PREVIEW 9 AM EST
The Flyers (14-6-2) enter tonight's game in Minnesota tied with the Washington Capitals for the best record in the NHL. Coming off emotional comeback wins over Washington and Montreal, the team cannot afford a letdown tonight against a Minnesota Wild club that has been competitive (10-7-2) all season and has won three of its last four games. This is the lone meeting of the season between the two clubs.
Philly has survived terrible first periods in the last two games, but can't get away with it forever. They need to start establishing themselves early in games again -- and at both ends of the ice, unlike in that horrific 8-7 loss to Tampa last Thursday. The Flyers also need to get their powerplay going again. The Flyers managed to beat Montreal on the strength of three even-strength goals but have fallen to 18% powerplay efficiency on the season after coming up empty on the man advantage again on Monday.
The Flyers' penalty kill had also been in a tailspin prior to the Montreal game but got back on track in that tilt. They will face a good test tonight against a Minnesota team that has connected at a gaudy 26.3% rate. Brent Burns (6 goals, 4 PPG) is a deadly trigger man from the point and Cal Clutterbuck (7 goals, 3 PPG) has become adept at collecting goals in front of the net.
Martin Havlat (3 goals, 17 points) leads the Wild in scoring. For my money, however, the player who really makes the team go -- and one of the most underrated players in the NHL because of the market he plays in -- is Mikko Koivu (4 goals, 16 points, +6). Koivu always works his tail off and can create chances out of seemingly broken plays. Veterans Matt Cullen, Andrew Brunette and John Madden have also contributed to the club's winning record this season.
Peter Laviolette, as usual, has not named a starting goaltender for tonight's game as of yet. Brian Boucher picked up the wins against Washington and Montreal, making numerous clutch stops to overcome at least one bad goal in each game. Personally, I would prefer seeing Sergei Bobrovsky return to the net tonight. For Minnesota, Finnish veteran Niklas Backstrom (8-5-2, 2.11 GAA, .932 save percentage) has started 15 of 19 games.
Projected lineups (subject to change)
FLYERS
JVR - Richards - Nodl
Hartnell - Briere - Leino
Powe - Giroux - Carter
Shelley - Betts - Zherdev
Pronger - Carle
Coburn - Timonen
Meszaros - O'Donnell
Bobrovsky/Boucher
WILD
Brunette - Koivu - Miettinen
Nystrom - Madden - Havlat
Clutterbuck - Cullen - O'Sullivan
Earl - Brodziak - Staubitz
Schultz - Burns
Zanon - Zidlicky
Barker - Stoner
Backstrom
[Theodore]
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Today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com looks at the lopsided beating the Phoenix Coyotes laid on the Edmonton Oilers last night. After the game, Edmonton coach Tom Renney labeled his team's performance "a joke" and "a travesty" -- and he was being kind. The Edmonton Oilers looked the reincarnated Colorado Rockies last night.
This week's
Across the Pond at NHL.com provides an overview of the Swiss National League at midseason. Just as in the NHL, the Flyers -- the Kloten Flyers, in this case -- lead the league. The article also updates the status of Owen Nolan, Cristobal Huet, former Flyers tryout player Mark Bell and other names that are familiar to NHL fans.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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