The Hurricanes vie for a fifth straight win, while the Flyers hope to end their slump

It's hard to feel as good as the Carolina Hurricanes do right now. The defending champions are the proud owners of a four-game win streak after another dominant effort on Saturday night in Chicago. Five different Canes found the back of the net, and Brandon Bussi looked excellent to earn his second consecutive victory as the Canes trounced the Blackhawks, 5-2.

While the team is streaking, so are some of the players. Sebastian Aho (5 goals, 9 points) and Jackson Blake (1 goal, 6 assists) enter on five-game point streaks, and Mark Jankowski has goals in three straight games. Pyotr Kochetkov gets the start tonight for the Canes, going for his third win in a row after beginning his streak in Philadelphia last weekend.

It was just eight days ago that the winless Hurricanes, fresh off a rough effort against the Capitals, visited Philadelphia. On that night, they entered the third period down a goal when Aho scored on the power play early in the frame, sending the sides to overtime. On the man advantage again, Shayne Gostisbehere burnt his old team to finally get the Canes in the win column.

Behind Enemy Lines: Philadelphia Flyers

While a lot has changed around the league over the last week, the number of wins for the Flyers has not. The Flyers are one of three teams without a win this season, joined in this unfortunate group by the Flames and the Kings. They were dominated from start to finish by the Boston Bruins on Saturday, losing 5-1 in Beantown to drop their sixth straight game. The vibes are not great in Philly.

There isn't much going right for the Flyers right now. Their offense has scored the fewest goals in the league (7) and averages the fewest per game (1.17). Meanwhile, their defense is among the worst-performing in the league, allowing four goals per contest. Their power play isn't scoring. Their penalty kill is struggling. It has been a very rough start

For me, one of the lone bright spots for the team has been goalie Joseph Woll. In three starts, Woll hasn't gotten a ton of help, facing over 36 shots per game. He boasts a .927 save percentage heading into tonight's contest and is responsible for both points that the Flyers have earned this season. With Dan Vladar going in Boston, Woll will draw the start against the Canes (37/40, 3 GA last Saturday).

Injury Report

Carolina: With it being a back-to-back, we won't know if anything will change until the head coach speaks to the media. Everyone, seemingly, made it out of Chicago unscathed, so Seth Jarvis should remain the only injured player on the roster.

Philadelphia: Meanwhile, the Flyers put out a list of injuries on Saturday, further rubbing salt in the wound. I figure it's probably easier to insert their post about it instead of listing everything. Missing those first three names will be especially tough for a group that is still searching for its first win of the season.

Players to Watch

Owen Tippett: Ahead of their meeting last Saturday, I don't think I did a good job of properly expressing how much the Flyers missed Tippett during the second round. He has one of the best shots on their roster, and Tippett showed that when he scored last weekend. Without Konecny, he'll be at the top of the list of players who need to step up if the Flyers want to find offensive success.

Michael Bunting: It hasn't been long since these two teams played, but the Flyers have already added to their roster by signing the former Hurricane last week. Bunting's arrival is very fortuitous, especially given their current injury situation. He brings a level of grit that is certain to play well in Rick Tocchet's system. Plus, he's a former Cane, which means that he's bound to score tonight.

Jordan Staal: Coming off a 20-goal season and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in June, the captain has gotten off to a slow start. He's yet to record a point, sitting on 499 as a Hurricane as we begin the seventh game. I think that changes tonight. His line got one on Saturday, and that should catapult them, much as it has for the rest of the lineup.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi: I have been pleasantly surprised by how well Kotkaniemi has begun the season. He wasn't in the lineup for the first two games, but Kotkaniemi has had assists in consecutive games as the fourth line comes to life. He has spent his time on the wing, which might have something to do with how comfortable he has looked. It would be something if he found a way to score tonight, too.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow