led the team with 28 goals in 2014-15 and has been held to three in the early going with a minus-11 rating.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia has allowed six power-play goals in its last six games, while its power play is last in the league at 13.3 percent.
2. The Flyers’ only victory over the last six games was a 3-2 overtime triumph at Carolina on Nov. 14.
3. Carolina D Brett Pesce registered his first career goal Sunday in his 13th career game.