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Maple Leafs aim for rare win in Philly

Mar 3, 2011 - 4:41 PM (Sports Network) - It has been two months since the Philadelphia Flyers last lost consecutive games. It's been nearly three years since they lost at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Flyers try to extend their five-game series home winning streak over the streaking Maple Leafs, who get their first look at former Toronto skater Kris Versteeg this evening at Wells Fargo Center.

Philadelphia is currently tops in the Eastern Conference with 86 points, five more than the next three teams in the standings. It also trails Vancouver by three points in the race for the Presidents' Trophy, but has alternated wins and losses in its last six games.

The Flyers haven't lost to the Maple Leafs at home since March 12, 2008 and have won four straight and six of the past seven meetings between the clubs overall.

Versteeg was a member of Toronto for Philadelphia's two wins over the club this year and notched 14 goals and 35 points in 53 games with the Maple Leafs before being dealt to the Flyers. The forward has managed a goal and an assist in seven games with Philly.

The Flyers lost their sixth straight trip to Ottawa on Saturday, falling 4-1. Scott Hartnell had a first-period goal and Brian Boucher made 25 saves.

"We stopped playing and they got some goals. I have to say it felt like two different games, for sure," Boucher said.

Philadelphia hasn't lost consecutive games since Dec. 20-28 and should get a pair of healthy bodies back tonight in defenseman Chris Pronger and forward Blair Betts. Pronger missed Saturday's loss with a right hand injury suffered when blocking a shot last Thursday, while Betts has sat out the past four games with a lacerated left finger.

However, Flyers forward Dan Carcillo has missed the last two practices due to illness and likely won't play tonight, while winger James van Riemsdyk is questionable with a lower-body injury.

Sergei Bobrovsky is likely to get the start over Boucher tonight and it would be his first ever against the Maple Leafs. He is 24-9-4 with a 2.46 goals- against average in 39 games this year.

Philadelphia is 20-8-3 both at home and on the road this year and has won five of its last seven at home.

Though they have struggled in the City of Brotherly Love, the Maple Leafs come to town having recorded points in eight straight one-goal games, going 5-0-3 in that span. Toronto won for the first time in three games last night, posting a 3-2 overtime win over Pittsburgh.

Phil Kessel scored the equalizer early in the third period and then set up Mikhail Grabovski's game-winner just 42 seconds into overtime. Defenseman Dion Phaneuf began the rush that led to Grabovski's goal and helped pull Toronto to within four points of the eighth spot in the East.

"I knew we were changing, [Grabovski] was coming in off the bench," Phaneuf said. "I just wanted to hold the puck, wait for some help."

Nikolai Kulemin also scored and Kessel now has eight goals and five assists over Toronto's point streak. The All-Star has scored just once in 16 career games against Philadelphia though.

James Reimer made 27 saves and could draw his first ever start versus the Flyers tonight. The rookie is 11-4-3 with a 2.29 GAA in 20 games with Toronto this season.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who hasn't started since Feb. 16, is 2-6-1 with a tie and 3.73 GAA when facing the Flyers.