Philadelphia, PA (WGR 550) - It won't be easy for the Sabres on Saturday to break their five-game losing streak. Buffalo skates into Philadelphia to face a Flyers team that has won eight straight games and 13 out of 16.
Going into Saturday's action, Philadelphia had caught Washington for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
I find it amazing that the Flyers have scored four or more goals in all eight of their wins during their current streak.
Leading scorer Travis Konecny has seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 13 games. Kevin Hayes has six goals and nine points in eight games. Sean Couturier has nine goals and 13 points in 13 games. Scott Laughton has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 17 games. James van Riemsdyk didn't play the last game, but has seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 21 games. Claude Giroux has six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 13 games. Newly acquired and former Sabres forward Derek Grant has five points in three games. Jakub Voracek has a goal and 10 assists for 11 points in eight games.
Carter Hart is 8-1 since returning from injury. His season numbers are very average, but he gets the job done at 23-12-3 with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
As you can see, the Flyers score from anywhere in their lineup, yet they don't have anybody in the NHL's top-25 scorers.
Philadelphia has all those streaks, but Buffalo's Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson have combined for no points in the last six games. Ralph Krueger has seen enough, so Jeff Skinner is going to take Olofsson's spot on that line.
Zemgus Girgensons has a lower-body injury and Lawrence Pilut is ill, and Krueger didn't sound real encouraging on Friday that either will play. That would put Michael Frolik and Colin Miller back into the lineup. John Gilmour has been called up from Rochester to give the Sabres one extra player.
Carter Hutton gets the call in goal with Linus Ullmark coming off the injured list to back him up. Hutton is 12-13-4 with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Hutton has lost his last three starts and four of his last five. He allowed three goals in all three of his losses out west.
Wayne Simmonds played three seasons in Los Angeles before coming to Philadelphia to play eight years and 584 games. Simmonds had years with the Flyers where he scored 32, 31, 29, 28 and 28 goals.
Buffalo got pasted by the Flyers back in December, 6-1.
Join Brian Koziol for the pregame starting at 6:00 when he'll be joined by Krueger, Ullmark and Simmonds.
