Flyers at Predators
Philadelphia Flyers rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is riding high on a five-game point streak and looks to strike another critical blow to the Nashville Predators when the teams meet in the Music City on Thursday. Gostisbehere has scored a goal and set up six others during his sizzling stretch and tallied 4:08 into overtime to give Philadelphia a 3-2 win over Nashville on Nov. 27.
Steve Mason made 30 saves as the Flyers posted their second straight victory and seventh in 11 outings (7-3-1) with a 4-2 triumph over Montreal on Tuesday. With fellow goaltender Michal Neuvirth hobbled by a lower-body injury, Mason is expected to be the workhorse yet again for the Flyers - but is just 1-4-1 with a 2.94 goals-against average in his last six meetings with the Predators. Speaking of Nashville, it saw its season-high four-game winning streak come to a halt with a 1-0 setback to Central Division-rival St. Louis on Tuesday. Pekka Rinne, who made 22 saves against the Blues, has yielded just four goals in his last four games (3-1-0) and is 3-1-2 in his career versus Philadelphia.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (22-18-8): Jakub Voracek has adjusted quickly to playing left wing, recording 23 points in 17 games since coach Dave Hakstol made the switch. "Yeah, it’s huge, obviously as a line, me, (Wayne) Simmonds and (captain Claude) Giroux, we use our strength and our big bodies," Voracek told The Courier Post. "It could be huge down the road." Voracek collected three assists versus Montreal while Simmonds tallied twice in the win.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (24-19-8): Filip Forsberg has been limited to just one point in his last six games, but hopes a date with Philadelphia can re-ignite his offense. The 21-year-old Swede collected a goal and an assist in the last meeting and has two of each in three outings with the Flyers. Mike Fisher also tallied in the last encounter with Philadelphia, but has just three goals since then.
OVERTIME
1. Giroux has recorded 10 points in his last eight games.
2. Nashville LW Colin Wilson, who is on injured reserve (lower body), participated in practice on Wednesday.
3. Philadelphia is 8-for-22 on the power play in the last five contests.