Flyers Skate Update: Avalanche's top line poses ‘good challenge'

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You might say that the Colorado Avalanche, who will be the Flyers' guest on Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, represent a mirror image of Dave Hakstol’s club.

The Flyers have lost six of seven after snapping a six-game skid in Winnipeg over the weekend.

Patrick Roy’s Avs have lost four of their last five games.

The Flyers are sixth in the Metropolitan Division and Colorado is seventh in the Central.

“In today’s game, it doesn’t matter if you face a hot or cold team,” said veteran defenseman Mark Streit at the morning skate.

“They are all tough to play against. We had this experience the past 10 days. We played a lot of different teams who play different hockey.”

This is a fast Avs squad that will force the Flyers to skate hard the entire night. Especially Nathan MacKinnon’s line with Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene.

MacKinnon leads the Avs in assists (nine) and points (15), while Landeskog is tied for second in points (11) with Jarome Iginla.

“We’re both in the same situations,” said shutdown centerman Sean Couturier, who is expected to go against the MacKinnon unit. “This is going to be a battle. They are two great players.

“MacKinnon is probably one of the most explosive guys in the league, real fast, one of the best skaters in the league. Landeskog is a work horse. Always works hard, he wins battles. It’s going to be a good challenge.”

It’s likely that Hakstol, since he has the final line change, will also use the defensive pair of Michael Del Zotto and Mark Streit against the MacKinnon line.

“They’re young, dynamic players and very flashy and they have a lot of speed,” Streit said. “It’s not only the defensemen, but the whole five-man unit on the ice to [has to] play solid in the neutral zone.

“Don’t give them a whole lot of room to build up their speed and come with speed into our zone. That makes it difficult to defend.”

The goalie
Michael Neuvirth will make his fourth consecutive start in goal for the Flyers — a season first for him.

Neuvirth is deserving of it. Had the Flyers given him some offense during their Western Canada road swing, Neuvirth would have come home with wins in Edmonton and Calgary, instead of losses.

Right now, he has the hot glove. Steve Mason has been ill and is in need of extra practice time.

“You take time to evaluate everything, but Michal earned this start,” Hakstol said. “He has done a great job for his teammates. In particular, his last two starts both in Calgary and Winnipeg, he did a great job.”

All three of Neuvirth’s victories this season are shutouts.

He is fourth in the NHL in goals-against average (1.81), third in save percentage (.945) and first in shutouts. He’s played just eight games.

Loose pucks
Vinny Lecavalier represents the only lineup change from the victory in Winnipeg on Saturday. He will go in for the injured R.J. Umberger, who had stitches under his right eye from a fight against Jets captain Andrew Ladd and was limping badly following the game after blocking a shot off his left foot. ... Centerman Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (lower body) took a full morning skate and is hoping to play Thursday against the Caps.

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