5 THINGS: Flyers vs. Sharks

QUICK STATS
Season Series (2015-16): 0-1-1
All-Time Record: 37gp (14-14-4-5)
Leading Scorers: PHI: 35pts, Voracek (11g-24a) | SJS: 34pts, Burns (14g-20a)
Power Play: (PHI: 29-for-131, 22.4%, 8th) (SJS: 19-for-116, 16.4%, 19th)
Penalty Kill: (PHI: 89-of-110, 80.9%, T-17th) (SJS: 77-for-92, 83.7%, T-8th)
1. GOODBYE 2016
The Flyers play their final game of the calendar year tonight, owning a 46-26-11 mark for 103 points since Jan. 1… Their 46 wins and 103 points are ranked seventh in the NHL since Jan. 1, while the Sharks' 50 wins are tied for second in 2016… The Flyers have scored the fourth most goals (243) and second most power-play goals in 2016 (65)… Wayne Simmonds leads the Flyers with 40 goals and 71 points since Jan. 1 - His 40 goals are ranked third and 71 points are fourth among all players in the Eastern Conference… Steve Mason's 30 wins since Jan. 1 are ranked ninth among all NHL goalies.
2. A TALE OF TWO CITIES
The Flyers come into tonight's game looking to snap a two-game losing skid and have dropped four of their last five games, going 1-3-1… The Sharks have won three straight and six of their last seven, going 6-1-0… In the goal-scoring department, the Flyers are sixth in the league, averaging 2.95 per-game, while the Sharks are fourth in the NHL for the fewest goals allowed at 2.20 per-game… The Sharks lead the NHL in goals from defensemen (23) while the Flyers are tied for second with 22 goals from d-men.

3. RIVALRY BY THE BAY
Each team has dominated during the 26-year tenure of the Sharks - the Flyers have just one win against the Sharks in the last 14 years, going 1-11-2-5, and are winless playing at San Jose in their last two visits, winning just once in the last 15 years (a 5-3 win on Feb. 3, 2014), going 1-7-1-1… Previous to that, the Flyers went 13-3-2, including 7-1-1 at San Jose since the Sharks came into the league in 1991… The result is an even .500 mark of 14-14-4-5, including 8-8-2-1 at the Shark Tank.
4. US, THEM, US & THEM
THIS: Brayden Schenn has seven of his 10 goals in the month of December and nine of his 10 against Western Conference opponents.
THAT: Sharks netminder Martin Jones has gone 14-5-1 with a 1.83 GAA and a .930 save percentage in his last 20 games, posting two shutouts in that span.
THE OTHER: The Sharks have 17 of their 22 wins when scoring the first goal, which is the second most wins in the NHL, while the Flyers have 11 wins when their opponents score first, which is tied for the NHL lead.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (LW: #17 - Wayne Simmonds)
Simmonds is coming of a goal and an assist in his last outing, giving him 31 points which ranks second on the Flyers… His 17 goals lead the Flyers and ranks sixth in the NHL, while his eight power-play goals are tied for second in the league… Simmonds leads the Flyers in points scored on the road, recording nine goals and 14 points in 17 games.
SHARKS (C: #8 - Joe Pavelski)
The Sharks captain is currently riding a four-game point streak with six points (2g-4a) in that span… He ranks second on the team in nearly every offensive category with goals (12), assists (21), points (33), shots (120) and hits (75)… Pavelski also does damage against the Flyers, recording nine goals and 12 points in 12 career games against Philly.
TODAY AT 50
On December 30, 2007… Antero Niittymaki, who has played for both the Flyers and San Jose Sharks in his career, turns back all 38 shots fired on his net by the Florida Panthers, including a first period penalty shot by Radek Dvorak. Derian Hatcher snaps a scoreless deadlock midway through the third period and the Flyers hang on for a 1-0 win.