Flyers at Hurricanes
By his own admission, Wayne Simmonds enjoyed an "awesome" weekend after being named the Most Valuable Player of the NHL All-Star Game while the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers savored the flavor of a three-game winning streak heading into the break. Named the NHL's First Star of the Week, Simmonds and the Flyers look to continue their good fortune against the Carolina Hurricanes this season as the Metropolitan Division rivals return from the All-Star break to meet at PNC Arena on Tuesday.
"It's all pretty surreal. I don't even know if I realize what's going on right now," the 28-year-old Simmonds told reporters after scoring three goals on Sunday to join Reggie Leach (1980) as the lone members of the Flyers to win the award at the NHL's showcase midseason event. Simmonds (team-leading 21 goals) tallied in each contest of Philadelphia's winning streak heading into the break and recorded two-point performances in each of the Flyers' victories over the Hurricanes in October. Philadelphia's recent hot streak has it clinging to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Toronto and seven in front of Carolina, which has been outscored 23-5 during its five-game losing skid. "Oh, it's a bad taste, losing five straight," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters told the Raleigh News & Observer. "... The taste is in the mouth for the All-Star break."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Carolinas
ABOUT THE FLYERS (25-19-6): Captain Claude Giroux has recorded six of his nine points this month on the power play, increasing his total to a league high-tying 21 (joining Pittsburgh's Phil Kessel). The 29-year-old Giroux set up a goal with the man advantage in a 6-3 rout of Carolina on Oct. 22 and had a goal and an assist with his team at even strength in a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes eight days later. Jakub Voracek (team leader with 30 assists, 44 points) scored two goals and set up another in the first meeting with Carolina, raising his total to 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 25 career meetings versus the club.
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (21-20-7): Defenseman Justin Faulk basked in a strong performance on Sunday as he scored a goal and set up four others to receive his fair share of the $1 million payoff for the Metropolitan Division's victory at the All-Star Game. Faulk, who also has scored in both contests versus Philadelphia this season, will look to ride that momentum into Carolina's drive to end its losing woes. "Whenever you're on a losing streak like this, you become a little fragile," Faulk told the Raleigh News & Observer. "It's been a tough stretch and hopefully we can regroup and come back and be good to go. Have some fun and make a push here at the end."
OVERTIME
1. Carolina LW Jeff Skinner, who leads the team in goals (17) and points (35), has been held off the scoresheet in a season-high six straight games.
2. Flyers G Steve Mason has stopped 70 of 72 shots in his last two contests overall and owns an 8-3-1 career mark versus the Hurricanes.
3. Carolina is just 3-for-50 in the last 18 games with the man advantage to see its power-play percentage drop to 16.3, which is 23rd in the league.