(SportsNetwork.com) – The Philadelphia Flyers hope a trip to the City of
Angels can get them back in the win column, as the sliding club visits the
Los Angeles Kings for Saturday’s matinee clash at Staples Center.
The Flyers enter this afternoon’s contest on a six-game losing streak, the
franchise’s longest slide since an 0-3-3 drought to open the 2008-09 season.
Philadelphia’s struggles go beyond its current 0-4-2 slide, as the Flyers also
are sporting a 1-8-2 record over their last 11 contests.
Today’s date against the defending Stanley Cup champions wouldn’t seem to be
what the doctor ordered, but Philadelphia has been very successful in L.A.
recently, taking three straight and seven of the last nine encounters at
Staples Center.
Philly also has won two of three against the Kings overall, including a 3-2
overtime win when L.A. visited Wells Fargo Center on Oct. 28. Former Kings
prospect Brayden Schenn provided the OT winner for the Flyers.
The Kings, however, are boasting an 11-3-1 record on home ice this season and
today’s game will be the club’s last tilt as the host until Dec. 18 against
St. Louis. Los Angeles, which is just 3-4-4 on the road this season, will
begin a five-game road trip Tuesday in Buffalo.
The Flyers fell to 2-9-2 as the road club with Wednesday’s 5-4 shootout loss
in Anaheim. It was Philadelphia’s ninth straight road loss.
Philadelphia blew a 3-1 lead to the Ducks but tied it on Wayne Simmonds’
second goal with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation. However, Jakob
Silfverberg and Corey Perry both scored in the tiebreaker to earn the extra
point for Anaheim.
“I liked the way our team is competing,” said Flyers head coach Craig Berube.
“The work ethic is there but we have to be smarter.”
Steve Mason registered 29 saves for the Flyers, who haven’t won away from
Philadelphia since beating the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 22. The Flyers will
complete their current five-game road trip Tuesday in Columbus.
The Kings are coming off consecutive shutout wins. Jonathan Quick made 31
saves to blank visiting Boston in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory, while Martin Jones
posted a 26-save shutout in Thursday’s road win over Arizona.
Jones actually recorded his second consecutive shutout on Thursday. Quick’s
understudy made 28 saves in the Kings’ 4-0 win over the Wild on Nov. 26 before
shutting down the Coyotes in his next appearance.
“I try not to look at shutouts too much, more of the process than anything
else,” said Jones. “I’ve just got to continue to work on my game and there is
definitely some stuff I can clean up and continue to get better here.”
Dustin Brown had two goals and an assist for the Kings, who have won three of
four. Jarret Stoll and Alec Martinez both had one goal and an assist.
Quick is likely to start today’s game. He made 40 saves in the loss to
Philadelphia on Oct. 28 and is 4-2-1 with a 1.86 goals against average in his
career against the Flyers.
Mason is expected to start for Philly. He is 6-7-0 with a 3.08 GAA in 13
career games versus the Kings.
