Flyers vs. Avalanche Preview: Snowball Effect
The Philadelphia Flyers appeared to be on their way to back-to-back wins to open a three-game road trip when disaster struck on Wednesday night. A botched attempt at an empty-net goal led to Utah tying the game in the final minute and winning it in overtime.
Instead of two wins off of a six-game losing streak, the Flyers have lost seven of the last eight. And now they get to face the top team in the NHL as the trip comes to an end.
The Colorado Avalanche have been a little more human than superteam this month, with losses in five of the last eight games. That's significant for a team with a 34-5-9 record overall. But this is still a plenty dangerous team, and with the Flyers going through a rough patch of their own, it makes the task no easier.
Game time is at 9 p.m.
Bobby Brink scored his first goal since returning from injury on Wednesday, his 12th of the season. That matches his career high in just 43 games this season.
Nathan MacKinnon has cooled down a bit from his ridiculous start to the season. MacKinnon had points in 34 of his first 40 games. In the last eight games, he still has 11 points, but has also been held off the scoresheet in four of those games.
Sam Ersson gets the start for the Flyers. Ersson made 22 saves on 27 shots in the overtime loss to Utah on Wednesday. He has just two wins in his last 12 games. Ersson made 25 saves on 28 shots in a loss to the Avalanche on Dec. 7.
Mackenzie Blackwood gets the start for Colorado. Blackwood returned from injury on Jan. 16, allowing five goals on 28 shots in a loss to Nashville. Blackwood made 23 saves on 25 shots in a win over the Flyers on Dec. 7.
Projected Lineups
Lineup Notes
- Flyers: Carl Grundstrom returns to the lineup for Nikita Grebenkin. No other changes are expected.
- Avalanche: Joel Kiviranta returns to the lineup after missing the last 10 games with injury. Ross Colton comes out of the lineup with an injury.
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Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.
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