Flyers-Canadiens 5 things: Youth movement already underway

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Flyers at Canadiens
7:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet

After a two-day break from game action, the Flyers (25-21-10) will continue their five-game road trip and try for a season sweep of the free-falling Montreal Canadiens (27-27-4) on Friday night.

Here are five things you need to know before puck drop at Bell Centre:

1. The kids are alright
We all know a youth movement is headed the Flyers' way. Youngsters Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim are progressing at a rapid rate and the organization's pipeline is littered with promising talent all across the world at various levels.

But if I told you in September that Shayne Gostisbehere and Nick Cousins, both developing players who began the season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, would be providing a major impact for the Flyers in February, would you believe me?

Well, that's exactly what's happening. Gostisbehere, who was brought up to replace the injured Mark Streit in mid-November, currently owns the longest active point streak in the entire NHL and has 16 points during his 13-game run.

And now it's Cousins, who still leads the Phantoms in scoring with 38 points in 38 games, stepping into the spotlight. He was recalled for a second time this season when Sean Couturier went down with a lower-body injury on Feb. 5 and has been centering the team's second line.

"The more you play, the better you feel," said Cousins, who has two goals and two assists in his last six games for the Flyers. "Every shift, especially early on in the game, you get your legs underneath you and you get a little bit of confidence."

2. Radko smash
In his first year as an NHL head coach, Dave Hakstol hasn't been afraid to shuffle his lineups and hold players accountable for poor play.

So common sense should tell him it's time for Radko Gudas to take a seat, correct? After all, Gudas has racked up 64 penalty minutes in nine games since the All-Star break and avoided yet another suspension after an unnecessary hit on New Jersey's Bobby Farnham on Tuesday night.

Don't hold your breath. It sounds like Hakstol, who met with Gudas Thursday and stressed the importance of remaining discipline for the team's sake, is sticking with the 25-year-old.

"What Radko brings to the table is competitiveness and a real tough guy to play against," he said of his defenseman. "He is very valuable to our team. There’s a couple things over the last couple weeks that he has to alter a bit and he will do that. I’m confident in that.”

Gudas has already been suspended once this season — he was handed a three-game ban for a headshot on Ottawa's Mika Zibanejad on Dec. 2 — and has had five separate checks viewed by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. He’s not going to receive any more breaks from the men in stripes.

“The referees and league are going to look at me with the biggest spotlight," Gudas said. "I have to make sure to change my game in the direction that I won’t take them anymore.”

3. Free falling
Montreal is a mess.

The Canadiens were swept on a recent three-game road trip and surrendered 15 goals during that stretch. But head coach Michel Therrien now finds himself especially under fire after pinning Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche solely on the shoulders of star defenseman P.K. Subban. That’s not going to go over well with management or the fan base.

The ax could soon fall on Therrien, who called off Thursday’s practice, if the Habs continue their fall from grace. They were atop the NHL after the first two months of the season but have gone a league-worst 8-23-1 since Dec. 3 and appear closer to sell mode with the trade deadline approaching.

4. Keep an eye on …
Flyers: It has to be Gostisbehere, right? Yes, he’s the safe bet but I’m going to make a case for Brayden Schenn. The 24-year-old has scored in back-to-back outings and has 10 goals and 19 points in 20 games since Jan. 2. Oh, yeah. He’s also been absolutely lights out against Montreal this season. In the first two meetings between the clubs, Schenn has posted two markers and three helpers while looking like a man possessed in the offensive zone. And for his career? He's a point-per-game player when facing the Habs, notching four goals and nine assists in 13 matchups. Chances are we’ll see No. 10 find his way on the scoresheet Friday night.

Canadiens: You know that annoying fly buzzing around your office that you can never seem to get rid of? For the Flyers, that fly is Alex Galchenyuk when they play the Canadiens. The 22-year-old has a goal and an assist in two games against the orange and black this season and 12 points in 10 career meetings. He's an outstanding playmaker but is also adept at finishing plays himself. The 6-foot-1, 198-pounder is averaging 15:37 of ice time per game in 2015-16 and has posted 14 goals and 34 points in 58 games. Consistency is still an area of concern in his game, though.

5. This and that
• Wayne Simmonds has three goals against Montreal in 2015-16. Jakub Voracek (three assists) and Gostisbehere (goal, two assists) also have three points in the season series.

• Prior to their road losing skid, the Canadiens won three in a row at home from Feb. 6-9.

• Gostisbehere's point streak is the fourth-longest by any rookie since 1988.

• Canadiens goalie Mike Condon has faced the Flyers just once in his career. It came this season on Feb. 2 when he made 32 saves on 35 shots in a 4-2 loss.

• Michal Neuvirth is 6-4-1 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 12 career games against Montreal.

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