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Week in preview: Flyers bringing a (Morgan) Frost advisory to Florida in first of two tough road games

Checking in on the Flyers' coming opponents, including an update on local product Johnny Gaudreau. Plus, Eric Lindros throws it down against Marty McSorley in a video from this week in Flyers history.

Matt Niskanen and the Flyers look to end their recent little slide with their first trip to Florida on Tuesday.
Matt Niskanen and the Flyers look to end their recent little slide with their first trip to Florida on Tuesday.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

The addition of prospect Morgan Frost gives the Flyers an interesting new look on the top line. Frost will center Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny.

“He brings a lot of skill and work ethic,” explained Konecny, who said he may have played only briefly alongside Frost in the preseason. “He just needs to come up and play his game. It’s not too hard playing with ‘G’ [Giroux]. You’ve just gotta get open. For me and Frosty, it’s just going to be a matter of working hard, getting the puck back to ‘G’ and getting open.”

The Flyers’ first game this week is a trip to Sunrise, Fla. where the temperature is pushing 80 degrees.

Game 21 - Tuesday at Florida, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

About the Panthers: Their power-play is almost as hot as the local weather. Florida had two more goals in Saturday’s win over the Rangers and are 11 for their last 30 with the man advantage (36.7%). They’ve scored at least one PPG in nine straight games (5-3-1 record). ... The Panthers are coached by Joel Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups with Chicago. The Panthers, not surprisingly, are one of the conference’s most improved teams. Saturday’s win against the Rangers was the 900th of Quenneville’s career. Only Scotty Bowman (1,244) has more. ... Sergei Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $70 million deal in free agency, has been mediocre. His .882 save percentage and 3.53 goals-against average are career worsts.

Where they stand: 10-5-5 (25 points), third place in the Atlantic; Through 20 games last season, the Panthers were 8-9-3.

Game 22 - Thursday at Carolina, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

About the Hurricanes:: Have won three in a row, the last two in overtime. ... 19-year-old Andrei Svechnikov, the second overall pick in 2018, is tied with defenseman Dougie Hamilton for the team lead with nine goals and 13 assists. The Flyers held him off the score sheet when they beat the Hurricanes in Philadelphia on Nov. 5. ... Jordan Martinook, one of the Hurricanes’ alternate captains, returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing a month with a core muscle injury. ... Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (James’ brother) returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing two games as a healthy scratch.

Where they stand: 12-7-1 (25 points), third place in the Metro, one point ahead of the Flyers and Pittsburgh.

Game 23 - Saturday vs. Calgary, 1 p.m. (NBCSP)

About the Flames:: Had a worse weekend than the Flyers, suffering shutout losses on the road to Arizona and Vegas. The one in Vegas (6-0) was particularly deflating. “We just can’t get [a] lead. When we trail, we press and they put a six spot on us," Matthew Tkacuk said. "We kind of let them run away with it and leave our goalie out to dry countless times.” ... Have a minus-19 goal differential on the road, where Calgary is 4-8-1. They are 6-2-2 at home. ... Had a nice little donnybrook on Saturday in Arizona, which included Tkachuk getting thrown to the ice by Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper. ... Defenseman TJ Brodie missed the two weekend games after collapsing at Thursday’s practice and suffering an apparent seizure. Neurological tests came back negative. ... Gloucester Catholic’s Johnny Gaudreau has 18 points in 23 games, which puts him on a pace for 64 -- well below the team-best 99 he had last season. He was a minus-5 on Saturday, leaving him at minus-8 for the season. He was plus-18 last year.

Where they stand: 10-10-3 (23 points), 5th place in the Pacific.

Triviality

Who holds the Flyers’ record for most consecutive games played?

a) Mark Howe. b) Dave Poulin. c) Rod Brind’Amour.

Answer below.

Special teams report

Flyers
PP (*NHL rank)
16-77, 20.8% (13th)
PP/Last 5 games
3-17, 17.6%
PK (*NHL rank)
48-57, 84.2% (8th)
PK/Last 5 games
12-14, 85.6%
Florida
PP (*NHL rank)
17-63, 27.0% (4th)
PP/Last 5 games
7-21, 33.3%
PK (*NHL rank)
43-52, 82.7% (14th
PK/Last 5 games
9-12, 75.0%
Carolina
PP (*NHL rank)
15-63, 23.8% (7th)
PP/Last 5 games
4-14, 28.6%
PK (*NHL rank)
60-72, 83.3% (t-11th)
PK/Last 5 games
14-15, 93.3%
Calgary
PP (*NHL rank)
13-75, 17.3% (19th)
PP/Last 5 games
3-17, 17.6%
PK (*NHL rank)
71-83, 85.5% (6th)
PK/Last 5 games
13-17, 76.5%
PP (*NHL rank)
*Entering Monday.
PP/Last 5 games
PK (*NHL rank)
PK/Last 5 games

Last week/Nov. 11-17

The Flyers went 0-1-2. Saturday’s shootout loss to the Islanders -- after blowing a three-goal lead in the third period -- was disappointing.

Our three stars for the week: Carter Hart, Claude Giroux, Oskar Lindblom.

Answer man

Rod Brind’Amour holds the Flyers record for most consecutive games played with 484. The streak ended when Brind’Amour broke his foot blocking a shot in a preseason game in 1999. He was sent to Carolina that January in the Keith Primeau deal.

This week in Flyers history

Nov. 21, 1995: Eric Lindros had two assists and a spirited fight with Marty McSorley as the Flyers rallied to beat Wayne Gretzky and the Kings, 5-2. Lindros said his bout with McSorley was an answer for several cheap shots McSorley had taken earlier in the game. “Just part of hockey, eh?” Lindros said afterward.

He said it

“My play wasn’t good enough. If I was the coach, I wouldn’t have put me out there.”

-- Rookie Joel Farabee after he was benched in the third period on Wednesday

He also said it

"Our division, you’ve got to keep winning. Otherwise you get kind of left in the dust.”

-- Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour