Flyers (30-26-8) at Sabres (27-27-12)
7:30 p.m. on CSN, CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports App; Pregame Live at 7
The Flyers open a vital three-game road trip on Tuesday night when they visit the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center.
Here are five things to know for the matchup:
1. Home sick
This swing away from home could define the Flyers' season.
It starts against the Sabres, whose wild-card hopes are still alive as Buffalo trails the Flyers by only two points. Next up are the Maple Leafs, who sit just one point out of the second wild-card spot and three points ahead of the Flyers. Then, things wrap up in Boston against a Bruins team playing its best hockey of the season.
All three teams will have an impact on the Eastern Conference's final playoff berth. And once the Flyers come home, they're greeted by the Blue Jackets and Penguins.
So with 68 points, the Flyers will have to survive the road if they want to keep their footing in the wild-card race, which is led by the Islanders at 71 points. The orange and black are 3-11-3 in their last 17 road games, a stretch in which they've been outscored, 60-28.
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They've also dropped their last two games in Buffalo, where they hadn't lost since April 13, 2013, prior to the pair of defeats.
2. Oh, Captain
The Flyers could really use Claude Giroux in the goal department.
The captain has gone 12 consecutive games without a goal and has just one even-strength tally in his last 29 games. There's a strong chance he sets a new career low for goals in a full season. He has 12 with 18 games to play. The lowest he's ever scored for a full season is 16 in 2009-10.
"You try to play the right way, do what's asked of you," Giroux said Feb. 25 after the outdoor game in Pittsburgh. "I've had a lot of chances, but at the end of the day, it has to go in. We're done with excuses."
The Flyers, who have scored the NHL's fewest goals since New Year's Eve (49 in 26 games), are 7-2-1 this season when Giroux finds the back of the net.
3. No sin bin
The Flyers should like their chances of beating the Sabres if they stay disciplined and out of the penalty box.
Because the power play is where Buffalo can hurt you.
The Sabres are tied for the league's most successful man advantage with a 22.9 percentage, while they are tied for third with the Flyers for most power-play goals at 46.
But at 5-on-5, Buffalo owns 105 goals, which puts them in a five-way tie for 22nd.
Playing smart and sound should be a focus for both teams as the Flyers have only 91 goals at 5-on-5, good for 28th in hockey.
4. Keep an eye on ...
Flyers: Sean Couturier is coming off a productive game against the Capitals in which he scored the Flyers' lone goal, fired a team-best five shots on goal and helped keep Alex Ovechkin in check. Can he build off that? The Flyers could certainly use more of his production on the third line.
Sabres: Jack Eichel, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, is on a 10-game point streak in which he's scored three goals and recorded 10 assists. The 20-year-old center has 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in his last 16 games.
5. This and that
• Steve Mason is expected to make his fourth consecutive start. He's 2-0-1 with a 0.96 goals-against average and .969 save percentage his last three games.
• Sabres goalie Robin Lehner is 1-2-2 with a 3.53 goals-against average and .888 save percentage over his past five games. In three career games against the Flyers, Lehner is 1-2-0 with a 3.35 goals-against average and .894 save percentage.
• Buffalo's second-leading scorer Kyle Okposo (43 points) is out with injured ribs.
• Sabres winger Evander Kane has nine goals in his last 13 games and 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 18 career games against the Flyers.