The Flyers will look to start a new winning streak when they welcome the Washington Capitals for the first time on Thursday evening. Philadelphia does have a six-game point streak, though.
In the four-game series last season, each team won two games apiece. Sonny Milano tied the game with just under three minutes to go, and Alex Ovechkin scored just over a minute into overtime to lift the Capitals to a 3-2 victory on Nov. 23. Washington cruised to a 4-1 victory on Dec. 7 with four unanswered goals. The Flyers took back-to-back games on Jan. 11 and 13. Travis Konecny had a hat trick in a 5-3 win during the first game. Despite being outshot 40-25 in the following matchup, Philadelphia took the 3-1 victory.
The two teams will only play three games this season and won't meet again until March after Thursday night's matchup.
Philadelphia Flyers
Despite their win streak coming to an end in the loss to the Predators, the Flyers had a lot to like about their three-game road trip. Taking five out of a possible six points, they beat a red-hot Coyotes team and a cup-contending Avalanche squad. And if it wasn't for Juuse Saros, they may have even swept the road trip. There was still plenty to like from what this team has done recently.
In a crowded Metropolitan Division, the Flyers are hanging around and sit in third place. Only eight points separate the first-place Rangers from the sixth-place Hurricanes. The Metro is typically one of the most competitive divisions in hockey, and it is proving to be that once again. And Philadelphia is proving they can hang around with the best of them this season.
Sean Couturier has enjoyed playing the Capitals throughout his career. In 42 career games, he has 13 goals and 32 points. He has also started to produce offensively as he comes in with a five-game point streak in which he's recorded six points (2 G's, 4 A's). Couturier has 21 points in 26 games this season and has been looking better as each game goes by.
Carter Hart was expected to start this one, but he will be out due to an illness. Sam Ersson will be rewarded with back to back starts after another solid effort against the Predators. He’s played well since his early season struggles and had won four straight starts before the loss to the Predators. He comes in with a five game point streak.
Flyers Projected Lineup
Tyson Foerster -- Sean Couturier -- Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Bobby Brink
Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Cam Atkinson
Nicolas Deslauriers - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler - Sean Walker
Marc Staal - Rasmus Ristolainen
Sam Ersson
Washington Capitals
The Capitals come in having played three fewer games than most teams in the division and a surprising five fewer than the Blue Jackets. Even with that, they sit fourth in the standings at the moment. Both the Devils and Hurricanes are tied in points with them, however. So they could drop out of the playoff picture rather quickly.
It's been an uncharacteristically slow start for Alex Ovechkin. While he leads the Capitals in points (16), he has just five goals on the season. He has no goals in his last 10 games and has registered just five points in that span. The Flyers would love it if that continued this evening. He has 47 goals and 71 points in 71 career games against Philadelphia. Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome have helped pick up the slack. Wilson is tied for second on the team in points (15) with John Carlson while Strome is first in goals (11).
Charlie Lindgren is expected to tend the net for Washington and he's played well in 10 games this season. His 2.34 GAA is around the middle of the pack, but he has an impressive .931 SV%. He's coming off a 31-save shutout against the division-leading Rangers on Dec. 9.
Capitals Projected Lineup
Alex Ovechkin - Dylan Strome - Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas - Connor McMichael - Anthony Mantha
Joe Snively - Evgeny Kuznetsov - T.J. Oshie
Beck Malenstyn - Nic Dowd - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary - John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin - Trevor van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson - Nick Jensen
Charlie Lindgren
When, Where, and How to Watch/Listen
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: Wells Fargo Center
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Live Stream: FuboTV
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