UPDATE 10:20 AM EST
* Sergei Bobrovski is starting in goal tonight.
* Andreas Nodl was out skating this morning during the team's optional skate. He is not ready to play, and will be out of the lineup tonight in favor of James van Riemdsyk.
* Luke and Stephanie Richardson have put out a public request that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the
Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health's youth program in memory of their daughter, Daron.
PREVIEW 7:15 AM EST
The Flyers (11-4-2) have been playing like a well-oiled machine of late, but they have some good tests upcoming. The team has racked up at least one point in 9 straight games (8-0-1) and has been clicking offensively, defensively and in goal. The team will be looking tonight to continue its winning ways when it takes on the Ottawa Senators (9-7-1) at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sens have won 7 of their last 10 games. Last year, Ottawa won 3 of 4 from the Flyers, including a pair of shutout victories.
Veteran Daniel Alfredsson has been a Flyer-killer many times in his career. He leads the Senators in scoring this season with 7 goals and 14 points. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar has also made a habit over the years of punishing the Flyers. Meanwhile, goalie Brian Elliott has won five games in a row, boasting a .953 save percentage over that span.
For the Flyers, captain Mike Richards has tallied five goals in his last five games to climb to second in scoring the team with 16 points. Meanwhile, Ville Leino (team-leading 12 assists) has been a play-making machine for linemates Scott Hartnell (6 goals, 12 points), and Danny Briere (8 goals, 12 points). And what else can you say about Claude Giroux (team-leading 9 goals and 18 points) except that he's done it all so far this season?
Penalty killing is one area where the Senators have not excelled this season and the Flyers may be able to take advantage. The Sens have killed penalties at an ordinary 82.8% clip while the Flyers' red-hot powerplay has risen to 21.9% for the season. Meanwhile, the Ottawa powerplay has connected at 18.3% while the Flyers have killed penalties at a rate of 86.8% with four shorthanded goals courtesy of Giroux (3 SHG, 1 SHA).
Andreas Nodl (bruised foot) seems unlikely to be ready to play tonight. If he can't go, James van Riemsdyk will be back in the lineup. No official word yet on whether Sergei Bobrovsky will be given the night off with a game in Montreal upcoming tomorrow (the end of a stretch of four games in six nights). I will update the lineups later today.
Projected lineups (subject to change)
FLYERS
JVR - Richards - Zherdev
Hartnell - Briere - Leino
Powe - Giroux - Carter
Shelley - Betts - Carcillo
Pronger - Carle
Coburn - Timonen
Meszaros - O'Donnell
Bobrovsky/Boucher
SENATORS
Michalek - Fisher - Alfredsson
Regin - Spezza - Kovalev
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil
Foligno - Winchester - Shannon
Gonchar - Phillips
Karlsson - Kuba
Carkner - Campoli
Elliott
[Leclaire]
*****
Today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com takes a look at the growing pains being experienced by the Edmonton Oilers.
An upcoming feature on Philadelphiaflyers.com later this week will look back at the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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