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Flyers-Avs Preview: Mountains become molehills when Avs hit the road

The Avalanche (7-5-0) have won just two of their seven games on the road and after winning their first two road games of the season, have dropped the last three.

Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim shoots the puck against Arizona Coyotes on Monday, October 30, 2017 in Philadelphia.
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim shoots the puck against Arizona Coyotes on Monday, October 30, 2017 in Philadelphia.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
  1. The Flyers (7-6-1) have now won three times this season immediately after being shut out. Flyers: Goaltender Michal Neuvirth climbed right back up the charts following Thursday's 33-save, 2-0 shutout of the Blues. Before last night's games, he was third in goal against average (1.83) and sixth in save percentage (.941). Neuvirth though is 0-4-0 lifetime against the Avs with a 3.54 GAA and .885 save percentage. After blocking 10 shots Thursday, Ivan Provorov is second in the NHL in that category. Shayne Gostisbehere, out of the lineup since being driven into the boards by Toronto's Leo Toronto's Leo Komarov three games ago, skated all week back in Voorhees and could be close to a return.

  2. The Avalanche (7-5-0) have won just two of their seven games on the road and after winning their first two road games of the season, have dropped the last three. Of the 39 goals Colorado has scored this season, only 11 have come on the road. They defeated Carolina 5-3 at home Thursday night behind Semyon Varlamov's career-high 57 saves, an Avalanche record but not a franchise one (The Avs were once the Quebec Nordiques). He had allowed seven goals in his previous game against the Las Vegas Golden Knights last Friday night. He is 2-3 with a 2.86 GAA against the Flyers in his career. The Avs were the worst NHL team last season with just 22 victories, but 10 came before Nov. 21. Still, for a team that finished dead last in goals scored and allowed, their current status in those two categories – 10th in goal scoring average, 20th in goals against average – is promising. They are 14th in the penalty kill and 15th in the power play. … Five of Nathan MacKinnon's 10 points have come in the last two games.

How to watch and follow the game.

  1. TV: NBC Philadelphia 7:00

  2. RADIO – 97.5 FM

  3. TWITTER: @BroadStBull @samdonnellon

Key contributors:

  1. Flyers: Sean Couturier (9 goals, 17 points, +10), Ivan Provorov (2 goals, 8 points, average time on ice: 24:41), Claude Giroux (7 goals, 16 points, +3), Jakub Voracek (2 goal, 16 points, +3), Wayne Simmonds (6 goals, 10 points, +1)

  2. Colorado: Matt Duchene (3 goals, 8 points, +4), Nate Mackinnon (3 goals, 10 points, -5), Mikko Rantanen (4 goals, 11 points, -6), Tyson Barrie (2 goals, 10 points, -4)

Head to Head

  1. The Flyers are 9-16-2-4 in the 31 games played between the teams since they moved from Quebec to Colorado. And yet there is an overall goal differential of just two goals. The Flyers won both matchups last season, beating the Avs 4-3 in December and 4-0 in February.

How to watch and follow the game.

  1. TV – NBC Philadelphia 7:00

  2. RADIO – 97.5 FM

  3. TWITTER: @BroadStBull @samdonnellon

Flyers upcoming games

  1. Chicago Nov. 9

  2. Minnesota Nov. 11