PREVIEW: FLYERS VS. MAPLE LEAFS
Wrapping up a two-game mini road-trip, Craig Berube's Philadelphia Flyers (26-24-11) are in Ontario on Thursday to take on Peter Horachek's Toronto Maple Leafs (24-31-5). Game time at the Air Canada Centre is 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised locally on CSN Philadelphia.
This is the third and final meeting between the teams this season, and the second and final one in Toronto. The Flyers are 2-0-0 in the season series far. On Dec. 20, the Flyers earned a 7-4 road win. On Jan. 31, an early first period Flyers goal stood up the rest of the way in a 1-0 victory.
Philly is playing for the fifth time in eight nights. The Flyers played in Raleigh on Tuesday. After this game, the team hosts the New York Rangers on Saturday.
The Maple Leafs last played on Saturday, going overtime with the visiting Winnipeg Jets. This weekend Toronto has back-to-back road games in Montreal on Saturday and Washington the next night.
Flyers outlook
The Flyers have gained at least one point in 12 of their last 14 games (8-2-4). However, the team is coming off a low-wattage performance in a 4-1 road loss in Carolina on Tuesday.
Flyers goaltender Rob Zepp (31 saves on 35 saves) battled gamely but got very little help from the team in front of him. Defensive defenseman Nicklas Grossmann scored the lone Philadelphia goal, taking a late first-period feed from Jakub Voracek and snapping a left circle shot past Ward to briefly tie the game.
The Flyers lost the special teams battle in Carolina. They went 2-for-4 on penalty kills and generated little of their own in going 0-for-2 on the power play.
Special teams performance is the single biggest reason for the huge disparity between the Flyers' home and road records -- 17-8-5 at home, 9-16-6 away -- this season. At home, the Flyers have killed penalties at an 82.3 percent clip. In combination with their 27.4 percent power play at the Wells Fargo Center, the team has a 109.7 special teams index at home. On the road, the Flyers' penalty kill is successful just 70.2 percent of the time. In combination with an 18.7 percent power play on the road, the Flyers' have an 88.9 special teams index in away games.
Top Flyers goalie Steve Mason (arthroscopic right knee surgery) will at least back up Zepp in this game and could be ready to start on Saturday. Ray Emery (lower-body injury) is currently sidelined. Veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen (blood clot) is getting close to being ready to play. His first game of the season could be as soon as Saturday.
Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn have been healthy scratches in the last three games, along with eighth defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo.
Maple Leafs outlook
For the 2015 calendar year to date, the Maple Leafs are 3-17-2. However, the team is coming off a 3-2 overtime win against Winnipeg on Tuesday. Former Flyers left winger James van Riemsdyk netted the game-winner after Daniel Winnik and Nazem Kadri scored in regulation.
Overall, the Leafs are 17-14-0 on home ice this season. The Flyers are 3-0-1 in their last four meetings with the Maple Leafs, including two previous wins this season.
On the injury front, defenseman Dion Phaneuf (hand injury) expects to be in the lineup for Toronto on Thursday night. Forward Trevor Smith is questionable with a lower body injury.
Key team stat comparisons (NHL overall ranking)
Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 2.61 (20th), Maple Leafs 2.73 (17th) Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 2.80 (T-23rd), Maple Leafs 3.00 (25th) Even strength Goals For/Against Ratio: Flyers 0.99 (21st), Maple Leafs 0.87 (25th) Power play efficiency: Flyers 23.3% (T-3rd), Maple Leafs 18.6% (T-12th) Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 76.0% (28th), Maple Leafs 82.1% (13th) Faceoff percentage: Flyers 51.3% (9th), Maple Leafs 48.0% (25th)
Projected lineups (Subject to change, will be updated)
FLYERS
12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 17 Wayne Simmonds 24 Matt Read - 14 Sean Couturier - 93 Jakub Voracek 25 Ryan White - 10 Brayden Schenn - 18 R.J. Umberger 76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 36 Zac Rinaldo
55 Nick Schultz - 32 Mark Streit 15 Michael Del Zotto - 5 Braydon Coburn 8 Nicklas Grossmann - 47 Andrew MacDonald
72 Rob Zepp [35 Steve Mason]
Scratches: Vincent Lecavalier (healthy), Luke Schenn (healthy), Carlo Colaiacovo (healthy), Ray Emery (lower-body), Kimmo Timonen (LTIR, blood clot).
MAPLE LEAFS
21 James van Riemsdyk - 42 Tyler Bozak - 81 Phil Kessel ??? - 43 Nazem Kadri -19 Joffrey Lupul 47 Leo Komarov -11 Olli Jokinen - 71 David Clarkson 20 David Booth - 24 Peter Holland - 18 Richard Panik
3 Dion Phaneuf 55 Korbinian Holzer 44 Morgan Rielly 46 Roman Polak 51 Jake Gardiner 12 Stephane Robidas
45 Jonathan Bernier [34 James Reimer]
Scratches: Petter Granberg (healthy), Sam Carrick (healthy), Trevor Smith (questionable, lower body), Zach Sill (acquired yesterday).