PREVIEW

Staring at an 11-point gap between themselves and the first-place Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers (13-10-1) return to the Wachovia Center tonight to face off against the Vancouver Canucks (15-12-0). The Canucks are playing on back-to-back nights, and are coming off a 5-2 win over the Devils last night in Newark.

Plain and simple, the Flyers need for their best players to start being their best players on a more consistent basis. Even when the club was winning, it was often the (now injured) role players setting the tone. They need their short-circuited power play to get back on track and to start winning the battles they were winning when the club was going so well in early to mid November. Lots of teams are dealing with injuries. The Flyers need to do a much better job of battling through it.

Brian Boucher, who may just be the streakiest goaltender I've ever seen, will get the call tonight. He's definitely been the better goalie of late, so John Stevens may as well just ride it out while Boosh is hot.

Flyers lineup (subject to change)

Hartnell- Carter - Briere
JVR - Richards - Pyorala
Carcillo - Giroux - Asham
Nodl - Kalinski - Laperriere

Carle - Pronger
Coburn - Timonen
Parent - Bartulis

Boucher
[Emery]

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