Kings at Flyers
Jeff Carter has been the primary source of offense for the Los Angeles Kings this season, but the 32-year-old has routinely come up empty when facing off against the team that selected him in the first round of the 2003 draft. Fresh off his sixth multi-goal performance of the season, Carter looks to guide the Kings to their fifth straight victory on Saturday afternoon when they open a four-game road trip versus the Philadelphia Flyers.
Carter collected his sixth multi-goal performance in Los Angeles' 5-0 rout of Colorado on Wednesday to increase his point total to 22 (12 goals, 10 assists) in the past 20 games. The 32-year-old power forward has registered 26 tallies this season to place him behind only Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, although he has mustered just one in six career encounters with the Flyers. While Carter was silent in the teams' first meeting, Sean Couturier scored twice in Philadelphia's 4-2 win on Oct. 14 and had a goal and an assist on Thursday as the Flyers opened a season-high five-game homestand with a 3-1 triumph over Montreal. The victory was the fourth in five outings for Philadelphia, which is clinging to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FSN West (Los Angeles), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE KINGS (26-21-4): Peter Budaj has recorded two shutouts in his last three outings to increase his career-high total to six, tying him with reigning Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby for the league lead. The 34-year-old Budaj has yielded just three goals on 101 shots during the team's winning streak and has filled in admirably in the wake of franchise goaltender Jonathan Quick's season-long groin injury, but owns a 1-3-0 mark with a 3.23 goals-against average in his career versus the Flyers. Reigning Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty scored in the first meeting with Philadelphia and has one goal and six assists on his career-high six-game point streak.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (26-20-6): Workhorse goaltender Steve Mason will be a spectator once again as Michal Neuvirth is expected to make consecutive starts for the first time since playing in four in a row from Oct. 30-Nov. 5. The 28-year-old Neuvirth has permitted just one goal in back-to-back outings, has won five of his seven decisions at home and turned aside 23 shots in the first encounter with the Kings. Defenseman Michael Del Zotto has been sidelined since playing on Jan. 21 and did not skate during Friday's practice, leaving him day-to-day with a leg bruise.
OVERTIME
1. Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere and rookie C Travis Konecny are expected to be benched for the second straight game, as coach Dave Hakstol told Philly.com that he's "leaning toward a similar lineup for (Saturday)."
2. The Kings have thwarted all 16 chances on the penalty kill over the last five contests.
3. The Flyers have allowed the first goal in 34 of 52 games this season.