Note: Today is a travel day for me, as I am en route shortly from Dallas back to Philadelphia. The game preview will be short but I will attempt to update the blog with lineups and other notes later in the day.
****
MINI-PREVIEW 9:30 AM EDT
Losers of four straight games (0-3-1), the Philadelphia Flyers (46-23-11) enter the final weekend of the regular season still looking to nail down the Atlantic Division title rather than simply tuning up for the playoffs. Tonight, the Flyers travel to Buffalo to take on a likely fired-up Sabres (41-29-10) team that can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Fan Appreciation Night.
Ryan Miller may also make his return to the lineup tonight for Buffalo. However, there is really no need for the Sabres to rush the defending Vezina Trophy winner back because young Jhonas Enroth has been stellar in three of the four games he has started in Miller's absence. Sergei Bobrovsky will start in goal for the Flyers.
Over the last quarter of the season, the Flyers have mailed their performances far too often, and are actually below .500 (7-8-6) in their last 21 games. During that span, they've scored just 2.48 goals per game (52 GF) while allowing 2.90 goals per game (61 GA). The biggest source of the problem has been that the club has been having bad third periods and the power play has scored just 9 times (9-for-66, 13.6 percent) in that span.
The Flyers won the first two meetings of the season series with the Sabres this season. Buffalo prevailed in the game on March 5, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win, 5-3.
*****
Today's
Daily Drop at Versus.com looks at the Calder Trophy candidacy of Jeff Skinner (my choice) against the candidacy of Logan Couture and Michael Grabner.
Some Philadelphia writers think that Sergei Bobrovsky is a serious Calder candidate. In my view, there is simply too much competition in this year's pool, and I doubt Bobrovsky will be a finalist or even finish in the top five.
On the flip side, I think Ian Laperriere has a real shot at winning the Masterton Trophy this season despite not having played a game. He has always displayed every characteristic the award is designed to honor and he is so well-liked and well-respected around the league that I can see him being the selection among all the nominees around the league.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»