Flyers at Hurricanes
7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet
The Flyers (5-8-3) will hit the road to take on the Carolina Hurricanes (6-9-1) at PNC Arena in a matchup between two teams that have been allergic to goals in the early going.
Here are five things to get you ready for Saturday’s tilt:
1. Get Jake going
Snakebitten doesn't even begin to describe Jakub Voracek.
The 26-year-old, who signed an eight-year, $66 million contract extension with the Flyers in July, is still searching for his first tally of the 2015-16 campaign and is looking to snap a 19-game goalless drought.
His scoring slump hasn't been from a lack of effort. Quite the opposite. He's been pressing and has had plenty of quality scoring opportunities.
"It’s going to start going in, don’t worry," Claude Giroux said of Voracek Friday (see story). "I have a good feeling about him. Last couple games he played very well and he was winning battles and getting to pucks and I’ve got to find a way to get it back to him.”
NHL
Voracek, who last scored on April 5 against Pittsburgh, has fired 58 shots on target this season. His play has been consistent and he’s continued to be a monster along the boards. Once he finally does find the back of the net, it would come to the shock of nobody if he winds up scoring in bunches.
2. Pucks. On. Net.
The concept seems so simple. The more pucks you get on net, the more likely you are to score.
Over the past two weeks, the Flyers haven't been shooting and have struggled to get quality looks on opposing goaltenders.
In fact, the orange and black have been outshot in nine consecutive games and are averaging just 23.4 shots on goal over their last five.
"When we play good teams and we're patient, make smart plays and forecheck that's when we generate the chances," Voracek said (see story). "That's why we had so many shots in the beginning of the season.
"We don't have that (right now) because we go too fast or everybody is trying too hard. That's what happens."
3. Staal in the family
The Flyers would be wise to pay close attention to the Staal brothers.
Eric, the captain of the Hurricanes, has recorded six goals and eight assists in his last 13 outings against the Flyers.
And his younger brother Jordan, a former Penguin, torched the Flyers for three markers and three helpers in four games last season.
The two pivots have gotten off to a slow start this year, however. They’ve combined for just seven goals and nine assists through 16 games.
Don’t be surprised if Eric and Jordan’s names pop up frequently in trade rumors throughout 2015-16, though. Carolina isn’t anywhere close to being a contender and could receive a decent return for the pair. They are both still relatively young and would be a solid addition to any team looking for depth down the middle. GMs will certainly come calling by the trade deadline.
4. Keep an eye on …
Flyers: After Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, Dave Hakstol is the obvious pick. The rookie NHL head coach used his first challenge of the season and was successful. The Caps appeared to take a three-goal lead in the second period when Alex Ovechkin blasted a rocket past Steve Mason. Not on Hakstol's watch. There was a brief review and officials ultimately overruled the call on the ice because the play was offside. Could this be the start of a hot streak for Hakstol on challenges? Maybe. If not, he should be fun to watch just to see if he gives any of his players that infamous Hakstol glare. The Flyers have lost eight of nine, after all.
Hurricanes: It's not often you see a defenseman leading his team in scoring, but that's precisely the case for Carolina. Justin Faulk is tops on the Hurricanes in goals (six) and is tied for the team-lead in points with 10 entering Saturday's tilt. He's also fired a team-high 55 shots on goal through 16 games and has collected six power-play points. The 23-year-old plays a smart, mature game and is a tremendous skater. The Flyers will see him often, too. He's averaging 24:59 of ice time so far this season.
5. This and that
• The Flyers dropped four of five games against the Hurricanes in 2014-15, including all three meetings in Raleigh, North Carolina.
• Voracek had seven goals and 19 assists through 16 games last season. In 16 games this season, he has no goals and just five assists.
• Dating back to last season, the ‘Canes have scored more than three goals in a game just once in their last 25 contests.
• In 10 career starts against Carolina, Steve Mason is 6-3-1 with a .939 save percentage and 1.91 goals-against average.
• Cam Ward went 4-0-0 with a .949 save percentage and 1.23 goals-against average in four starts versus the Flyers last season.