Season series: Claude Giroux had a goal and two assists and Michal Neuvirth made 35 saves to help the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-2 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 10. Michael Raffl, Matt Read and Ryan White scored for the Flyers. Robby Fabbri and David Backes scored for the Blues.
Blues team scope: St. Louis will look to win four in a row for the second time this season, which would match a season-high; it previously won four straight Oct. 13-18. The Blues have won five of seven after starting December 0-2-1. "Feels good as a group, in the locker room, just knowing that we can string together wins," defenseman Colton Parayko said. The Blues recalled forward Jordan Caron and defenseman Joel Edmundson from Chicago of the American Hockey League and reassigned defenseman Petteri Lindbohm on Sunday. Goalie Jake Allen likely will start. The Blues have lost the previous two visits to Wells Fargo Center; they've been outscored 7-2. The Blues' last win in Philadelphia came Oct. 22, 2011, six games before coach Ken Hitchcock was hired. Vladimir Tarasenko has a goal in five straight games, seven of the past eight, and 14 points (eight goals, six assists) the past 11 games. Alexander Steen has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) the past eight games.
Flyers team scope: Philadelphia has won two in a row on home ice and has earned points in seven of eight (4-1-3) at home. The Flyers have a chance to make it three wins in a row with one game remaining before the Christmas break. The Flyers held an optional skate Sunday after a 3-2 shootout loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. "The break's good for the body and get a couple days away from the rink, but I think at the same time, the way things have been going, we almost want to keep playing," White told the Flyers' website. "It's a big game for us [Monday] night." Coach Dave Hakstol didn't name a starting goalie.
The only team to keep Vladimir Tarasenko from lighting the lamp in the last two-plus weeks is the Philadelphia Flyers.
He'll try to rectify that in Monday night's rematch while leading the St. Louis Blues to a season high-tying fourth consecutive win.
Tarasenko has seven of his 21 goals in the past eight games and has scored one in a career-best five straight. He also had two assists for the second time in three contests in a 3-2 victory over Calgary on Saturday.
"Hockey is a team game. My teammates make it for me," Tarasenko said. "I think I need to score more because I have really a lot of goal chances. So you can't stop working and relaxing because it's only December."
Tarasenko didn't have a point in a 4-2 home loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 10, the only time that's happened in nine games dating to Dec. 4. The Flyers (14-12-7) tallied three straight goals in the second period with Claude Giroux concluding that run and assisting on two more scores in the game.
Philadelphia has split four subsequent contests, winning both home games. The Flyers rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period Saturday in Columbus but were denied a third consecutive overall victory in a 3-2 shootout loss.
Philadelphia will try to bounce back and head into its five-day break on a positive note with a ninth win in the last 11 home games against St. Louis. The Blues (20-10-4), who last won four in a row Oct. 13-18, visit Boston on Tuesday before getting a three-day hiatus.
"We've been playing well and we want to keep things going in the right way," forward Ryan White said. "I think it's not so much about the break. The break is good for the body and getting a couple of mental days away from the rink. At the same time, the way things have been going we almost want to keep playing. So it's a big game for us (Monday) night."
The Flyers have outscored the Blues 11-4 while earning at least one point in each of the past five overall meetings (3-0-2).
Michal Neuvirth started in net in the most recent matchup but Steve Mason has performed better against the Blues, going 3-0-1 with a 0.62 goals-against average in his last five matchups. Neuvirth is 2-1-0 with a 3.33 GAA in three lifetime meetings.
Brian Elliott, who started for St. Louis earlier this month, earned his first win in nine appearances since Oct. 18 on Saturday, making 36 saves. He is 2-4-0 with a 3.05 GAA in his last six games against Philadelphia while Jake Allen, 4-1-0 with a 1.41 GAA in his past five starts, has never faced the Flyers.
Tarasenko has one assist in three career games against Philadelphia. Scott Gomez has one goal and five assists in his last three matchups but the veteran center doesn't have a points in his last eight contests.
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tjk002 wrote:Any one have any thoughts on the Lightning GMs being here the past couple games? Doubtful Stamkos, but other options.
My bet is goaltending. They sent their backup, Vasilvesky, down because he wasn't playing well enough whenever Bishop couldn't go. And the guy they called up, Kristers Gudlevskis, has only played 102 AHL games and now has 2 NHL starts.
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Nice save by Allen! He has really improved over last season and the beginning of this one. His concentration, consistency,awareness and positioning are all a lot better than before. He is now among the top half of NHL starters, when, before, he was only a marginal starter.
Portland Blues wrote:Walter. Tango. Foxtrot. Checked and we were up 3-0 and we lost?
Took the foot off the gas. Going up 3-0 is the worst thing this team can do for itself, apparently.
Officiating was pretty bad, too, going both ways. Only one of the calls against the Blues actually looked like a penalty. Meanwhile, slew-footing and tripping are apparently legal now. Still curious how Lehtera with his stick on the ice and both hands on his stick gets called for high-sticking when the Flyers player ducked under Lehtera's stick and raised his head into it.
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Portland Blues wrote:Walter. Tango. Foxtrot. Checked and we were up 3-0 and we lost?
Took the foot off the gas. Going up 3-0 is the worst thing this team can do for itself, apparently.
Officiating was pretty bad, too, going both ways. Only one of the calls against the Blues actually looked like a penalty. Meanwhile, slew-footing and tripping are apparently legal now. Still curious how Lehtera with his stick on the ice and both hands on his stick gets called for high-sticking when the Flyers player ducked under Lehtera's stick and raised his head into it.
That dreaded 3 goal lead. Maybe I was wrong, this team would do better to go down 1-0 early.
