MINI-PREVIEW 9:15 AM EST

The Flyers (26-10-5) will look four their fourth consecutive win tonight when travel travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres (18-18-5). The game will mark the start of a busy week for the Flyers, who play four road games over the next six days. The Flyers played the Sabres once previously this season, grabbing a 6-3 win at the Wells Fargo Center on Oct. 26.

By far, the Flyers' best line during their recent home-and-home with the New Jersey Devils was the Scott-Hartnell-Danny Briere - Ville Leino unit. Hartnell tallied two goals and Leino racked up three assists in the first game, while Briere scored two goals in the first game and added a power play in the second. James van Riemsdyk also played very well during the home-and-home, and Brian Boucher remained sharp in goal.

For the Sabres, Thomas Vanek has played his best hockey of the season of late, tallying six points (3 G, 3 A) over the last four games. Ryan Miller blanked San Jose on 36 saves last Thursday and followed it up with 33 saves on 34 shots in the Sabres' win in Phoenix two days later. He is 4-0-1 over his last five starts.

Overall, the Sabres are a disappointing 9-10-1 on home ice this season. The Flyers are 13-4-3 on the road. Special teams have not been a strength over the balance of the season for either club. Buffalo and Philly have killed penalties at similar so-so rates this season (82.9 percent for Buffalo, 82.1 percent for the Flyers) and have almost identical power play success rates (16.9 percent for the Sabres, 16.8 percent for Philly).

Nikolay Zherdev (groin) is still listed as questionable for tonight's game. With Sabres' agitator Patrick Kaleta (arm injury) also questionable for tonight's game, there's a chance that Dan Carcillo could sit in favor of Zherdev, with Darroll Powe returning to the fourth line.


PROJECTED LINEUP (subject to change)

FLYERS

JVR - Richards - Nodl
Hartnell - Briere - Leino
Powe - Carter - Giroux
Shelley - Betts - Carcillo

Meszaros - Carle
Coburn - Timonen
Bartulis - O'Donnell

Boucher
[Bobrovsky]


SABRES

Vanek - Connolly - Pominville
Niedermayer - Hecht - Stafford
Ennis - Adam - McCormick
Rivet- Gaustad - Grier

Sekera - Myers
Leopold - Montador
Morrisonn - Weber

Miller
[Lalime]

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