The Flyers hit the road Monday night and travel to Detroit to take on the ailing Red Wings. The club from Motown is having a rough go this season, posting a 12-37-4 record. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 contests, and 16 of their last 20. Detroit sits in dead last in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference, and NHL.
The Flyers are trending upwards. They boast a 28-17-7 record, good for sixth in the stacked Metropolitan Division, ninth in the Eastern Conference, and 11th in the NHL. They’re 6-2-2 in their last ten games. Five of those six wins came against the league’s elite, including Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Colorado, Washington, and Tampa Bay.
Head-to-head, the Flyers have won eight of the last 10 contests between the two. Their overall record in those 10 games is 8-0-2. Over the last 20 games between the two Eastern Conference foes, the Flyers own a 15-3-2 record over the Red Wings. Some would call that “sheer dominance.”
Top Performers
Detroit Red Wings
Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings in scoring with 37 points. Larkin has played in 13 contests against the Flyers, and has three goals and five assists against Philadelphia. Tyler Bertuzzi is the second leading Red Wing scorer with 36 points. He has two points in seven contests against the Flyers.
Former Flyer Valtteri Filppula sits at seventh in scoring for Detroit, with 17 points (4g, 13a). Filppula has played in 21 games against the orange and black, posting three goals and 13 assists, good for 16 points against his former team.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have a trio of players who have found some success in the past against Detroit. Claude Giroux is likely the one that could use some of that magic, as he looks to start putting up some points. He has seven goals and 19 assists in 24 career games against the Red Wings. Giroux has five points, all assists, in his last 10 games.
Jakub Voracek has 28 points (7g, 21a) in 37 career contests against Detroit. He has seven points in his last 10 contests, and is looking to stretch his point streak to four games. Sean Couturier has found a good bit of success against the Red Wings, tallying 18 points (7g, 11a) in 20 career games.
Goalie Matchup
The Flyers are likely rolling with Brian Elliott against Detroit. Elliott has been great while filling in for an injured Carter Hart. He’s 3-0-1 in those 4 games, and has posted a .925 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average. On the road, he posts an 8-4-2 record and a sub-.900 save percentage. In his career against Detroit, however, Elliott has a .918 save percentage and 2.36 goals against average. Look for Elliott to continue his solid string of games tonight.
On the other side of the ice, Jonathan Bernier looks to make his second start after coming back from injury. He was the goalie of record in a 1-0 loss to New York Saturday night. His season stats have been ok, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average in 29 appearances. In his career against the Flyers, Bernier is less-than-stellar. He has a 4-4-1 record in 12 games played with a .891 save percentage and 3.23 goals against average.
Hot Streaks
The Flyers have two forwards who are in the midst of solid streaks. Joel Farabee comes into tonight’s game having posted six points in his last five games. Those five games come directly after a brief demotion to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Farabee has two goals the other night against the Colorado Avalanche. Prior to those five games, Farabee was point-less from December 28 to January 13, a total of nine games.
James van Riemsdyk is also riding a nice streak, posting points in five of his last seven games. He’s tallied seven total points since the 1/13 game against Boston. JvR has also posted five points in his last four games. In his career against Detroit, JvR has 17 total points in 25 games.
Puck Drop
The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30 P.M. EST at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network, and NBC Sports Philadelphia+, for those who enjoy the soothing sound of Jim Jackson calling a hockey game. Follow everyone at Philly Sports Network for updates and some fun commentary throughout tonight’s contest!
Mandatory Credit – © John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
