Coyotes at Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers could see one stud forward return to the lineup while another one will sit out in Saturday afternoon's home game contest the Arizona Coyotes. Captain Claude Giroux participated in practice on Friday but is expected to be a game-time decision after missing three outings with an upper-body injury.
"I don't know yet," Giroux told the Courier Post on if he'd face the Coyotes. "We have to look at some things, what's going on." While Giroux (team-leading 49 points) was tight-lipped about his participation, the Flyers confirmed that fellow forward Jakub Voracek (club-best 38 assists) will see his 286 consecutive games streak come to an end on Saturday due to a lower-body ailment. Arizona saw its losing skid extend to four contests on Thursday as it fell to 0-3-0 on its five-game road trip with a 3-2 setback to Florida. "The frustration continues to build," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "(Coming) close doesn't make it any better right now."
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE COYOTES (27-28-6): Captain Shane Doan may be 39 years of age, but the veteran certainly is quick out of the blocks. Doan scored his team-leading 23rd goal on Thursday, with 12 of those tallies coming in the first period. Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored versus Florida for his 18th goal of the season and 73rd career to move into a tie for fifth place on the franchise's all-time list for a defenseman.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (27-22-11): Michal Neuvirth is expected to receive his fifth start in six games on the heels of perhaps a season-saving stop on Charlie Coyle with 2.6 seconds remaining in Philadelphia's 3-2 victory over Minnesota on Thursday. "It's got to be one of the best saves I've ever made," Neuvirth said. "Never give up on the puck." Sam Gagner scored his fourth goal of the season and second in three outings, but the 26-year-old likely will not face his former team should Giroux draw back into the lineup.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia is just 1-6-3 against Pacific Division representatives this season.
2. Arizona G Louis Domingue, who turned aside 21 shots versus the Panthers, is expected to make his 10th straight start on Saturday.
3. Flyers rookie D Shayne Gostisbehere has been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests on the heels of a 15-game point streak.