Final
Devils host Flyers in opener of key home-and-home
Mar 11, 2012 - 3:09 PM (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers will shoot for a sixth straight victory this evening when they visit the rival New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center for the start of an important home-and-home series.The Flyers have won five straight and enter today just two points ahead of the Devils, who have won three in a row, for the fifth seed in the East. Both clubs are coming off victories on Saturday, as Philadelphia's Ilya Bryzgalov posted his second straight shutout in a 1-0 win at Toronto and the Devils recorded a 2-1 road decision against the New York Islanders.
The Devils and Flyers have split four meetings this season and the road team has won every encounter so far. New Jersey has taken two of three and four of six overall in this series, but the Flyers have claimed two in a row and three of their last four in Newark.
The clubs will complete the home-and-home set Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia and the Maple Leafs were tied at 0-0 after 65 minutes on Saturday, but Claude Giroux helped deliver two points for the Flyers by netting the lone goal of the shootout at Air Canada Centre.
Giroux ended the second round by using multiple stick fakes to pull Jonas Gustavsson out of position before flipping a shot under the crossbar. Phil Kessel tried to sneak his shot home inside the right post, but Bryzgalov flashed his pad to end the game.
It was the continuation of a tremendous stretch for the 31-year-old Bryzgalov, who notched his fifth shutout of the season and third in four starts. Bryzgalov stopped 29 shots through 65 minutes for the Flyers, who have beaten Toronto in all three meetings this year.
"A win is a win," said Bryzgalov, who owns a shutout streak of 136 minutes, 13 seconds. "You have to have the ability to play in the defensive zone if you want to pick up the win, and we have the ability to play in the defensive and offensive zones."
Bryzgalov has started 11 straight games for the Flyers and could get the call again tonight on short rest. Backup Sergei Bobrovsky hasn't started since losing on Feb. 12 in Detroit.
On the injury front, Flyers defensemen Pavel Kubina (upper body) and forward Jakub Voracek (head/mouth) are questionable for tonight. Defensemen Kimmo Timonen (back) and Andrej Meszaros (lower body) are not expected to play.
The Flyers are 22-11-2 on the road this year.
The Devils earned their third straight win Saturday, beating the Islanders, 2-1, at Nassau Coliseum. David Clarkson and Marek Zidlicky scored 14 seconds apart late in the third period to lead New Jersey to the comeback victory.
Facing a 1-0 deficit, Clarkson put the Devils on the board with 1:39 to play when his turnaround shot from the low right circle snuck between the left arm of Anders Nilsson. Moments later, Zidlicky lined up a slap shot from the right point that blew past a screened Nilsson and the Devils kept the Islanders away the rest of the game.
Johan Hedberg turned aside 23 shots for the Devils, who were facing the Islanders for the third time in the span of a week.
"I felt real good tonight and I think the guys did a good job of battling in front of the net and keeping the second chances away," said Hedberg.
Martin Brodeur is expected to get tonight's start in net. The steady veteran is 44-29-3 with six ties in 83 career games against the Flyers.
The Devils have won their last two home games and are 18-12-3 at the Rock this season.
- PHILADELPHIA: 1
NEW JERSEY: 4
Final
Mar 11 9:28 PM - New Jersey Goal - Anton Volchenkov (2), from Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise at 2:45.
Flyers 1, Devils 2 3rd - 17:15Mar 11 8:58 PM - Philadelphia Goal - Claude Giroux (25), from Jaromir Jagr at :16.
Flyers 1, Devils 1 3rd - 19:44Mar 11 8:54 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
NEW JERSEY: 1
End of 2nd
Mar 11 8:37 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
NEW JERSEY: 1
End of 1st
Mar 11 7:43 PM - New Jersey Power-Play Goal - Patrik Elias (24), from David Clarkson at 19:35.
Flyers 0, Devils 1 1st - 0:25Mar 11 7:41 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
NEW JERSEY: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Mar 11 7:08 PM
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