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Red-hot Preds visit Flyers

Feb 2, 2012 - 3:47 PM (Sports Network) - The streaking Nashville Predators should feel pretty good about their matchup tonight with the Philadelphia Flyers, especially if the game goes into a shootout.

The Predators aim to win six straight for the first time this season against a Flyers team that continued its struggles going beyond 65 minutes.

Nashville is on its third five-game win streak of the 2011-12 season, but came out a bit flat in Tuesday's game at Minnesota following the All-Star layoff. The Predators trailed the game by three goals early in the third, but potted the game's final four goals to roar back for a 5-4 win. The Preds scored their last three goals over the game's final 3:21.

Patric Hornqvist scored Nashville's second goal of the third and Mike Fisher knotted the game just 21 seconds later. Fisher added his second tally of night and the game-winner with 20.8 ticks left in regulation.

Brandon Yip also scored in the third and Matt Halischuk lit the lamp for the Predators, who are aiming to win six straight for the first time since March 17-26 of last year. Pekka Rinne made 21 saves to extend his club-record win streak to 10 straight games, though he did allow more than two goals for the first time over that run.

"They had a quick start," said Rinne, who hasn't lost since Jan. 5. "I thought that we weren't really ready in the beginning of the game, but as the game went along we picked it up and got it going."

Nashville, which has won 13 of 15, is second in the Central Division, three points behind conference-leading Detroit. It ends a three-game road trip this evening and has won six of its last seven as the guest.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, is looking to take advantage of a home-friendly portion of its schedule. Tuesday's contest with Winnipeg began a span of eight of 10 at home with a pair of tough road games versus the Rangers and Red Wings mixed in. However, the Flyers dropped a 2-1 shootout to the Jets, falling to 11-7-4 at home compared to 18-7-2 on the road.

"I think this is a big stretch for us and even though we got one point, it's disappointing," said Philadelphia winger Scott Hartnell. "We need to start playing well with stretches at home and this is a big month where we have a lot of home games in this month and it's definitely going to take some big efforts by individuals and collectively as a group and some good goaltending, just like it takes every time you're on the road."

The Flyers may also need to find a way to win in the shootout. They are 1-4 in shootouts this season and 20-38 all-time, while each of their past three games have gone past 65 minutes. Philadelphia is 1-2 over that time.

Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has lost all three of his games in the tiebreaker this year and had allowed five goals on five shots faced before stopping the initial two skaters he saw on Tuesday. However, he was beaten five-hole by Bryan Little in Tuesday's third round and the Flyers came up empty on their three chances.

Philly has scored just five times on 15 shootout attempts this year.

"We score a lot of goals," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette. "We're one of the highest-scoring teams in the league [so] I'm not sure I have an answer [for the shootout struggles]. I think we have talented players."

Bryzgalov made 23 saves through overtime versus the Jets and Brayden Schenn had Philadelphia's lone goal.

The Flyers, who sit fourth overall in the East and five back of the Rangers for the top spot in the conference and Atlantic Division, remain without Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk due to concussions, while defenseman Chris Pronger is expected to miss the rest of the season due to severe post- concussion syndrome.

The Predators have won four of their last six versus the Flyers, including a 4-2 home win on Jan. 14. Fisher and Martin Erat had a goal and an assist each, while Rinne made 36 saves.

Philadelphia has won two straight and three of its last four at home versus Nashville.