Flyers' Chris Pronger back in Edmonton

EDMONTON, Alberta - Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger yesterday downplayed his return to the city that has not forgiven him for leaving.

"All positive thoughts," a smiling Pronger said about coming back to Edmonton, where the Flyers will face the lowly Oilers tonight. "I had a good run here, just came up one goal short, basically."

Pronger played for Edmonton in 2005-06, and led his team to the brink of the Stanley Cup. The Oilers dropped a 3-1 decision to Carolina, including an empty-net goal at the end, in Game 7 of the Finals that season.

After the season, Pronger asked to be traded for personal reasons, and he was dealt to Anaheim.

Hence, the boos whenever he returns.

"I like playing in Canada. It's always fun," Pronger said after yesterday's practice at Rexall Place. "The fans are obviously passionate about the sport and it makes it interesting. No matter where you sit in the standings . . . every game is an adventure."

For Edmonton, it has been a misadventure. Pat Quinn's Oilers failed to win a game in January, though their 4-2 victory over Carolina on Monday snapped a 13-game losing streak. Owners of a league-low 40 points, they have just two wins in their last 22 games.

The Flyers, coming off Monday's impressive 3-0 victory in Calgary, will be trying to avoid a letdown.

"We made mistakes like that earlier in the year, and I think we learned from that," right winger Ian Laperriere said. "You look at their lineup, they're a young team with guys who want to prove they're NHL players. They're a dangerous team. With where they are in the standings, they're playing for their jobs, and we can expect a big effort from them."

On Monday, the Flyers played a nearly flawless road game. They committed just two penalties, allowed few good scoring chances, got two goals from Mike Richards and two assists from Simon Gagne, and spent a majority of the game in Calgary's end.

Goalie Ray Emery continued his strong play, but he needed to make just 18 saves as he notched his third shutout of the season. He called the win the team's best defensive game of the season.

"We've been playing a lot of offense, and it takes a lot of time away from your end of the rink," said Emery, who was given a day off yesterday. "We've been able to sort things out well, stay out of the box, and limit teams' chances. It's a combination of things."

Since returning from abdominal surgery, Emery has a 2.17 goals-against average in eight straight starts. Throw out his first game back - a 5-3 loss in Washington - and Emery has a 1.75 goals-against average in his last seven games.

Newcomer Lukas Krajicek, a 26-year-old defenseman signed as a free agent Saturday, was among the players who keyed the defensive effort against Calgary.

After committing a turnover that nearly allowed a goal early in the game, Krajicek was solid in his Flyers debut, playing 18 minutes, 25 seconds on the second defensive unit. He was paired with Kimmo Timonen for most of the game.

"Kimmo makes it easy for me," Krajicek said. "He doesn't put you in any trouble; he doesn't give you the puck when you're not supposed to get it."

"I was obviously excited and a little nervous, but I thought it went well," Krajicek said of his debut.

Breakaways. Coach Peter Laviolette said he was undecided on his goalie for tonight. Several teams have used their backup goalies against Edmonton. . . . Entering last night, Richards' 11 power-play goals had him tied for fourth in the NHL. . . . Blair Betts, an Edmonton native, will have several friends and relatives at tonight's game.