5 THINGS: Flyers @ Canadiens

Looking to end a five-game winless streak, John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (7-7-3) are in Quebec on Saturday to take on Martin St. Louis' Montreal Canadiens (8-8-1). Game time at the Bell Centre is 7:00 p.m. ET.

GAME NOTES
The game will be televised on NBCSP. The radio broadcast is on 93.3 WMMR with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.
This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season and the lone game in Montreal. The Flyers and Canadiens will rematch at the Wells Fargo on Feb. 24 and March 28.
The Flyers are 0-4-1 in their last five games. On Thursday, the Flyers lost a 4-1 decision to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Owen Tippett (PPG, 4th goal of the season) narrowed a 2-0 deficit in the third period to a single goal but the Flyers gave up a David Krejci goal just 16 seconds later. The rest was academic.
The Canadiens compiled a three-game winning streak last week but since have lost back-to-back games in regulation at home against the New Jersey Devils (5-1) and on the road to the Columbus Blue Jackets (6-4).
Here are five things to watch in this game:
1. Defending the middle of the ice.
Through the first 11 games of the season, the Flyers ranked 4th in the NHL with a team 2.42 goals against average. The biggest reason was the otherworldly goaltending of Carter Hart, who had an unsustainable .946 save percentage through his first eight starts of the season.
There was, however, also a teamwide component to this, despite the high volume of shots and scoring chances the club allowed. The Flyers were doing a good job of at least giving their goaltenders a reasonable chance at making saves. They generally defended the middle of the ice well. There was also a consistent backchecking presence.
Since that time, the Flyers have given up multiple back-door goals. There have been more turnovers in dangerous areas of the ice, and more coverage breakdowns. Several opposing goals have accidentally been deflected into the Flyers' net by Flyers players. The goaltending hasn't been as spectacular, either, but a downturn in goalie play itself has been a secondary factor.
Bottom line: Over the last nine games, the Flyers are 2-5-2. The team goals against average in that span is 4.00 (ranked 27th).
2. Stability needed in special teams
Going into this past weekend, the Flyers ranked 4th in the NHL in PK success rate at a shade below 84 percent. Unfortunately, after going an abysmal 4-for-11 over the last four games, the team has plummeted to 28th (75.9 percent) in the league.
Through the season's first 11 games, the Flyers connected on 20 percent of their power plays. This helped buoy an offense that has struggled to score at 5-on-5. Over the last six games, the power play has been an anemic 12.5 percent. The Flyers have notched a power play goal in back-to-back games: going 1-for-2 in Columbus and 1-for-4 against the Bruins. However, that's only been enough to rebound to 17.9 percent (ranked 27th league) for the season.
While the Flyers' overall 5-on-5 processes have been improved of late, experiencing special teams failures to the dramatic degree of Philadelphia's recent down will overshadow subtle improvements in other areas.
3.Finding scoring sources
The Flyers enter Saturday's game averaging just 2.47 goals per game, ranking 32nd (last) in the NHL. As of this writing, there is no status update on Travis Konecny, who sustained an apparent right hand injury in the second period of Thursday's game Boston. Through the season's first 17 games, Konecny has compiled 19 points (7g, 12a). He brought a seven-game point streak into Thursday's match but saw it go by the wayside in his abbreviated outing before having to exit the game with his injury.
James van Riemsdyk, who underwent surgery on Oct. 28 to repair a broken index finger, will miss roughly another three weeks before he is cleared to return to the lineup. In six games played this season, JVR has posted five points (2g,3a). Kevin Hayes has a team-high 13 assists among his 17 points to date. Joel Farabee has posted 10 points (3g, 7a) through the first 17 games, However, while Farabee has posted a point in three of the last five games, he has not been at his best on a consistent basis. Farabee is goalless in eight games, and has five points (1g, 4a) over his last 10 games. Tippett (4g, 4a for the season) has points in three straight games (1g, 2a).
On the blueline, Tony DeAngelo tops all Flyers defensemen with 10 points (3g, 7a). He has not seemed quite as effective, however, since the Nov. 12 game against Ottawa. Over the last five games, DeAngelo has two points (1g, 1a) and is a traditional minus-7 in that span. Defense partner Ivan Provorov (1g, 7a) had a goal and an assist in the Nov. 10 game in Columbus but he has just three points (1g, 2a) over the last 12 games.
The Flyers need to circle their wagons offensively. They also need to find more consistent contributions from a variety of internal sources including Morgan Frost (2g, 1a in the season's first three games, one point since), Noah Cates (3g, 3a for the season), Scott Laughton (3g, 3a overall but just three points at 5-on-5), Travis Sanheim (0g, 2a for the season) and waiver wire pickup KIeffer Bellows (0 points in five appearances since being claimed). Wade Allison (3g, 1a in 14 games) was starting to heat up offensively when he suffered an oblique strain and hip pointer in the Flyers' Nov. 12 loss to Ottawa.
4. Flyers line play
Assuming Bellow steps in for Konecny and the Flyers do not make a callup from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the club will have 12 forwards available for Saturday's game. Veteran checking forward was activated from IR on Thursday and made his season debut in Boston. On defense, Egor Zamula (0g, 2a in nine games played) has not dressed in any games over the last two weeks, last playing on Nov. 5 against Ottawa (9:27 TOI).
The Flyers held practice on Friday at TD Garden in Boston before traveling to Montreal.
The line combinations below are a placeholder. Farabee has played much of the last two games on a line with Frost and Bellows. Tippett could skate on the Hayes line, as he has for most (or portions) of many recent games.
21 Scott Laughton - 13 Kevin Hayes - 86 Joel Farabee
74 Owen Tippett - 49 Noah Cates - 17 Zack MacEwen
20 Kieffer Bellows - 48 Morgan Frost - 71 Max Willman
44 Nicolas Deslauriers - 23 Lukas Sedlak - 38 Patrick Brown
9 Ivan Provorov - 77 Tony DeAngelo
6 Travis Sanheim - 61 Justin Braun
24 Nick Seeler - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
79 Carter Hart
32 Felix Sandström
5. Behind Enemy Lines: Montreal Canadiens
Entering Saturday's game, the Canadiens have averaged 3.00 goals per game (tied for 18th leaguewide) and have a team 3.47 GAA (tied for 22nd).The power play checks in at 17.0 percent (28th league). The PK enters at 80.0 percent (11th).
Nick Suzuki leads the Habs in both goals (11) and total points (21) through the first 17 games of the season. He is followed by Cole Caufield (9g, 16 points). Kirby Dach paces the team in assists with 11 helpers among his 15 points. Reclamation project Sean Monahan has posted three goals and nine points to date.
On the blueline, 20-year-old Kaiden Guhle has seven points (1g, 6a); one more point than veteran David Savard (0g, 6a) and two more points than Jordan Harris (1g, 4a). The Canadiens expect veteran Mike Matheson to be ready to be activated off IR and make his season debut in this game.
In goal, Jake Allen has made 11 starts to date (5-6-0, 3.29 GAA, .901 SV%). Sam Montembeault has started the other six games (3-2-1, 2.83 GAA, .915 SV%).