MINI-PREVIEW 10 AM EST

The Flyers (25-10-5) will reach the statistical midpoint of the 2010-11 regular season today as they take on the New Jersey Devils (10-28-2) at the Wells Fargo Center in the back half of a home-and-home set. The game marks the Flyers lone home game in a 28-day, 10-game stretch that will run until Jan. 18. The Flyers won the front half of the home-and-home with a 4-2 victory in Newark on Thursday, courtesy of two goals apiece by Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere and three primary assists by their linemate, Ville Leino.

The Devils are now 1-9-0 in their last 10 games, and have only won one game since Jacques Lemaire returned to the bench to take over coaching duties from John MacLean. With the unsuccesful waiving and recall waivers placed on Brian Rolston and subsequent trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner to Dallas, the Devils have made clear that they are in salary-shedding, rebuilding mode the rest of the season.

New Jersey hasn't rolled over for the Flyers in the three games the club has played so far this season, but they also have been unable to stop Philly when the Flyers have finally decided to buckle down. It would be nice to see the Flyers put out a more concerted 60- minute effort (which is a little easier to do at home than at the largely empty arena in NJ) but all that really matters at the end of the day is whether the club collects its two points.

Priority number one today will be to work on special teams. The Flyers only took one penalty in NJ, but their power play continued to struggle. It would also be good to restore a little better scoring balance in today's game, because the Briere line isn't going to score three or four goals every night.

PROJECTED LINEUPS (subject to change)

FLYERS

JVR - Richards - Nodl
Hartnell - Briere - Leino
Powe - Carter - Giroux
Shelley - Betts - Carcillo

Meszaros - Carle
Coburn - Timonen
Bartulis - O'Donnell

Bobrovsky/Boucher


DEVILS

Kovalchuk - Zajac - Palmieri
Rolston - Elias - Zubrus
Zharkov - Arnott - Mair
Pelley - Sestito - Clarkson

Greene - Volchenkov
White - Tallinder
Fraser - Salmela

Hedberg
[Brodeur]

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