Wrapup (11:00 PM, EST)
The NHL regular season is bound to have its ebbs and flows for every team. Right now, the Flyers are a tremendously confident hockey team, playing the game the right way. This is the level at which the Flyers will need to play come April. They have two lines clicking offensively, the team defense is much improved and, on virtually a game-in and game-out basis, the club's special teams play is the best this city has seen in two decades.
The Flyers may have been the recipient of some fortunate bounces tonight, but it was a classic case of a team making its own good fortune. In terms of the club's powerplay success, they aren't doing anything fancy, but they are moving the puck crisply, getting shots on net from up high and getting traffic in front.
Update 4:00 PM, EST)
Martin Biron will not dress for the game. The Flyers have called up Phantoms goalie Scott Munroe to back up Antero Niittymäki tonight.
Abbreviated preview (1:30 PM, EST)
The Flyers (16-7-6) will look to continue their red-hot play tonight when they take on the Colorado Avalanche (15-14-1) at the Wachovia Center tonight. The Avs come to town fresh off a 3-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings, and have a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games. Colorado embarassed the Flyers when the clubs played in October.
As is often the case, Philadelphia's biggest edge coming into this game is in special teams. The Flyers now have the NHL's top home powerplay, clicking at an extraordinary 34.7 percent success rate. Colorado's penalty kill has been much better at home than on the road. However, the Avs generally do a good job staying out of the penalty box . Colorado is the eighth least-penalized team in the league, while the Flyers are the third most penalized club in the NHL.
Milan Hedjuk has been a Flyer-killer whenever he's played against Philly (10 goals in 12 career games, including a goal in the previous meeting this season). Paul Stastny scored last night against the Red Wings to break a five-game stretch without a goal. He has five assists in his last five games, and tallied a goal and an assist when the Avs played the Flyers earlier this season.
The Flyers will go with the same lineup they used against the Penguins on Saturday afternoon, with the exception of the man in goal. Martin Biron has the flu and Antero Niittymäki will get the nod in net. Randy Jones has been medically cleared to play, but will be given extra practice time.
Team comparisons
EVEN STRENGTH
5-on-5
Flyers 47 GF - 54 GA
Avs 53 GF - 59 GA
4-on-4
Flyers 5 GF - 8 GA
Avs 1 GF - 0 GA
SPECIAL TEAMS
Flyers powerplay
Overall - 26.4% (2nd NHL)
Home - 34.7% (1st NHL)
0 Shorthanded goals allowed
Avalanche penalty kill
Overall - 80.8% (T-19th NHL)
Road - 77.5% (24th NHL)
2 Shorthanded goals scored
Avalanche powerplay
Overall - 16.2% (20th NHL)
Road - 16.7% (T-17th NHL)
1 Shorthanded goal allowed
Flyers penalty kill
Overall - 84.5% (7th NHL)
Home - 83.1% (16th NHL)
11 shorthanded goals scored
Scoring First
Flyers 13-1-4
Avs 8-2-0
Opponent Scoring First
Flyers 3-6-2
Avs 7-12-1
Goals by period
1st period
Flyers 26 GF - 26 GA
Avs 29 GF - 24 GA
2nd period
Flyers 37 GF - 33 GA
Avs 28 GF - 31 GA
3rd period
Flyers 31 GF - 24 GA
Avs 22 GF - 31 GA
OT
Flyers 5 GF - 4 GA
Avs 0 GF - 0 GA
LINEUPS (subject to change)
Flyers
Gagne - Richards - Knuble
Hartnell - Carter - Lupul
Upshall - Metropolit - Nodl
Cote - Powe - Asham
Timonen - Väänänen
Coburn - Carle
Alberts - Sbisa
Niittymäki
[Biron]
Avalanche
Smyth - Stastny - Hejduk
Wolski - Arnason - Jones
McLeod - Laperriere - Stewart
Hensick - Dupuis - McCormick
Clark - Foote
Hannan - Liles
Leopold - Salei
Budaj
[Raycroft]
Contact Bill at
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Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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