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Flyers-Panthers Preview

Oct 15, 2009 - 6:44 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Philadelphia (3-1-1) at Florida (1-4-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT

With the season two weeks old, the Philadelphia Flyers aren't too alarmed about losing two straight at home.

Philadelphia looks to win its first three on the road for the first time in 16 years Friday night as it faces a Florida Panthers team trying to find ways to put the puck in the net.

After a 6-5 overtime win over Washington on Oct. 6, the Flyers (3-1-1) closed their three-game homestand with consecutive defeats - 5-4 to Pittsburgh and Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to Anaheim.

"We've done a lot of really good things," said defenseman Chris Pronger, who has a goal and four assists. "There's certainly no reason to panic."

Philadelphia is among the NHL leaders on the power play, converting 29.0 percent (9 for 31). Pronger and Mike Richards scored with the man advantage to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead against the Ducks.

Richards is tied with Jeff Carter and Matt Carle with a team-high eight points. The trio combined for five goals and an assist in a pair of road wins to open the season.

The last time Philadelphia won its first three away from home was 1993-94, when it started 4-0-0 on the road.

The Flyers will look to match that mark at BankAtlantic Center, where Florida is 0-2-0.

The Panthers (1-4-0) have dropped four straight and been outscored 17-6 since a 4-3 shootout win over Chicago on Oct. 2 in Helsinki, Finland.

"The start hasn't gone as we expected, but, quite frankly, there was the great unknown of how we would respond to the (two-game) European trip," general manager Randy Sexton told the club's official Web site. "I'd say it's pretty much been par for the course."

Coach Peter DeBoer is looking for ways to improve his team's offense, which is averaging 1.80 goals per game, and center Dominic Moore is expected to see his first action of the season Friday.

Moore, who signed a one-year deal Oct. 5, did not begin practicing with the team until Wednesday due to delays receiving his work visa. He scored 13 goals and won 54.1 percent of his faceoffs last season with Toronto and Buffalo.

"We've got Dominic Moore here, he has to play somewhere, so we're going to have to mix things up," DeBoer said. "It gives us some flexibility to move some guys around, and if you're not producing you're not going to continue to get the time or minutes that maybe you got the first five games, and that's where we need to be."

Florida is among the league's worst in winning faceoffs at 46.0 percent.

"Obviously, we need to produce," said forward Cory Stillman, who hasn't scored a goal this season after notching five in his first seven games of 2008-09. "We need to get the puck, and when we get the puck we need to make passes. When we get the puck we need to score."

Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen returned to practice Wednesday after dealing with a family issue. Playing for New Jersey, he was 2-0-0 with a 1.89 goals-against average against Philadelphia in 2008-09.

Tomas Vokoun has a 3.80 GAA in five starts for Florida this season.

Philadelphia's Ray Emery is 6-2-0 with a 3.26 GAA in eight career starts against the Panthers.

These teams split four meetings last season.