Philadelphia Flyers (5-3-1, 11 points, 4th in Atlantic Division)
v.
Washington Capitals (6-2-2, 14 points, 1st in Southeast Division)
7:00 at Verizon Center
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PREVIEW
The Washington Capitals, winners of four straight, come home to host the rival Philadelphia Flyers.
The Caps have been winning, but it hasn't been very pretty, especially coming from behind in two road games in Atlanta and Long Island.
Washington's vaunted power play went 0-for-11 in those two games, not coincidentally the two games Alexander Semin missed with an undisclosed illness/injury. The enigmatic winger should return to the top line for tonight's matchup, providing a spark to countryman Alex Ovechkin, who contributed a single assist on the two-game road trip.
Jose Theodore has played well in his return from back spasms that forced him to miss two games. He mad 28 saves, sometimes spectacular in nature, in the 3-2 win over the Islanders Saturday night.
Mike Green was the star of that overtime thriller, with a big booming slap shot for his second goal of the season, and a deft assist to Brooks Laich, streaming for the crease, for the OT winner.
The Flyers lost Sunday night to San Jose 4-1 at home, using backup goalie Brian Boucher. Starter Ray Emery ought to be between the pipes for tonight's game though. He is 5-2-1 with a 2.57 GAA this season, but has lost his last three games to the Capitals.
Philadelphia won the series opener Oct. 6 in Philly, 6-5. Mike Richards netted three in regulation, and Danny Briere scored in overtime for the winner against a shaky Semyon Varlamov. The game, of course, featured numerous penalties, a regular occurence when these two teams get together.
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EXPECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Morrison-Knuble
Giroux-Aucoin-Clark
Sloan-Steckel-Bradley
Defense
Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Schultz-Pothier
Goalie
Theodore
Varlamov
Scratches: Fehr, Laing
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TEAM STATS
WAS: GF: 4th (36/3.60); GA: 15st (29/2.90); PP: 20th (8/48, 16.7%); PK: 8th (8/49, 83.7%)
PHI: GF: 10th (30/3.33); GA: 14th (26/2.89); PP: 9th (11/44, 25%): PK: 5th (6/41, 85.4%)
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LEADERS
WAS: G: Ovechkin (9) A: Backstrom (9) P: Ovechkin (17) +/-: Ovechkin (+8)
PHI: G: Richards (6) A: Carle (8) P: Carter, Richards (10) +/-: Carle (+7)
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INJURIES
WAS: D John Erskine (IR-hand), F Boyd Gordon (DTD-back), Quentin Laing (DTD-Flu), Eric Fehr (DTD-Ribs)
PHI: C Blair Betts (IR-Shoulder), D Ryan Parent (OUT-Lower Body)
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