5 Things: Flyers vs. Rangers
The Flyers come into tonight having lost two straight, as well as four of their last five.
GAME NOTES
SEASON SERIES
QUICK STATS
Season Series: 0-0-1
All-Time Record: 301gp (131-123-37-10)
Leading Scorer:
PHI - 21 pts: James van Riemsdyk (8g-13a)
NYR - 18 pts: Artemi Panarin (5g-13a)
1. THIRD TIME'S A CHARM
The Flyers come into tonight having lost two straight, as well as four of their last five... The Flyers have bounced back with a win both times this season after they have lost two in-a-row and still haven't dropped three straight over a 13 month span - since a four-game stretch from Dec. 31-Jan. 7, 2020... Despite the recent skid, they have earned points in three of the five games and remain one of the top offense teams in the NHL, averaging 3.40 goals per-game which ranks sixth in the league and leads the East Division.
2. RANGERS ROLLING
The Rangers come in with two straight wins and look for their first three-game win streak since this exact time last year - a five-game win streak from Feb. 19-27... They also own a three-game road win streak and have earned at least a point in seven of their last 10 overall games, going 5-3-2... They also look to get to the .500 win percentage level for the first time since opening week of the season on Jan. 16... The Rangers have held their opponents to two goals or fewer in six of the last eight games, as well as seven of their last 10.
3. SECOND SET
The Flyers will complete the two-game set against the Rangers, five days apart, after dropping the first meeting in a shootout on Feb. 18... Despite the loss, the Flyers have earned points against the Rangers in four straight and 10 of their last 11 meetings... Four of the last five goals the Flyers have allowed to the Rangers have all come on the power play... These two teams have combined for at least 20 penalty minutes in each of their last four games, and have combined for 10 power plays in three of those four games...The Rangers will be without leading scorer, Artemi Panarin (personal reasons), while the Flyers are still missing four players due to COVID protocol (Konecny, Laughton, Lindblom & Voracek)... Captain Claude Giroux and defenseman Justin Braun are expected to return from the list.
4. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER
THIS: Ivan Provorov will set an NHL record for the most consecutive games played by a defenseman from the start of a career for the same team with his 331st consecutive game tonight, which passes the previous leader - former Rangers' defenseman Dan Girardi (330)... THAT: The Rangers have the NHL's best penalty kill over the last three weeks, going nearly perfect at 96.9% allowing just one goal on their last 32 times shorthanded... THE OTHER: These two teams are on the opposite ends of the shot sheet - the Flyers are last in the league in shots on goal per-game (22.7) and second to last in most shots allowed per-game (3.33), while the Rangers are T-6th in fewest shots allowed (28.4) and T-6th in most shots-for per-game (31.6).
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH
FLYERS (LW: #86 - Joel Farabee)
Farabee has goals in two straight games, points in three straight (2g-3a) and has recorded points in five of his last six contests for a total of nine points (6g-3a) in that stretch... He's tied for the team lead with eight goals in 15 games, which already ties the total from his rookie year last season when he had eight goals in 52 games.
RANGERS (RW: #89 - Pavel Buchnevich)
Buchnevich has been one of the Rangers most consistent scorers with points in nine of 16 games, including a three-game point streak entering tonight with four points (1g-3a)... He also has a three-game point streak against the Flyers with a goal and two assists... Of his 12 points, eight have been at even strength which ranks second on the team.
