Flyers at Senators
Ottawa, Ontario – The Philadelphia Flyers had their four-game winning streak snapped their last time out, but they head into the finale of their six-game road trip without a loss indoors.
Scotiabank Place, however, may not be the ideal place to bounce back from their Winter Classic defeat.
Philadelphia has lost six of seven in Ottawa and the Senators have won 10 of 13 on home ice, trends the Flyers will need to buck Sunday afternoon to finish their trip on a high note.
Philadelphia (19-18-3) embarked on its longest trip of the season with a 3-13-1 record in its past 17 games, a stretch during which it totaled 30 goals and saw coach John Stevens replaced by Peter Laviolette.
Oddsmakers from Online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Senators –115 money line favorites for Sunday’s game against the Flyers. Current NHL Public Betting Information shows that 52% of more than 158 bets for this game have been placed on the Senators -115.
Spending the holidays away from home seemed to be exactly what the Flyers needed. They scored 17 goals in winning the first four games of the trip, while Michael Leighton – claimed off waivers from Carolina on Dec. 15 – posted a 1.47 goals-against average.
Leighton made 24 stops in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Friday, but Boston ended his shutout streak at 154 minutes, seven seconds by tying the score at 1 late in the third period. Marco Sturm’s overtime goal on a deflection past Leighton gave the Bruins a 2-1 win.
None of Leighton’s previous four starts, of course, came in front of nearly 40,000 fans in a historic baseball stadium with a national television audience watching.
"I got kind of nervous (Thursday) night,” Leighton said. "You don’t realize how big of a deal it is until you’re actually here and see what it’s like.”
Despite Leighton’s strong play, Brian Boucher could get the call in net Sunday for the first time since suffering a lacerated finger Dec. 21. Boucher went 1-1-0 with a 1.01 GAA in his last two starts versus Ottawa (21-16-4), the most recent a 2-0 loss at Philadelphia on Dec. 10.
The injured Ray Emery started the teams’ other meeting, a 5-1 Flyers home win Nov. 12. Danny Briere scored two goals in that contest.
Briere had goals in three consecutive games before being shut out against the Bruins. Philadelphia may need him to step up again Sunday as it seeks better results in Ottawa after going 1-4-2 in its past seven games there.
The Senators are 10-3-0 at Scotiabank Place since Nov. 17 and closed 2009 with a home victory. Ryan Shannon had a three-game goal streak snapped, but contributed one of Ottawa’s three shootout tallies in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
The Senators are 3-1-0 without star forwards Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson.
"That goal streak isn’t important, the wins are,” said Shannon, who scored four times during the streak after being held without a goal in his first 29 games. "I had opportunities to put the puck in the net. (Alex) Kovalev and (Mike) Fisher found me and we created a lot of chances.”
Fisher has been the Senators’ top scorer at home since Nov. 17, notching five goals and seven assists in that span, but has been held to three assists in his past eight games overall.
Fisher’s goal in the 5-1 loss Nov. 12 was his only one in his past 12 games versus Philadelphia.
Pascal Leclaire, 3-2-0 with a 3.33 GAA since returning Dec. 23 from a fractured cheekbone, is 0-2-0 with a 4.05 GAA against the Flyers. Backup Brian Elliott is 2-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA.
Posted: 1/2/10 8:00PM ET